By James Munyeki
Nyahururu, Kenya: Laikipia University in Nyahururu has been closed down indefinitely after chaos rocked the institution and students went into the rampage.
This followed the killing of a first year student when he was knocked down by a speeding vehicle along Nyahururu-Nakuru road.
Another one was allegedly shot dead by the police as he led a group of students in blocking the road in protest.
Several others sustained injuries during the melee which saw police from Nyahururu police station engage the students in running battles.
One of them has since been admitted to Nyahururu District Hospital with severe wounds.
A senior police officer was also injured during the confrontation which saw the students torch the vehicle that allegedly hit the student.
According to the school vice chancellor Francis Lelo, the student was crossing the road when the vehicle said to belong to a police officer from Laikipia hit him.
“As usual, the students went in protest mode and blocked the road affecting transport. That is when the police moved in and engaged them in running battles,” he said.
He noted that police hurled tear gas canisters to disperse the angry students and that was when one of them was shot in unclear circumstances. We are yet to get official communication on the matter from the police,” he said.
A contingent of over 50 police officers led by Nyandarua OCPD Benjamin Onsongo was deployed to quell the riots.
Onsongo said that the second student who died at the Nyahururu District Hospital succumbed to injuries he sustained during the riot.
“We are still investigating the matter as we suspect he died after he was hit by an object during the rampage. The postmortem will however confirm,” he said.
He blamed the students for blocking the road that affected transport for the entire day.
“They should address their grievances in a rightful way but not attacking motorists. That is why we had to take action and disperse them,” he said.
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The Vice chancellor said that the school management was deliberating on the matter and will inform the students in due course.
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