NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 20 – University of Nairobi students paralysed business in city streets on Thursday as they stoned motorists and robbed them in protest at the ongoing lecturers’ strike.
The students, carrying twigs and placards, marched through Uhuru Highway up to Nyayo House where they harassed motorists and pedestrians before they went back to the University Way roundabout which they made the epicentre of their demonstration.
“We want the government to pay lecturers so that they can go back to class,” one student yelled, as others chanted “no learning, no business!”
Motorists caught in the melee suffered double tragedy, with some getting robbed while others suffered accidents as they made emergency u-turns to avoid missiles hurled at them.
“They surrounded me and grabbed my phone… they also asked for money and I gave them what I had,” one motorist who only identified himself as Kennedy said. He was attacked at the University Way roundabout.
The Capital FM News crew witnessed four other ugly incidents on Uhuru Highway near the university’s graduation square where motorists were robbed and others stoned by the rowdy students.
Areas around Uhuru Highway, University Way and the Museum Hill interchange were the worst affected before the students were violently dispersed by police who shot in the air and lobbed tear gas at them.
One university student told Capital FM News; “We are angry, the government is not doing anything about it (the strike). How long are we going to stay out of class?
Nairobi Provincial Police Chief Moses Nyakwama said he had deployed enough officers to quell the riots.
“Everything is now under control, they are still engaging our officers from their school but everything will be okay; we have enough officers ensuring they don’t disrupt business anymore,” he added.
Lecturers in Kenyan universities have been on strike since last week, demanding a salary increment.
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