A DEMONSTRATION SEASON?

students protesting at the students centre

Moi university students went on demonstration along the academic highway on Wednesday morning due to the alleged planned holiday for the third year group.

It all started with an article published in the Moi University 3^RD eye press by an anonymous student writer. The article claimed that, according to credible sources, the university administration was planning to send all third years on another holiday after this semester to create room for the incoming first year students. This information was received with a lot of wrath as the third years could not imagine of another holiday. Not again, after being at home for eight good months, equivalent to one academic year! This prompted students to converge at the students’ centre where they started protesting towards the administration block.

Operations within the campus came to a halt due to the demonstration. All kiosks were closed, classes were disrupted and even the library was closed after the rioting students tried to break into the library to oust out those students who were in the studying to join them in the course. They hauled stones on the window panes and glass doors that broke them partly. In the school of Arts and Social Sciences, fourth students who were having a lecture were forced to escape through windows as the daring demonstrating students attacked them with strokes of the cane. Fortunately, no student was injured in the incident.

 

a section of students listening to the DVC's address at the school of Arts and Social Sciences

The angry demonstrating students hailed the academic highway attracting attention from all directions within the campus. They matched to the administration block seeking address from the DVC in charge of academics Prof. Nathan Ogechi. He assured them that the administration was very committed to ensure that third years finish their academic year, 2014/2015, before any break. “The only holiday for third years is when they will be doing their attachment after this academic year,” said Prof. Ogechi.  The DVC in charge of academics produced a copy of the university’s academic calendar to confirm that indeed there was no any planned holiday for the third years apart from that of the current second years.

Initially, the student leaders had tried to calm the situation at a “kamkunji” called at the students’ centre, just before the students matched to the administration block, but the angry crowd could not stomach them. Later on in the afternoon, normal operations resumed after calmness was reported.

This demonstration comes barely a day after Information Sciences students (third years) staged a demonstration agitating for their field trip which was to happen in the last academic year but never materialized. The dean School of Information Sciences Prof. Otike intervened and assured them the trip was there this semester. He promised to have meeting with them on Thursday to discuss the issue. A week and a half ago, the Bachelor of Arts with Education (BAE) students in the school of Arts and Social Sciences demonstrated on delayed academic results since first year. One may wonder, is it a demonstration season in Moi University?