University's principal contribution to society is the quality of knowledge it generates, democratic values it promotes and high level personnel it produces. In Kenya, university students have engaged in destructive behavior. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the causes, patterns and nature of student unrest in public universities in Kenya. A total of 450 subjects were used in the study. The theories of Campus Ecology, Cognitive Dissonance, Relative Deprivation and the Interest-Based Relational (IBR) Approach formed the theoretical framework. It was established that the genesis of students' unrest in public universities in Kenya were many and varied such as lack of involvement in decision-making, lack of factual information about the relevant issues, poor living conditions, autocratic administrations, rising cost of education and living among other causes. It was recommended that public universities should put in place policies and structures for conflict management and resolution. This monograph will be useful to researchers and students of conflict management and resolution, university managers and policy makers and any person interested in conflict management.