The rowdy students gathered at about 9am before marching from the Main Campus and totally paralyzed transport along the busy Kisii-Kilgoris road as they barricaded the route and stones motorists.
They overpowered boda boda riders who attempted to repulse them during the protest that turned chaotic once the demonstrators reached the highway.
The students were angered by the crushing to death the two, both second year students pursuing Bachelor of Education at the university on Tuesday evening at Maeri Mbili along the Kisii-Bobaracho road.
According to witnesses, the two who were riding a motorcycle were negotiating a corner on a sharp bend when an oncoming Nissan matatu ran over them killing them on the spot.
Quick intervention by police from the Kisii Police Station contained the situation before the studentswould storm the Central Business District.
Led by Kisii OCS David Lagwendi, riot police lobbied teargas canisters at the rioting students dispersing them.
Speaking at the university grounds, Dean of Students Gladys Osoro said the students had overreacted to incident yet it was an accident.
However, Students Union Organizing Secretary Kevin Nyabuto said another student was killed on the road three weeks ago while scores have been maimed in accidents in what he attributed to poor roads.
“As a student’s body, we are deeply concerned with the state of roads here especially the University Way where our colleagues have lost lives or got lifetime injuries,” a bitter Nyabuto said.
He lamented that their pleas to the Kisii Governor James Ongwae and the County Commissioner Lydia Muriuki over the deplorable state of the roads worsened by lack of marking and lighting had landed on deaf ears.
Reached on phone, Kisii University Vice Chancellor, Prof John Akama regretted the accident that claimed the two young lives saying the students had a right to demonstrate but only in a peaceful manner.
“This was a very unfortunate incident but it has happened,” he said and appealed for calm.
credit: standard
No comments:
Post a Comment