Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) has dismissed a fake viral memo claiming it has suspended academic activities ahead of a planned lecturers’ strike.
The memo, dated September 28, 2026, purported to be from the Office of the Registrar, Academic Affairs, and directed students to leave the university by Friday, October 2, 2026.
It claimed the university had decided to temporarily suspend academic activities following the planned nationwide strike by university lecturers, which begins on Friday this week.
The notice further instructed students to make arrangements to travel home, secure their personal belongings, and await communication on the resumption of academic activities.
“Students are advised to secure their personal belongings and comply with all university directives. Communication on the resumption of academic activities will be issued through official university channels,” read part of the fake memo.
However, the university clarified that the notice was not genuine and urged students and staff to disregard it.
The university asked students to rely on its official communication channels for any information concerning academic activities and other institutional announcements.
The fake notice comes amid uncertainty in public universities, as the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) is set to begin a seven-day nationwide strike at midnight on Friday, October 2.
On September 24, UASU announced the strike over what it described as the university councils’, the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury’s failure to honour the Return-to-Work Formula signed on November 5, 2025.
The union also raised concerns over delays in concluding the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), saying the government had not submitted a financial counter-proposal despite ongoing negotiations.
UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said other public-sector employees had already concluded their 2025-2029 CBAs, while negotiations on the agreement covering university lecturers remained unresolved.
There are now fears that the planned strike could disrupt teaching in public universities if the government and the lecturers’ union fail to reach an agreement before Friday.