Students Riot and Take Police Hostage in Nairobi, Kenya

Students Riot and Take Police Hostage in Nairobi, Kenya

By NATION Correspondents

Saturday, April 26, 2003

University of Nairobi students yesterday went on the rampage, stoning vehicles and destroying property. They were protesting against a decision by their Vice Chancellor to send home all students pursuing a degree in Nursing.

"The university will device mechanisms to identify and re-admit students who are ready to learn," said a statement from Prof Crispus Kiamba.

He said the decision followed a three-week boycott of classes by the nursing students who wanted their study loans increased and that interns be entitled to a salary.

Police said one of their colleagues sent to help quell the rioting was missing and they suspected he had been abducted by the students. Yesterday, regular police were helped by officers from the paramilitary General Service Unit (GSU) to control the rioting students who poured into the streets at noon.

The angry students stoned the police, who fought back with tear gas. The students, from Chiromo campus, Kabete, Kikuyu and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology marched to the Ministry of Education headquarters to present their grievances. They marched on Moi and Harambee avenues to Jogoo House. They caused a traffic jam on University Way, Muindi Mbingu and Koinange streets.

The student's union secretary general, Mr Makoha Wanjala, explained that the nursing students were also reacting to reports that the nursing department would be abolished.

"We don't know why they want to ban the department ... they have been paying the interns previously but as from 1997 no intern has been paid and we want to know why," said Mr Wanjala.

The angry students threatened to transform the students' union into a political party if the ministry did not increase their loans.