Police Overwhelmed by Meru University Students Protesting the Killing of their Colleague

Transport was paralyzed along the busy Meru-Maua highway for the better part of Tuesday, January 28, 2025, after university students went on rampage to protest the killing of their comrade and inaction by authorities. 

Kenyans.co.ke has since learnt that Meru University students have had to endure insecurity within and outside the university, an issue that has been ignored by the university administration and local authorities.

By midday, Tuesday, irate students were still on the streets, barricading the Meru-Maua highway vowing not to move unless their grievances were heard and resolved.  

According to the students, the rising cases of insecurity were mainly prevalent around the Mascan Area, where criminal gangs have been tracking, attacking and robbing the learners. 

Police had a difficult time trying to disperse the angry students, who overwhelmed authorities with their large numbers. Videos that have since been obtained by Kenyans.co.ke show some of the students engaging officers in running battles, with teargas canisters being deployed to quell the chaos.

Bonfires, were lit on the road at night, rendering the highway impassable and motorists being urged to seek alternative routes. 

The protests were triggered by the death of a student from the Meru University, who was stabbed to death around 10 pm on Monday night.

Just hours after the alleged death was reported, students took to the streets at night, with protests intensifying until dawn.

Notably, Meru University has developed an infamous reputation for student protests, with one of the more recent cases seeing students take to the streets to protest the new university funding model.

Before that, students went on a rampage in 2023 following the ousting of their Vice-Chancellor.

This was also the second wave of protests by university students in less than 24 hours, after Kenyatta University learners took to the streets on Monday, blocking a busy section of Thika Road for hours.

According to the students, the cause of the demonstrations was the lack of electricity for a week at the institution. An ultimatum to the relevant authorities regarding the restoration of electricity was issued following the protests, and normalcy was eventually restored.