They were accusing the university administration of being insensitive to their grievances. The rioting students burnt tyres on the road at Nchiru market paralysing business and transport.
According to the Student Council Secretary General John Juma, the protests were prompted by the arrest of students’ body chairman Kennedy Kariuki for allegedly inciting students against the administration.
“We are protesting the failure of the dean of students to listen to us. The university administration has been undermining the role of students’ union. We want to know why our chairman was arrested by police,” Juma said.
The official said students’ leaders have a right to agitate for issues affecting students and accused the administration of intimidation.
“The chairman has only been released after we protested. We want a dean, who represents students and not the administration.
We will not go back to class until the acting vice-chancellor addresses our complaints,” he said. They claimed that students have been expelled from the institution without explanation. Business resumed in Meru after police officers were deployed in the area.
Efforts to get comments from acting VC Japhet Magambo were faultless. Prof Magambo sent the public relations officer Sarah Gatwiri who said “the management will issue a statement to the Press later”.
-Standard Digital
