BY MATHEWS NDANYI
Moi University students are pleading with President William Ruto to intervene and save the institution from collapse.
This is after it was shut down indefinitely last Thursday following a month-long strike by lecturers and other workers over unpaid salaries.
The closure sparked violent protests that left three students hospitalised with gunshot wounds from riot police.
Officials from the Moi University Students’ Organisation have written to the President through Education CS Julius Ogamba, saying the varsity is on its deathbed.
“We are asking the President not to watch as Moi University collapses,” Muso secretary general Cornelius Kipkoech said.
The university is mired in Sh10 billion debt and alleged mismanagement. Kipkoech asked Ruto to stop focusing on the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and use similar force and intervene to save Moi University.
“We cannot be politicking when the lives of young people are being ruined because they can’t access education due to many reasons,” he said.
“We have rejected all the government deals, including SHA, Adani and others. Let the President rise up.”
Mosu president Vincent Tarus said Ruto should take keen interest in what is happening at the university, which in his home county of Uasin Gishu.
He said at stake are the lives of many students, lecturers, other workers and the community, which has for many years benefitted from the university in one way or another.
Noel Otieno, who is postgraduate students’ chairperson, said the university is on the verge of collapse, with no learning in the last two months. He said students are angry with the closure of the university because parents had paid fees yet no operations are going on at the university.
In a circular, vice chancellor Prof Isaac Kosgey said the varsity was closed due to the prolonged strike by more than 4,000 lecturers and other workers.
After the closure, students rioted at the university and police were called in to control the situation.
Following the violence, three students were admitted at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
The three include a first-year male student who sustained a ruptured kidney caused by a bullet and also two other learners who sustained gunshot injuries.
The student leaders visited the injured colleagues and protested over what they termed excess use of force by police to quell the riots at the main campus.
“As students, we blame Interior CS Kithure Kindiki and IG of Police for the injuries inflicted on our colleagues,” Kipkoech said.
Uasin Gishu county police commander Benjamin Mwanthi said there were riots at the university but they are investigating the incident.
“We are following up to know exactly what happened at the university,” he said.