Varsity students, youths urged to avoid being used for mass action

Nairobi, Kenya: University students and the youth have been urged to reject any attempts by politicians to use them for mass action during Monday's Saba Saba rally.

Under their umbrella bodies, the Kenya Universities Students Organisation (Kuso) and the National Youth Council, student and youth leaders asked politicians to stop misusing the youth.

Led by Students' Organisation of Nairobi University Chairman Babu Owino and his Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology counterpart Kipkalya Felix, the leaders said the rallies do not seek to solve the problem of unemployment facing more than 16 million youths in Kenya.

"University students are not affiliated to any political party. We want to urge politicians to keep off all universities because currently the rising political temperatures are not good for the country," said Mr Owino who was among university student leaders who met former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in his Capitol Hill office last Wednesday.

They asked politicians to stop inciting students along tribal lines, urging students to concentrate on their studies and avoid being used to cause mayhem during the rally planned by the Opposition.