JKUAT killings: Students now demand police post within campus

Students from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) are demanding for the establishment of a police post within the university premises following rampant reports of mysterious murders of their colleagues.

The students, led by their council boss Ibrahim Boru Shalle, said deployment of more police officers within the institution would beef up security for students living within and outside the university.

Addressing the press at Senate Hotel, Juja, on Monday, the student leaders said two of their colleagues have been mysteriously murdered in a span of four months, leading to frustration and fear.

Jomo Kenyatta University Students Association (JKUSA) President Ibrahim Boru Shalle singled out a recent case where Tabitha Kitaa Kiiti, a Fourth Year student pursuing a Bachelor of Business in Information Technology, was found strangled to death by unknown people.

Boru said the body of Kitaa was discovered lying in a bush after she had been missing for a day. He further highlighted a similar case where another student, Sidney Asomba, was stabbed to death on May 4 this year.

Also Read: Missing JKUAT student found murdered

The agitated students attributed the mysterious killings to unlit areas surrounding the institution, further calling upon the Kiambu County Government to initiate a lighting project outside the university.

“We have written to the area leadership asking them to facilitate lighting for us within Juja and none has responded,” said the JKUSA president.

“We want to urge (Interior PS Karanja) Kibicho to increase the number of police posts in Juja. The Juja Police Station has few officers.”

JKUSA Secretary General Alexander Oucha said Juja constituency within which the school exists cannot survive without the student fraternity, hence, security should be enhanced in the area.

“In a span of 4 months, we have had to bury two comrades; the late Sidney and now Tabitha. We want it be known that we cannot be burying comrades everyday,” said Oucha.

Also Read: JKUAT student stabbed to death

“Juja constituency cannot sustain itself without the over 40, 000 students in JKUAT.”

On his part, the union Academic Secretary Aboki Hesbon condemned the brutal murder of students, adding that the few number of police officers at Juja Police station was largely to blame for insecurity in the area.

“Majority of the students are not living within the school compound. 90% of the school’s population stays outside,” said Aboki.

“The population outside is overwhelming, yet you get that we are only given two police officers to patrol around the university.”