Irate students at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) held a demonstration on Wednesday night to protest the death of their colleague. The students accused the university’s medical staff of negligence which reportedly caused the death of the student earlier on Wednesday.
The rioting students barricaded Thika Road at Juja town, leading to heavy traffic jam as pedestrians ran for safety. A student quoted on the local dailies on Thursday said the deceased was taken to the university hospital after suffering from alleged food poisoning but was not given the required attention.
“The student was left lying helpless on the hospital bed without being attended to thus leading to his demise.”
Officers from the nearby Juja Police Station had difficult times containing the rowdy students who engaged them in running battles. They used tear gas and gunshots in the air to disperse the students. Juja OCS Zachariah Ateya said the police did the best they could to contain the situation, though property of an unknown value got destroyed in and outside the institution.
JKUAT students’ organization finance secretary, Tumaini Bundi, said the students were angered by the death of one of the comrades and were seeking to know if the hospital personnel were indeed qualified to perform their duties. The university’s administration is yet to comment on the matter.
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