A number of students at the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) have set one of the institution’s buildings on fire.
The students, who burnt down the Student Centre building, were protesting against the management over school fees increment and missing marks.
Choosing to lodge their complaints through protests, which happened on Monday, June 26, 2023, the students have also complained that most of them have missing marks which could see them missing their scheduled graduation.
It is unclear whether the students had tried to lodge the complaints to the university administration, before taking to the streets.
The students also matched at the university with placards to indicate their displeasure with the university administration’s decision.
TUM students complains
According to the students from the Mombasa-based university, ‘the administration has de-registered them from the university portal, as a result of their missing marks.
During the incident which happened in the mid-morning hours, the students accused the university administration of negligence and failure to address their issues.
Noticing the huge inferno and the chants from students matching in the university, the police intervened making it a ‘cat and dog’ chase game.
The extent of damage following the morning inferno has not yet been established. The police are also yet to reveal whether they made arrests from the incident.
The university administration has also not given a response to the complaints raised by the university students.
Similar student strikes
In the year 2021, the University of Nairobi students also went on strike regarding the same fee increment issue, which saw the administration revoke the move.
The country has not witnessed major strikes before this incident for a while now, besides the one that happened at Maseno University after the death of one student.
The University located at the equator experienced intense student protests, which were heightened by the death of a male student who was allegedly shot by a police officer during the protest.
Some students claimed to have seen the police officer and even went ahead to share her photos on social media.
The students also claimed that the officer was not shooting in the air, but aimed the rifle directly at the students, leading to his death.
The students further demanded that the officer be arraigned in court.
The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Ezekiel Machogu has not given any comment regarding the inferno and protests that occurred at TUM.
