University of Eldoret students protest over special exams
Anti-riot police officers at the entrance to the University of Eldoret after students went on strike on October 22, 2014 protesting that they were not ready for supplementary exams scheduled by the admnistration, among other grievances. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The students claimed that they were not ready for the exams and that they were not given time to prepare for them.
- Gideon Kemoi, a fourth year education student, said that the administration failed to give them adequate notice to prepare for the exams.
- The students also condemned the administration for what they claimed was its failure to address their grievances in good time.
- Thirteen students were arrested during the mayhem and are expected to appear in court Thursday.
University of Eldoret students Wednesday took to the streets in protest against the administration’s directive that they sit special exams.
The students claimed that they were not ready for the exams and that they were not given time to prepare for them.
Reports indicate that the last academic year's results, which were released on October 20, 2O14, were delayed and those who were to retake the exams on October 21, 2014 felt that it was too soon and they had not adequately prepared for them.
Gideon Kemoi, a fourth-year education student, said that the administration failed to give students adequate notice to prepare for the exams.
“Results for the last academic year were delayed. They were released on Monday and the administration expected us to do the special exams on Tuesday, which we felt was unfair to some of us since we had not prepared for them,” said Kemoi.
In addition, the students condemned the administration for what they claimed was its failure to address their grievances in good time.
POOR SANITATION
According to the deputy chairperson of the student council, Ms Schola Mwangi, there is poor sanitation in the institution and there are not enough toilets and bathrooms to serve them.
“We have six toilets and bathrooms to serve the population of 405 students in just one hostel and most of us have been seeking medical attention because of the situation,” said Ms Mwangi.
The students also claimed that the institution was now a fully fledged university yet the administration had not taken the initiative to renovate the buildings.
The chairman of the student council, Brian Kiprono, alleged that students were always threatened and intimidated whenever they tried to pass the students’ grievances to the administration.
“There is nothing substantial the administration can do until the students demonstrate. Personally, I have been threatened by the administration and the only way we can air our views is through making noise,” said Mr Kiprono.
However, the university’s top management dismissed the students’ complaints, saying that there was no cause for alarm over the issues at hand.
Some of the University of Eldoret students who were arrested after protests on October 22, 2014.
EXAMS POSTPONED
Mr Ezekiel Kiprop, deputy vice chancellor in charge of finance and planning, said the institution had postponed the supplementary examinations to a later date.
“The students have been complaining about the short duration we gave them to prepare for supplementary examinations.
“As the administrators of this institution, we have already given them a memo on the postponement of the examinations,” said Mr Kiprop.
He said that the students would sit their examinations from November 3 to 7, 2014.
He insisted that no student had lodged complaints with the institution over missing examination results.
“When it comes to missing examination results, we have procedures to be followed. Apparently, no student has formally reported such cases to us. If we get such a complaint, we shall solve it out without hesitation,” he added.
Mr Kiprop also insisted that there was no problem with the sanitation in the institution.
PRIVATE HOSTELS
According to him, the sanitation problem is mainly in private hostels.
Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academics Ruth Osunga denied claims that some student leaders were being threatened by the administration.
“We have not received any reports that student leaders are being threatened. Furthermore, we hold monthly consultative meetings with them to deliberate on various matters and at no time has the issue of threats arisen,” said Ms Osunga.
She also asked the students to give the institution ample time to develop adequate infrastructure since it is only one and a half years old.
“University of Eldoret is a fully fledged institution. We just launched our strategic plan and students should be ready to see more developments as time progresses,” said Ms Osunga.
Armed police officers, led by Eldoret East OCPD Mr Nelson Taliti, managed to calm the students, who had blocked the Eldoret-Ziwa road, paralysing operations.
Thirteen students were arrested during the mayhem and were expected to appear in court Thursday.
