Daystar University students want release of audit report

Students of Daystar University, which was shut on Wednesday night, have demanded the release of an audit into the institution’s finances.

The students on Thursday vacated the Athi River and Nairobi campuses following chaos on Wednesday night when a meeting between the college’s senate and them turned violent.

Police lobbed tear gas at the Nairobi campus students after they boycotted classes demanding results of the audit.

The audit report, which the university says was released two weeks ago, is said to have unearthed financial improprieties by the management.

SCHOOL FEES
The students said the closure of the institution was a tactic aimed at diverting the attention of the public from the audit report.

Vice-Chancellor Timothy Wachira was ordered to go on a sabbatical leave in December last year following students’ unrest and was replaced by Prof James Kombo in an acting capacity.

The students have been complaining about the conditions of their hostels, sports facilities and lack of water.

They also want a review of the programmes offered by the institution and an overhaul of the departments.

They, together with some staff members, wrote to the council in February demanding that a forensic financial audit be done to ascertain how the funds paid by students are spent.

DIALOGUE
The chairman of the Academic Executive Committee at the Valley Road Campus, Mr Brian Wanjiku, on Thursday said that the students were demanding dialogue over the audit report but the management had refused to capitulate.

“We want the issues that affect students in that audit report to be solved. We want to know the details of the report so that we can have dialogue on the way forward,” Wanjiku said.

Prof Kombo, however, said the closure of the university was necessary to allow a thorough study of the issues raised.

The students had in November last year complained about the manner in which the institution was run, following which the management ordered the audit.