Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Historic University demo that never was

Nairobi University students demonstrated yesterday, after being given a go ahead to demonstrate their democratic rights to protest over the killing of a fellow student by a trigger happy policeman and also the killing of human rights activist Oscar Kamau King’ara of Oscar foundation together with his assistant Paul Oulu a former University Students leader last week.

It was historic because PM Raila Odinga supported the planned demo and asked Police to give them protection. In the past it was unheard of for a government official to support such a demo, because student’s demos in the past were not peaceful. Their demo yesterday was peaceful and I thought it is a success that would bring to an end to old times of dictatorship; it was a good opportunity to release their anger peacefully. However things changed when later in the day some resorted to their old ways of breaking into shops, looting and destroying property. This group of rowdy students was a shame to the whole university student’s fraternity and the change this demo was going to bring. At least some had the courtesy to go back to the shops and apologize.

Students need to change with times, they didn’t have to vet their anger on innocent shop owners yet it was the police who killed their colleague.

Prof. Philip Alston's report

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think to call the demo historic is to misuse the word. Was it historic just because Raila who loves populist opinions supported it?
then you tell us that the students apologised!!! are you serious or downright dumb? these students vandalised motorists, solicited bribes, looted from shops and here you are talking of an apology to PM? when do we learn to realise that there are painful consequences to such actions? the students should COMPENSATE all the motorists affected, the shops and all the KENYANS who were stranded, patients who had to use taxis to go for appointments at KNH, and the President for all the abuses hauled at his family.
The PM owes the POLICE and the UoN VC an apology for interfering with their work and supporting thugs.
The PM should also admit that he made a mistake and ask for forgiveness from NAIROBIANS who had to suffer because of his sticking his flat nose in matters that affect NATIONAL SECURITY.

Got it????