Garissa principal says he'll take memory of attack to his grave

Prof Ahmed Osman Warfa, the principal of Garissa University College. PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • The institution still remembers the 147 souls, among them 142 students, who died in the dawn attack executed by al-Shabaab militants that fateful day.

  • Speaking to the Nation on the eve of the second anniversary of the attack, Prof Warfa said memories of the students who were killed are still fresh in his mind.

Garissa University College Principal Ahmed Osman Warfa says he will take the memory of the terror attack at the institution exactly two years ago on Sunday to his grave.

The institution still remembers the 147 people, among them 142 students, who died in the dawn attack executed by al-Shabaab militants that fateful day.

Speaking to the Nation on the eve of the second anniversary of the attack, Prof Warfa said memories of the students who were killed by the terrorists are still fresh in his mind.

“They were young and ambitious,” he recalled.

Two years later, the institution has moved on without losing the memory of the past, and is looking forward to receiving its charter in the coming weeks, he said.

Prof Warfa said the institution has now installed a biometric identification device that is being used to identify anybody entering it to establish whether they are staff or students.

“We are no longer taking chances, we learnt a lesson from the attack,” he said.

To ward off attacks, the government has put up a police post right inside the institution's compound to ensure a swift response to such incidents.

He said construction of a perimeter wall, which expected to be completed mid this month, will enhance security in the college.

“We are also working to construct a watch tower and install CCTV cameras and an alarm system within the university premises; we are not taking any chances knowing what happened to our students two years ago,” he said.

The principal said the administration has decided to remove all metal grilles in the hostels to ensure there is easy movement in case of an emergency.

Huge concrete boulders have been erected about 100m from the main entrance to ensure no attackers force their way using vehicles.

Prof Warfa said Garissa University College got 540 students under the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Services but only 150 reported last September.

Currently, the institution has a student population of 585.