Why Maseno University students won't pay more to private investors.

Maseno University student leaders have thwarted plans by private developers in the area to demand more money from students as rent for off-campus hostels at the township.

In a notice to all the students, the students' union ( SOMU) Secretary General Linus Sang said the union leaders had been informed of the move to increase rent rates and asked students not to pay any money citing the lack of proper consultation and involvement of stakeholders.

"It has brought to our attention that there are attempts to increase for the non-resident students.We feel the process has been done without due consultation with our offices," reads the notice.

The union leaders termed the move as unfair and unjustified given the current tough economic times in the country.

They urged the students not to pay any extra charges until the union directed them to.

Private hostel owners recently announced that they will demand payments for accommodation of students who are their only tenants throughout the year saying the lecturers strike had affected earlier agreed semester dates and extended stay pushes them to ask for more money.

Students, on the other hand, have argued that they had not stayed at the hostels for the period learning had been paralyzed by the strike and should not be charged.

Students living at Caroline Herein apartments and have not paid the extra charge have requested to vacate their rooms through a text message.

This is the message that was sent to all the hostel occupants on Wednesday morning;

 "Good morning all, for those who've not paid for extension charges, you have up to today evening.And for the ones not willing to pay you also have up to today evening to vacate our premises today."

The hostels have close to 200 rooms with each having two occupants who pay Sh15,000 each every semester and the owners demand that all the money is paid at the start of every semester.

The students still have two months in school as they are expected to end the semester in the last week of July when those in their fourth year of study return to school after their industrial attachment to sit for their exams.

It has emerged that in nearly all the privately owned hostels, charges are exorbitant and students have no access to clean tap water.

Many, especially during dry weather season, buy the commodity at Sh20 for a 20-litre container with some lining up striving to share the little available untreated spring water with the locals.

Rainwater remains the most relied on source and students have to do all they can to fetch as much water as all their vessels can hold at a time.

Hostels with better living conditions charge as high as at least Sh30,000 per semester for a bedsitter.

Roads and paths accusing largely affordable rooms are dilapidated and impassable when it rains making it difficult for students to access ambulance services in case of ill health emergencies.

Safety in most of the hostels has been a concern as many are established deep in the village but students have on several occasions experienced attacks as their rooms are broken into by people believed to be locals surrounding their residences.

During last years graduation in December, Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma admitted that the area had insufficient water supply and unreliable sewerage system.