This archive report was first published on 4 December 2019.
December 4, 2019, marked a tumultuous day for Egerton University as students took to the streets in protest over a range of grievances.
According to a circular issued by the university, the students were demanding to be allowed to sit for exams without having cleared their fees, a move that led to the Senate's decision to close the university with immediate effect.
The unrest, which began on the Njoro Main Campus, escalated into running battles between students and police officers, with the latter resorting to teargas canisters to disperse the crowd.
Students were reportedly protesting over a fees hike and were calling for deferment of the exam card system, re-opening of the university students' portal, and deferred payment plans for those yet to clear their fees.
As the situation unfolded, Egerton University joined the list of striking public universities, including JKUAT, KU, and Maseno, which had earlier taken to the streets in protest over alleged rape cases on and off campus.
Two female students at Maseno University were said to have been raped on Saturday night, prompting the university's closure indefinitely, with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Julius Nyabundi, faulting the students for 'failing to engage management.'
