Maseno University students and Victoria primary school pupils in Kisumu County yesterday went on a rampage to express their grievances, something that paralyzed learning in the two institutions.
At Maseno University, transport was paralyzed on Kisumu-Busia highway after the students lit bone fires at the University gate blocking traffic movement.
The rowdy students extorted money from the panic-stricken motorists before allowing them to pass through the barrier mounted at the gate.
The police watched from far and avoided direct confrontation with the students, and the situation was eventually contained.
The police officers who were on high alert decided not to engage the rioting students saying the move could have made the situation spiral out of control.
The students who spoke to the press said they decided to go on the rampage after the University failed to release the results of the last year’s semester for fourth year students.
They said they were supposed to sit for another exam on 12th February 2018 but they objected, calling for the release of exam results by the University Dean of Studies instead. “We went on the rampage to castigate the University for failing to release the results of the exams we did in last year’s semester. How can we sit for another exam this month without knowing how we performed in the previous exams,” decried the students who decline to be named for fear of victimization.
They said they will only do their last exam before graduating after receiving the results of the previous semester exams.
The Maseno students also said they went on strike to also oppose the move by the University to introduce a delegate system of electing Students leaders saying the method will deny them their democratic rights.
They said they want the University to use the normal mass voting method where every student is allowed to cast his or her vote.
They decried that they suspect ill-motive by the University leaders of undermining some of the potential candidates in the elections which were set to happen tomorrow.
“We are also opposing the move by the University of introducing delegate method of electing students leaders. We are demanding for mass voting in the elections that we expect tomorrow,” they said.
At Victoria primary pupils marched to Kisumu Sub County commissioner to demand an audience over the issue of a private developer grabbing their school plot.
The pupils accompanied by their teachers and parents decried that the private developer had grabbed their land and want the authorities to intervene.
Kisumu Deputy County Commissioner Tom Majeneri who addressed the pupils assured them that he will act on the mater.
He said he had received the complaint and he will convene a meeting with Land registrar, the school management, the private developer and Sub County security boss to ensure the truth is known over the ownership of the land.
He asked the school to follow the right procedure by demanding their plot back. He said if the land was not procedurally sold then the school will be given the title deed.
Kisumu Sub County education director Charles Anyale asked pupils to observe discipline and focus on their education and they should avoid being used in ugly demonstrations.
