Egerton University students went on strike in December 2019. The management said in order to return they must pay over Ksh16000 for the damages they caused.
The University’s Vice-Chancellor Rose Mwonya has stayed put on her decision.
The students say they are aware of the damages which were made, apart from few window glasses which were broken, the students torched one lawnmower, some were lucky to have lunch at one of the Hotels within the school, maybe some Yoghurt was drunk.
In a notice produced by the school, the students are supposed to pay the surcharge fees before 8th January 2020, that is 2 days ago.
The students’ leaders have since been suspended hence the students say they have no one to fight them. Their representatives are now held captive by the Senates directive, which states that ‘they should not be found in the university compound during the time of suspension’.
In a new twist, the students have stated that they are not gong to be ‘cowed’.
The clear extortion ring punishes tudents who were in sessions and those who weren’t.
Below is their statement:
Things are happening when the inept Cabinet Secretary George Magoha just looks on. Things are happening when the DCI, which is known to be quick to act, decides to ignore. Things are happening when the Egerton University Council & Senate that necessitated the University’s student demonstration last December still propagate their high-handedness and insensitivity.
The public is just watching as Egerton is being broken into tatters.
Well, Egerton University, through a Public Notice in the dailies, announced the reopening of the institutions. Amazingly:
(1) The KShs 16862 fine still stands. Most students have been automatically deducted as seen on the Students’ Portal, including HELB disbursements, Bursery, etc, with. Even the health science students who were out of session and were not to sit for the contentious exams have not been spared.
(2) The issues that occasioned the demonstrations remain unaddressed
(3) The Student Governing Council that called for the peaceful picketing has been indefinitely suspended
(4) The administration is using the ‘divide-and-rule’ strategy. Smelling a strike, the public notice was edited to exclude students in 2nd and 3rd Year from reporting with the rest, possibly to be called back in April.
The Congress Body met, deliberated and wrote to the Administration to revise the Damages Fine, reinstate the SGC and revise its stand on deferring the 70% of students yet to clear their Semester 1 fees. Of course, the Administration would hear none of it. Their insensitive decisions stand. The KShs 16862 is to be paid because corrupt Mwonya and the accomplice Senate have decided so and you can do nothing about it.
The students are planning to boycott the exams and demonstrate again. Numerous social media groups are lit with mobilization and condemnation.
Documents seen
ices from the administration and the student body.
Some of the documents showing the student’s plans
