Students at the University of Kirinyaga carried out atrocities on Sunday night, June 12, 2022, to protest the growing insecurity in the town of Kutus, Kirinyaga County.
Students had initially planned a candlelight vigil to honor colleagues who lost their lives in the alleged attack on Kutus Kagio Road last week
However, everything went haywire when police tried to disperse them to clear traffic on Kutus Kagio Street, which was brought to a standstill by a large number of students on the street.
The students showed resistance and forced police to use tear gas canisters to disperse them, but they ended up in a cat-and-mouse game with hundreds of students setting fires on the asphalt to block the road.
They also threw stones at any vehicles that tried to force their way through the closed road.
Kagio-Kutus highway in is a no-go zone as Kirinyaga university students clash with anti-riot police officers. They are protesting the death of a second year Engineering student Collins Kimetto who was killed by unknown assailants on Thursday. @inooroke @DCI_Kenya @IPOA_KE pic.twitter.com/mLG2w1mrKm
— Muhia wa Maina. (@muhiasmaina) June 12, 2022
One student said: “We left the school just before 7:00 pm for a candlelight vigil and were about to gather where one of our colleagues was attacked but when the police arrived they tried to disperse us but we refused. “
Insecurity in KYU
They accuse the police of ignoring their plight, arguing that security officials are not doing enough to get rid of criminals who attack and rob them, especially at night.
“We reported the robbery to the police and they said they would investigate, but nothing happened. That’s why we held this protest so they could address the insecurity in Qutus city,” said another student.
They said a notorious gang terrorized them at night when they went to their dorms outside the university.
“We’ve had rapes, attempted rapes, several students have been knocked down and others have had their laptops, phones, and money was stolen.”
The agency is located in Kutuz, a town bordered by four streets; these are the subdivisions of Mwea East, Mwea West, Kirinyaga East, and Kirinyaga Central.
Students argue that in the event of an attack by a suspect, it would create confusion, not knowing which police station to report to.
“There is a police station on the Mwea side, another in the Kabare area of Kirinyaga East and the university is in Kirinyaga Central, so where do you report? One student was only identified as Theresa posing.
However, Kirinyaga County Police Commander Matthew Mangira said investigations have been launched into all reported cases to identify the culprits so they can face the law.
“Report immediately that we have been following this and these students should know these cases are serious and they should report it immediately,” the police chief said.
He also urged students to report incidents at any police station in Qutus city at any time as they serve the public.
“We’re going to increase security in this place, but for now, you should use two police stations. In terms of fighting crime, there are no restrictions,” Mang’ira said.
