This archive report was first published on 24 September 2019.
Published on September 24, 2019, a Twitter post by prominent Kenyan businessman Jimnah Mbaru sparked a heated debate on the role of university students in addressing corruption in the country.
Mbaru, who ran for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat in 2013, questioned why university students have not demonstrated their anger towards the high levels of corruption in Kenya.
"I have always wondered why our university students have never shown or demonstrated their anger and aghast at the level of corruption in this country. Can someone explain to us why they are so silent?" Mbaru asked.
However, his comments were met with swift backlash from Twitter users who pointed out instances where university students had indeed protested against corruption and government injustices.
One user cited a recent incident where students from Multimedia University protested the death of a fellow student who was killed by a reckless matatu driver.
Others argued that demonstrations would only lead to the loss of innocent lives, with one user quoting President Uhuru Kenyatta as saying, "Riot and get beaten by security for a problem the government with all its machinery has refused to deal with? The President asked 'Sasa mnataka nifanye nini? You want other people's children to die?"
Another user shared a painful memory of the 2001 protests against the Moi regime, where many students were brutally murdered.
