Shops close as university students take to the streets

UPDATE

Over 300 students were arrested after police raided their hostels during the strike. However they were released after rumours filtered through that there were plans to storm the Industrial Area Prison by students who were intent on freeing their comrades.

If executed, the plan may have led to escape of convicts along with the students and or massive casualties as the wardens may have fought to guard the facility.

Number of reported student injuries has risen to 17.

MAIN STORY

Traders on Tuesday had to close shops in Nairobi’s Central Business District for fear of mayhem after university students took to the streets protesting proposed fee hikes.

The students who came from various campuses in the capital, remained largely peaceful during the demonstration with some groups moving towards Jogoo House where they intended to hand over a petition to Education Cabinet Secretary Professor Jacob Kaimenyi.

Other demonstrating groups were distributed in other parts of the city including Uhuru Highway, Parliament road and Moi Avenue while students from the Technical University of Kenya held their demonstrations along Haile Sellasie Avenue.

The demonstrations however turned chaotic after anti-riot police moved in to disperse the crowds in various parts of the city with at least three students getting injured.

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi has however denied allegations that he ordered fee increment in public universities.

In a statement, he said that any increase had to be initiated by University Councils, after a consultative process before endorsement by the Education Ministry.

According to Kaimenyi, the Universities Act, 2012 provides for setting up of the Universities Funding Board which would determining the maximum differentiated unit cost for the academic programmes offered in public universities.

The Students Organisation of Nairobi University (SONU) chairman, Babu Owino has however accused the Education CS of announcing fee increments while at the same time denying his statements hence they wanted to know his stand.