Questions are mounting over the conduct of security officers following a violent confrontation during student protests at Multimedia University of Kenya that left several learners nursing gunshot wounds.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has confirmed that it has opened investigations into the incident, which occurred on Monday and resulted in four students being injured.
Two of the victims are reportedly still carrying bullets in their bodies.
The unrest escalated after police officers, including some in plain clothes, entered the university grounds to disperse protesting students.
Videos circulating online appear to show armed officers moving through sections of the institution as students sought refuge in hostels.
Among those injured were Abubakar Fugicha, Victor Kariuki, Evans Mugambi and Darren Sidandi. Medical reports indicate that the students suffered injuries to different parts of their bodies, including the neck, head and back.
Victor Kariuki, who is receiving treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital, alleged that officers fired directly at students during the operation.
“There were civilian police officers carrying pistols while those in uniform had AK-47 rifles. The officers with pistols were aiming directly at us, and that is when I was hit,” said Victor.
Another student who witnessed the incident told reporters he narrowly escaped injury.
“Kariuki, the student who was shot in the back, was right in front of me. If the bullet had missed him, it would have hit me. I managed to run back to the hostel, but one of the officers later came to the balcony and tried to aim at where we were hiding,” the student said.
A separate witness claimed that officers discussed the shooting among themselves shortly after the incident.
“One police officer told another that the one who had fired the bullet was called Seska and that he was carrying bullet number 27.When I asked why they were shooting at us, they told us they had overpowered us and had called in civilians,” the student claimed.
Doctors attending to the injured students have expressed concern over the nature of the wounds.
According to medical assessments, removing the bullet lodged in Abubakar Fugicha’s neck could pose significant health risks, meaning he may have to live with it indefinitely.
Victor, meanwhile, is awaiting a surgical procedure to remove a bullet from his body. “The specialist handling arteries and nerves says the bullet is being held by tissues and has not reached the spinal cord. I am waiting for the doctor today,” said Victor from his hospital bed.
The incident has sparked criticism from student leaders, who are demanding answers over the presence of armed plain-clothed officers within the institution.
“How and why were armed plain-clothes police officers granted access to this institution? Who authorised their entry and under whose directives did they open fire into a crowd of students? These are not unreasonable questions, they are the minimum we are owed,” said student leader Tamara Wachira.
Human rights advocates have also weighed in, calling for accountability and restraint in policing public demonstrations.
“In this country today, we have trigger-happy police officers hunting young Kenyans at every opportunity. Beyond Kariuki and Abubakar, at least three other students are injured, one here, another in Kajiado and another at Nairobi Hospital,” said Vocal Afrika activist Khalid Hussein.
As investigations get underway, attention is now turning to whether those responsible for the operation acted within the law and established policing standards.
The outcome of IPOA’s inquiry is expected to be closely watched, particularly given concerns that a previous case involving alleged police misconduct at the same university remains unresolved.
