Prof John Odhiambo spent three hours being grilled by Langata CID/MIKE KARIUKI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 3 – Strathmore University Vice Chancellor Prof. John Odhiambo on Thursday recorded a statement with police at Lang’ata Police station over Monday’s failed security drill.
The VC spent more than three hours at the Divisional Criminal Investigations Offices and was accompanied by another senior university official.
Odhiambo, who declined to utter a word to journalists camping outside the station, had said on Wednesday that he was not aware of the drill and even said he used his office escape route, thinking the University was under a terror attack.
“I am speaking very honestly. My office is on the other side of campus. So, when all this started, I was not aware and I had to use my escape route,” he stated.
All the eight senior management officials are set to record statement with police on how the drill was planned and executed; with indications some of them will be charged.
Police say they have already recorded statements from staff and students – including those in hospital – on what they knew or didn’t know about the poorly organized drill.
A senior police officer involved in the probe told Capital FM News that the university proceeded with the drill despite being advised to wait for approval from the County Commandant’s office.
“They innocently went ahead with the drill but they should have waited,” the officer, who spoke on anonymity grounds, said.
Police headquarters has distanced itself from the drill, saying higher authorities were not informed even as the university insisted it involved the Lang’ata Police chief.
Police Spokesman Charles Owino has said legal action will be taken against officials at the university who failed to follow proper procedures in conducting the drill.
The top officials will be questioned even as police and pathologists plan to conduct a postmortem on the body of the female university employee who died after jumping off from the fourth floor.
The Vice Chancellor has since handed over the matter to the University Council in a bid to form an all inclusive team to probe what he termed as the’ worst tragedy ever in the history of the prestigious university.’
“The management has studied this matter and accepted the responsibility of the occurrences. Since we cannot as management investigate ourselves objectively, we have decided as a way forward to handle this matter, in accordance to the statute, to the university council,” he said.
On Wednesday, Odhiambo said several management officials want to resign following the failed terror attack drill.
“Many of my colleagues in the management have approached me, expressing their desire to resign to express their concern, strength and the weight of the responsibility they feel towards the occurrences,” he stated.
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