The Never Ending Looming Crisis in Chuka University

By Purity Wambui

A photo of Chuka university gate A(main gate)

Do you know that feeling you experience knowing very well your parents back at home are sacrificing everything they got so that you can be in school to learn and then you start missing lectures due to lack of some necessities you never knew would matter e.g gatepass?

Well as other universities are celebrating because they are resuming back to classes, Chuka University students cling to God as their hope over the ongoing looming crisis leaves them with headaching questions. These questions include; are their dreams going to be shuttered due to lack of gatepass? Is the school even going to reconsider the vulnerable students who come from a humble background? Well let's find out.

This "horror" started back in 2015 as per students reports like blogs. This was after a student strike that occured same year. Since then the gatepass Has been punitively , that is , as a student one is required to have a gatepass in order to access university premises as part of a disciplinary.

The student strike that happened in 2015 as per student reports and blogs used gatepass restrictions alongside fines as part of disciplinary measures like restricting students access until they cleared penalties. This led to debate among students about the fairness and practical effects of the policy.

More recent public documents like Student Handbook 2024, continue to show the gatepass as an active part of campus security operations including temporary gatepass for visitors and students in particular circumstances like those still regularizing fees.

The introduction of strict gatepass rules in 2015 aimed to curb insecurity on the institution. But over the years, the policy has sparked debates among students who feels it restricts their freedom.

Students who are still regularizing fees feel their freedom being restricted. This happens because students are not allowed in the institution all school fees is not catered for. So the students has to stay back at their hostels in this period. This gatepass policy has led to students not to cure their educational thirst hence leading them to making some negative decisions like taking their own lives rather than suffering under this policy.

A student sadly walking away after being restricted from accessing university premises due to lack of gatepass. Photo AI.

This occurring of events has sparked students with a lot of questions of how the institution is handling this. Students are given a period of time to complete their fees and acquire gatepass. But the question is, is this period enough for every student as every student has different backgrounds?

Now the period is over and still not every student has acquired this necessity. The students are clinging to God as some still find it challenging to acquire the institution.

What will the students do to acquire the education they yearn for if they can't attend the lectures? What is the institution going to do to allow every student attend lectures? Will the institution expand the period or? This are some of the students questions right now. And the question needs answer from the institution.

From the voices gathered across campus, one thing is clear , students want a system that protects them without limiting their freedom. It seems that by opening up honest dialogue, both sides can find a balance that works for the university community. The real test will be whether such conversation will begin and whether they will lead to meaningful change.

Chuka University gatepass system has shifted over the years, but the debate surrounding it remains just as alive as ever. For some, it represents safety for others control that is unnecessary. What is clear from the voices on campus is that students want to feel both protected and respected. As new leadership takes over and the conversation continues, the university stands at a cross reads between holding onto old systems and embracing a more student centered future.