Police wanted to teach university students a lesson, says report

Images of his fellow University of Nairobi students being beaten with clubs, stomped on and forced to do frog jumps will remain etched in Matthew's mind for a long time to come.

On September, 28, 2017, Matthew (not his real name) fell into the hands of security officers while fleeing from teargas in the lecture hall. He requested anonymity for fear of victimisation from university authorities and the police.

Unlike many of his colleagues, Matthew escaped with a few injuries that have since healed. He recalls that it was around 9am when police stormed the university to quell protests staged by students demanding the release of Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino.

“We were aware of the protests outside but we did not pay attention. As a freshman, you don’t want to get in trouble with the authorities,” he said.

The 19-year-old student said midway through the lecture, silence fell over the university compound except for the sound of gunshots, now at a closer range.

Loud bang

“We heard a loud bang very close that prompted us to stand and look through the window. Then suddenly, a teargas canister was hurled right into our lecture hall in the ADD (Architecture, Design and Development) building,” he said.

The ADD building and some student hostels are located on State House Road, where the students had staged the protests. Police were patrolling the road, making it impossible to escape. Matthew and others shared their experience with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).

Lecturers from the ADD department also told the commission that Thursday is usually the busiest day for the faculty as virtually all students attend classes. They also said the university administration did not notify the department that they had called in police to access the premises.

“In the ensuing melee, we all reached for the door. When I saw police outside, I felt safe. Little did I know that I was throwing myself right into the arms of death,” he narrated.

"They hit us indiscriminately with batons. They kicked and punched us in the face. People were screaming, but the more we screamed, the more beatings we received.”

Matthew said the police rounded up all the students and frogmarched them out of the building in two files.

“One officer whispered something to one girl who was in front of me, but she didn’t respond. Then he moved to me and asked me to rub the student’s breasts. I panicked and was sweating profusely. I could not do it,” he recounted.

Matthew said the officer landed on him with kicks before asking him to do 10 press-ups. He still recalls the fraught look on his classmates’ face.

“Today I look at some of the female students in my class and the picture of the police touching them comes back,” he said.

Matthew said the law enforcers sounded bitter and ridiculed the students, saying even though they (students) were more learned, they wielded more powers than their degrees. A report by KNCHR seen exclusively by Metropolitan corroborates the story and claims the police officers were not out to enforce the law but to "teach the students a lesson".

Hostel room

Cosmas Ouma, a witness, said he was in his hostel room when he saw seven policemen break into the hostel and beat up students in their rooms.

“They kicked doors open and beat up the students. Some who were walking in the hallway were also whipped,” said Mr Ouma.

Another student, Anthony Odhiambo, said he was coming from class when he ran into the police around the hostel.

“I was going back to my room from a political science class when I met the police. I ran into my room but they followed me and beat me several times on the knees and shoulders with their batons. I was preparing for my exams but the more I tried to explain, the more beatings I received,” said the fourth year student.

The report details police brutality committed after the officers were called in. Some 31 victims and 15 witnesses were interviewed in addition to a focus group of 65 people comprising lecturers and affected students.

According to the report, shared during a meeting with the university senate on Monday, contingents of police officers stormed into the university lecture halls, hostels, laboratory and architecture studios, where they indiscriminately tortured students, administrative staff and lecturers.

“The brutality went on for over seven hours. Most of the victims were young students mainly from the ADD department and medical students who were coming from Mathari Hospital where they were on field attachment,” read part of the report.

Commission vice chairperson George Morara confirmed that there was a meeting between KNCHR and the university, during which the university administration said they had their own team investigating the matter.

Conclusive response

According to the Student Affairs deputy vice chancellor, the institution will issue a conclusive response to the commission's report once investigations are complete.

The commission plans to summon Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet after trying in vain to meet with him.

The commission had sent three letters, seen by Metropolitan, to the IG asking for a meeting but received no response.

“The Independent Police Oversight Authority conducted parallel investigations and came up with the same findings,” said Mr Morara.

The commission wants the IG to provide a list of the deployment plan of the operation, including the names, ranks and service numbers of the police officers involved for further investigations.

The office of the IG confirmed receipt of the letter dated October 4, 2017, and the subsequent reminders sent, but said they were still working on a response.