Mombasa Technical University boils as students engage police over tuition fee hike

The Mombasa Technical University has been shut down indefinitely following violent students’ protests against tuition fees hike and other management issues on Monday.

A truck burnt by Mombasa Technical University students

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Josphat Kazungu Ziro Mwatelah, announced the indefinite closure of the institution in the wake of the protests.

A notice purported to be from the management gave students 30 minutes to leave the university premises.

gathered that the students began their protests as early as 7am.

They set up barricades and burnt vehicles, including two government trucks, leading to massive traffic build-up around the university.

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Anti-riot policemen who were deployed to prevent further discussion met a contingent of students who hurled missiles at them.

A video posted by Kenyan online newspaper, theStar, showed a disorderly crowd of students lobbing stones at a police truck filled with policemen.

Some of the students told the newspaper that the management’s decision to hike fees without "official communication" is what led to the protests.

"This fee also varies from one department to the other," a student said.

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"In some classes it has been increased from Sh6,000 to Sh8,000".

One student called on the university to "review supplementary exams" while another said they wanted the Vice Chancellor's resignation.

Last week, a similar tuition-fee hike protest at the Makerere University, Uganda, left three students hospitalized.

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