Two universities in Nyeri closed after student riots

Two universities in Nyeri County have been closed indefinitely after students went on the rampage.

Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT) and Karatina University have been closed following riots by students that started on Tuesday.

The protesting students destroyed property estimated to be worth several millions.

The students from both institutions engaged police in running battles, with those from DeKUT injuring a police officer at.

Armed with stones and placards, Karatina University students barricaded all roads leading to the institution.

They broke window panes and doors and destroyed three university buses, over 10 school vans and several staff vehicles.

The students protested at what they called the university’s decision to raise fees without prior notice.

Their counterparts at DeKUT also destroyed school buses, staff cars, ambulances and university buildings.

Karatina University Vice Chancellor Prof Muchai Muchiri refused to address the media, saying that he could not comment on the issue.

Karatina Deputy County Commissioner Mr Kharif Adei said police managed to control the demonstrating students.

POOR QUALITY EDUCATION

DeKUT students accused the university leadership of providing poor-quality education and encouraging corruption to thrive in the institution.

They claimed that most of the students, especially those doing nursing and engineering courses, could not register with any professional body after graduating because the university was not equipping them with the required skills as per the education standards in this country.

They also claimed that students taking engineering were not able to do any projects during their time of study and blamed the university for failing to provide avenues for them to be assessed as is required of any engineering student in Kenya.

They also said that none of the nursing graduates are able to register themselves with medical bodies since the university does not offer the entire course that a student must take to qualify as a nurse in Kenya.

“The university offers 48 units for nursing students instead of the 72 units supposed to be offered for one to qualify as a nurse,” said one student.

However, the university’s vice chancellor, Prof Ndirangu Kioni, said they had put in place enough measures to ensure the provision of quality education to the students.

“The issue about the engineering students is something that the university is in the process of handling and we have informed the students accordingly.

“However, the complaint by the nursing students is one I have not heard before.

"The students are only looking for excuses. We keep adjusting our programmes to be at par with the required education curriculum,” said Prof Kioni.

He said the university was in the processes of getting accreditation for the engineering course.