Nyeri College students flee hostels after terror threats
Patients wait to be served at Nyeri County Referral hospital on September 18, 2016. The hospital has received additional police officers following terror threat. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
For the last two weeks, police have been at the campus following claims the college would be attacked by terrorists.
Police have also been questioning students over the threats.
Nyeri County Referral Hospital, which neighbours the college, has also received additional police officers.
Students of Kenya Medical Training College Nyeri campus have fled hostels due to terror threats as police camped at the institution for the second week.
Students who live in the campus located in Kangemi have since Saturday sought refuge in friends’ houses and lodgings outside the campus. For the last two weeks, police have been at the campus following claims the college would be attacked by terrorists.
Police have also been questioning students over the threats. Nyeri County Referral Hospital, which neighbours the college, has also received additional police officers.
The students started leaving the campus on Saturday evening after information was circulated among them that the institution would be attacked. The information, according to reports from police and the administration, came from students in one of the hostels.
MOVING OUT
“We noticed that the ladies in one of the blocks were moving out. They told us that there had been information that the institution would be attacked,” said a student who declined to be named.
The institution’s principal Zipporah Njeru said the students reported the matter and police were alerted. “As soon as we got the information we alerted the police and officers were deployed to secure the school,” she said.
Student leader Edison Mwendwa said there is tension. “We are still very worried. Most students are still living with their friends and lodgings outside campus. We do not feel safe yet but we have raised it with the administration,” Mr Mwendwa said.
MONITORING SITUATION
Nyeri Central police boss Muinde Kioko said they are monitoring the situation, assuring that there is no cause for alarm as the “threat has been neutralised”.
“The institution is safe and we assure students we will keep them safe. The threats have been addressed and we are still investigating the source. Police have already been deployed and we will continue monitoring the institution and the areas around it,” he said.
The Saturday incident was the second one in less than three weeks following a similar threat. The earlier threat is said to have been relayed to the students by a boda boda rider who claimed the school would be attacked.
