This archive report was first published on 18 November 2019.
JKUAT Students Face Rising Insecurity ¶
JKUAT students have been living in fear due to rising insecurity in the area. The situation came to a head on November 11, 2019, when students protested against the rising insecurity.
Collins Bigogo, a student who was part of the protest, was stabbed in the head and left with a cracked skull. He was one of 22 students who were referred to Kenyatta National Hospital after the protest turned violent.
The protest was sparked by the increasing number of attacks on students. In the first 15 days of November 2019, 10 JKUAT students had been waylaid on their way from school. Some incidents were reported as early as 4 pm.
According to Bigogo, the protest was 'inevitable' given the situation on the ground. He said that the evening before the protest, three students - two female and a male - were attacked outside the university gate. Their belongings were stolen, but they were left unhurt.
Bigogo described the protest as a peaceful procession to raise concerns, but the police were reluctant to let them out of the gate. As the crowd gathered, students made their way out of school, leading to a riot that left students sandwiched between the police and residents.
JKUAT is a major factor in the development of Juja town, with residential estates emerging around the institution. However, the university only has the capacity to accommodate 2,700 students, which is just an eighth of the 35,000 total population. The majority of students live outside the school in rented hostels or houses.
Reports indicate the existence of a criminal gang by the name Gaza, assumed to be inspired by the infamous Gaza gang from Kayole. Central regional commissioner Wilfred Nyagwanga failed to confirm or deny the existence of the gang, but said they are investigating the matter.
Students are further concerned about their safety due to the strained relationship with the locality, following the confrontation during the protest. The students' association president, Clinton Osoro, advised new students to keep off Gashororo completely, citing it as the most insecure place at the moment.
Osoro also called for increased lighting and police patrols around residential places during the day. The dean of students at the university, Reverend Wakaba, said that the last quarter of the year - September to December - sees an increase in cases of attack on students, particularly first-year students who are easy targets due to their high adrenaline levels.
