This archive report was first published on 12 November 2019.
On November 11, 2019, a disturbing trend emerged at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Juja, Kenya. Videos of police officers using excessive force on protesting students went viral, sparking widespread outrage online.
Anti-riot police officers were seen brutalizing students even after the demonstration ended. In one of the videos, three officers were seen beating an unarmed student lying on the ground, with two of them kicking him on the head.
Another video showed a group of officers forcefully entering an apartment occupied by students, firing tear gas canisters to smoke them out.
Kenyan online users called on the National Police Service (NPS) and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to investigate the incidents.
The university's Senate resolved to shut down the institution indefinitely following student unrest. In a memo, JKUAT Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs Prof. Robert Kinyua directed all students to clear the campus by mid-day.
Students had taken to the streets in protest against alleged insecurity in the area, accusing authorities of failing to protect them and boda boda operators of colluding with criminals to rob unsuspecting students.
As the situation unfolded, a lone policeman was seen running after students in one of the hostels while firing.
Twitter user @nyakwara_albert called on the authorities to investigate the clip of a student being manhandled by police, saying, 'We call upon this bodies @NPSOfficial_KE @DCI_Kenya @IPOA_KE to investigate this clip on how cops man handled a student who was walking home and not protesting #jkuat epic.twitter.com/oJW5mjBEgd.'
