Countless students joining university each year are faced with the headache of finding safe, affordable housing as they pursue their studies. The reality in Kenya is there are 280,000 bed spaces in universities against a student population of 769,000 according to statistics.
In fact, the students’ accommodation shortage accounts for 40 percent of the national housing shortfall according to real estate researcher Jumia House. The result is students having to find the cheapest housing in surrounding neighbourhoods, where their safety is often jeopardised. These are the numbers we managed to get of the current student housing in various Kenyan Universities from the public domain.
The University of Nairobi through the Student Welfare Authority has a bed capacity of over 10,000 for students’ accommodation. According to UoN’s website the student population is 84,000, some sources have put that figure at 98,000.
Moi University hostels can accommodate up to 8,478 students. That’s against student enrollment that sits at over 52,000 according to the school’s site.
As for JKUAT 42,000 students are enrolled, most of whom live off campus. From sources the university’s hostels can only host 2,700 students.
At Chuka University, out of its 16,000 students, the institution can only accommodate 1,000.
At Kisii University, with a student population of about 13,000 at the main campus, the university has nine hostels hosting about 3,000 students.
In Kirinyaga University with a population of 6,000 students, it accommodates roughly 1,500 students.
We spoke to two students who share their housing experience and the dangers that lurk outside university gates.
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