Court acquits 7 students of Technical University charged with creating disturbance

A Nairobi Court on Friday acquitted seven students from Technical University of Kenya who had been charged with creating disturbance.

In the ruling, trial magistrate Lilian Arika said that prosecution failed to prove its case against the seven students; Emmanuel Oketch, Bassil Odwour, Rolex Biwot, Mark Oroko, Enos Gor and Paul Onyango.

Magistrate Arika added that very little investigations were done on the case adding that the standard of prove has to be beyond all measurable doubt.

On the charge of malicious damage, the court ruled that there was no valuation report produced in court showing how they arrived at exam papers worth Ksh.21,000 were destroyed.

Further, the court ruled that no student was called to testify in the case and the allegations that the student who testified was threatened was never proved.

According to the charge sheet, the seven students were charged that on July 31, 2018 at Technical University of Kenya, the seven, jointly with others not before the court, created disturbance in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by shouting and screaming “No examination” and snatched exam answer sheets and exam papers from students in lecture theatre hall and main hall.

They were also charged with another charge of malicious damage of exam question papers and answer sheet booklets valued at Ksh.21,000 property of the said university.

They all pleaded not guilty to the two counts.