By FRANCIS ONTOMWA and GRACE WEKESA
Kakamega, Kenya: He sits pensively at the edge of his bed, supporting his head with his left hand. The scars inflicted on his body telling a chilling story that befell him. He appears lost in reverie and every minute, it becomes perceptible that an aura of regret and bitterness hangs around him.
John Bartroba, 22, a 3rd-year Education (Arts) student at Masinde Muliro University recounts the deafening moments when strangers pounced on him scalding his body with hot boiling water Monday night. He is a victim of the heinous acts of violence that rocked the institution after students staged riots over a move to bar some of them from sitting the end of semester examinations.
“They came into my room and found I was boiling water to attend to the muscle injuries that my roommate had suffered in the riots, this water was turned on me as the men poured it all on me. Later I learnt that they were bodaboda people,” narrated a shaken Bartroba.
ALLEGATIONS OF RAPE
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On Monday, hundreds of students who had been barred from taking the examinations staged protests at the Vice Chancellor’s office demanding to sit for the examinations and the displeasure spilt over to the Kakamega-Webuye highway where more mayhem ensued.
Over 50 students were injured as allegations of rape against female students also soared. The whereabouts of some of the students is still unknown.
The confrontation rejuvenated a long standing animosity between the students and bodaboda operators.
Following the events, the students have vowed not to use boda boda for transport and yesterday scores were seen trekking as boda boda men were left awed.
Although, theirs is a symbiotic relationship where students benefit from transport within the town and the bodaboda people cashing in from the venture, their relationship has been sort of hypocritical. MMUST director of public Communications Bob Mbori suggests finding a platform that would bring together the university and the community to discuss peaceful coexistence.
CRUDE WEAPONS
“We are yet to settle on the date of opening but I can assure you that we have in pipeline a programme that would address the differences causing this kind of tension,” Dr Mbori told The standard.
The students have been blamed of sometimes spilling their frustrations to unsuspecting bodaboda operators.
“What are we supposed to do? Most of the bodaboda operators are parents and in fact I know of one who has his son at the university,” said Peter Wanyama, 43, a boda boda operator around Lurambi estate.
MMUST student leader Bill Clinton questions the involvement of the community whenever riots spark at the university.
During the Monday impasse, bodaboda operators attacked several students and Clinton says they were in possession of crude weapons such as rungus normally used by police.
“Where did these people get these weapons? It must have been some sort of syndicate between security officers and them ganging up against the students!” said Clinton.