Kisumu Polytechnic closed indefinitely after students strike over disco ban

Kisumu, Kenya: Kisumu Polytechnic has been closed indefinitely after students went on rampage over disco.

The students were protesting against the administration’s decision to ban disco within the institution’s compound for security reasons.

Institution’s principal Joyce Nyanjom said a special board resolved to send the students home for fear that they would cause destruction.

“We are just taking precussion because we don’t know what may develop from the little misunderstanding but we hope we will call the students back soon,” said Nyanjom.

Ms Nyanjom said the students were incited by their leaders who misreported to them that the administration had scraped off the entire culture day.

According to Nyanjom, a board meeting held last year reached the decision to ban disco for security purposes.

She said the hosting of disco within the institution has always been taken advantage of by thugs from the town who posed security danger to the students.

According to the student’s organization’s Finance Controller Shem Mauti, the students were infuriated by the management’s proposal to scrap off disco during the institution’s cultural day scheduled for next week.

Mauti said the students’ budget had not factored in hiring another venue and the principal became rigid when they proposed to have the management to redo the budget.

“We had a meeting with the principal and it is the response from her which we communicated to the students and it seems that is what infuriated them,” said Mauti.

The students then matched out of the compound and started stoning motorists prompting the management to call the police.

Police said the students then invaded the neighbouring Makasembo and Polyview Estates where fight broke between them and members of the public.

Unreported number of people sustained minor injuries as over 20 students were arrested in police swoop, but the principal said she would talk to the police to release them.

By the time of going to press, police officers were still manning the institution as students packed their belonging as some left the compound.