Uproar after police drops teargas canister on injured student

An uproar has greeted an incident where anti-riot police were deployed to quell student protests at a city university and reportedly dropped a teargas canister on an injured student as he lay prowled on the ground, writhing in pain.

Student riots were witnessed in at least two higher education institutions on Monday; one at the Kabete National Polytechnic, where ‘comrades’ were protesting over an alleged fee hike.

The second was staged by their counterparts at the Multimedia University in Ongata Rongai, who disrupted traffic for the better part of the day.

They were protesting against poor sanitation sparked by a lack of water. Some quarters said they were also demanding the installation of WiFi.

Anti-riot police fired teargas to disperse the pockets of rioters as one group taunted the officers to bring it on.

Footage shared online showed the students turning back motorists who attempted to drive through barricades after evading bonfires.

The students said they resorted to venting their frustration through street action after efforts to engage the school management failed despite having issued a strike notice Tuesday last week.

“I have always said time and again that the tree of revolution must be watered by the blood of patriots,” one of the students said as he motioned the camera to his bruised elbow.

Motorists were forced to use alternative routes as the rioting students rendered Magadi Road impassable.

Inside the college, a camera captured a shocking scene; a student lay down, seemingly injured, surrounded by three police officers.

Two of the officers pulled and turned him over by his feet. A voice off the frame is heard shouting ‘wachia yeye”.

The cameraman recording the incident is heard saying “amemuacha na dawa” soon after one of the officers pulled out a teargas canister, pulled off the safety pin and dropped the can next to the student.

“Amemuachia teargas kwa kichwa,” he adds, as the officers make haste from the scene.

The teargas canister exploded right next to the student’s head.

One of the officers took a step back and momentarily stood over the student - whip in hand as if ready to unleash more pain on him - then kicked him with his left foot and left.

Moments later, the canister exploded a second time sending shrapnel in the air.

Users on X, formerly known as Twitter, condemned the police action with one calling Ipoa's attention to the incident.

“These are criminals. We cannot allow our country to be run this way,” he said.

“That police man should be fired immediately and arrested,” concurred another user.

“I have watched it more than 10 times. That police looks like a father but the bitterness in him is on another level. It shall be well when justice shall be served,” another user said.

A multiple other comments followed, all condemning the police for their inhumane treatment of the student and demanding that justice be served.

“We need to come up with a way of dealing with such. This is someone who doesn't care about a human life.”

“I have watched this video multiple times just to be sure...it's unbelievable…and we say we have a country! This is heart wrenching. I hope the young man pulls through.”

“This is extremely disheartening and shocking. This is not the way we expect our officers to act.”

“This is very brutal, why do this to a wounded sheep?”