Students of Multimedia University in Ongata Rongai have called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority to investigate and prosecute police officers who were caught on camera assaulting a student on Tuesday.
Led by their leaders, the students held a presser at the institution on Wednesday flanked by human rights activists and demanded justice for Trevor Mureithi, who was assaulted by officers as students protested against poor sanitary conditions at the university caused by a water shortage.
They said it was disappointing that officers who took an oath to protect citizen rights violated the oath and assaulted an innocent student.
“It is injustice, it is inhumane for police officers who should be protecting us to turn into animals and beat a comrade,” one of the student leaders said.
“We, therefore, call the national government, Ipoa, and all the investigative agencies and want to remind them that if the police officer who did injustice to one Trevor Mureithi is not prosecuted, we are going to call upon all comrades from different universities and we shall fight for justice,” he added.
Students at the Multimedia University held protests for the better part of Tuesday and disrupted traffic on Magadi Road.
Police fired teargas to disperse the lot. Inside the university compound, several anti-riot police were caught on tape assaulting a student who appeared injured.
One of the officers then dropped a tear gas canister on him. It exploded inches away from the student as he lay on the ground, writhing in pain.
The incident sparked uproar online, with Kenyans calling for legal action against the officers.
“His elbow was dislocated in an apparent display of disregard for human life. The officers left him in a perilous situation,” the student leaders said.
They added that they would not be cowed by the blatant display of police brutality and vowed to continue with their strike.
“Our demonstrations have not ended, they will only end if the police officers who injured Trevor are brought to book, are held accountable, and they must be answerable.”
The student strike at Multimedia University coincided with another at the Kabete National Polytechnic over an alleged hike in fees and accommodation charges.
The unrest prompted the school management to close the institution indefinitely, and students were ordered to vacate the premises in the shortest time possible.
