Egerton University suspends seven student Governing Council members

Seven Egerton University Students Association (EUSA) officials have been suspended following the December 4 strike by students.

Those suspended are the association’s chairperson, the vice-chairperson, the secretary general, treasurer, director gender and entertainment and the director for students’ welfare.

In the suspension letters, the officials are accused of inciting students to strike.

Upheld decision

The decision to suspend the seven was upheld by Mwanarusi Saidi, the acting Registrar Academic Affairs.

Prof Saidi signed the suspension letters.

In the letters, Saidi said the decision to suspend the student leaders was ratified by the university senate.

“Following the strike which led to the university being closed on December 4, 2019, the Senate resolved that members of EUSA Student Governing Council who called for the assembly, demonstration and picketing of the students, be suspended from the university till further notice,” the letters read.

Saidi further stated that the officials should not be found in the university compound during the time of their suspension.

Indefinite suspension

“Note further that beyond this penalties, the university is not restrained from handing over your cases to the State law enforcement authority for legal action,” the letters said.

Some of the suspended students who spoke to The Standard on condition of anonymity said they had been trying to engage the university administration in order to resolve the matter, but their efforts had proved futile.

Their worry is that they might be locked out of campus and miss their January examinations.

The indefinite suspension, they claim, has shocked them. They said they are now contemplating seeking legal action against the university management.

“We tried to have the matter resolved but the management declined to hear us. We fear that we might not sit for our examinations come January,” said one of the suspended students.

Protested charges         

Over 13,700 students of Egerton University’s main campus in Njoro were charged Sh16,862 each following the strike.

The charges have caused an uproar among the students and parents who want the university to provide a breakdown of how the money will be used.

According to an advert that made rounds on social media, students living with disability are exempted from paying the fine.