KENYA: Violent protests close Kenyatta indefinitely

Kenyatta University in Kenya was closed indefinitely last Monday after students went on the rampage, destroying property worth millions of shillings hardly three days after its re-opening. One student died and several were injured after riot police were called in.

Students had reported back 10 days after an 18 March closure that followed violent protests over the university's refusal to extend the registration deadline for 2,000 students with fees arrears.

By mid-March students, whose attempts through their leaders to seek an audience with Vice-chancellor Professor Olive Mugenda had been unsuccessful, were incensed. They abandoned lectures and staged protests against Mugenda, accusing her of high-handedness and lack of concern about their grievances.

Another bone of contention at the time was the administration's attempt to impose a new dress code on students.

The students engaged police officers in running battles as they stoned police and motorists along the busy Nairobi-Thika highway. During the skirmishes they destroyed the university's main gate and dismantled sign boards that they used to barricade the highway. Later the students were ordered to leave the campus within 30 minutes as the university was closed.

When the university re-opened, the administration penalised them each with a fine of 1,000 shillings (US$13) for the damage caused while the Kenyatta University Student Association (KUSA) was disbanded. The university has 23,000 students, and they argued that the fine imposed would raise 23 million shillings - far more than it should cost to repair the gate.

The students were expected to immediately settle and start end of semester exams. Instead, they demanded postponement of the exams - but the university management insisted that the tests would be administered.

Angered by the fine, disbandment of their union and the exam date, students opted last Sunday for anarchy at Kenya's second largest university. The damage they wreaked included torching the KUSA offices, two hostels - one on the main campus and the other at the Ruiru campus. In the melee, students also allegedly stole 200 computers.

The university authorities called for riot police to quell the rampaging students. The police reacted swiftly and descended on the protesting students, using force including live bullets, leading to the death of one student and injuring several others.

With academic programmes paralysed, the university closed indefinitely.

A student told University World News that a notice posted at the institution as early as 05h00 had given them until 07h00 to vacate. Some students are said to have refused to leave, forcing the riot police to evict them.

The indefinite closure is a major blow to students, especially those who were to graduate this year as they may have to wait for another year.

Mugenda, who the students have blamed along with some lecturers for the crisis, has argued that the recent protests were orchestrated by people uncomfortable with her insistence on high performance.

She was appointed the country's first female vice-chancellor in March 2006 and under her leadership Kenyatta University has achieved improvements through projects she initiated, including a modern conference facility, a 600-computer laboratory and establishment of the university's community radio station. The university has four new schools offering law, agriculture, economics and visual and performing arts.