Rioting varsity students block city streets - PICTURES
Anti-riot police disperse University of Nairobi students along Moi Avenue on May 20, 2014. during a protest over a proposal to increase fees in public universities. DIANA NGILA (NAIROBI)
Protesting University of Nairobi students Tuesday engaged in street confrontation with anti-riot police, blocking the usually busy Uhuru Highway and University Way.
Police lobbed teargas in a bid to disperse the students, who had barricaded the streets and were hurling stones at them.
A number of businesses along various streets in the city remained shut following the protests.
The students held demonstrations earlier Tuesday morning within the city centre streets, stopping by Jogoo House headquarters where they sought to be addressed by Education Cabinet Secretary Professor Jacob Kaimenyi.
They were unsuccessful in their attempt as the police had barricaded the entrance to the Ministry of Education offices.
The students are protesting against a proposal to increase school fees in public universities, though Prof Kaimenyi announced Monday that the government had not sanctioned any increment of fees in any institution.
He said reports about planned university fee increment were false and misleading, indicating that such would have to be initiated by respective university councils and deliberated upon in a consultative process.
On Tuesday, the rioting students claimed that one of their officials, Jim Aketch, the Secretary General of Students Organisation of Nairobi University, had been arrested and later released.
Five students were slightly injured during the confrontation, according to a Sonu official in Calford MacOdhiambo, who was among those treated at the university clinic.
