November 16, 2024

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More crime hits Mount Kenya university as 1O die last year

MKU founder Simon Gicharu

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Mount Kenya University students in Thika, Kiambu County have raised an alarm over a surge of thuggery incidents within the institution expressing fear that the ugly trend might result in a crisis.

Troubled by the growing number of attacks by young men who are usually armed with knives and guns, the students said they were living in fear of being confronted by the daring muggers.

The criminals, they said, have been targeting students as they return to their hostels after classes where they waylay them before stealing valuables.

The attackers are reported to be targeting students with smartphones and laptops who are threatened to be stabbed whenever they try to fight back.

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While some live inside the school where the university has built hostels, most of the students live about a kilometer or more from the school where they have rented houses.

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Led by Linda Kendi, a first-year student who lives at Runda estate, the students decried that insecurity has compelled them to be stepping into their houses as early as 5 pm to avoid the attacks.

Kendi recounted how her schoolmate was recently attacked along the streets of Runda as she was returning to the house when the attackers stole all the valuables she was carrying including a phone and cash.

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“My friend, a schoolmate, was waylaid by young men armed with a gun and knives along this street as she returned to the house from the school. They threatened to stab her and demanded to have everything she was carrying. They managed to rob her phone, cash, earphones, and the bag that she had,” said Kendi.

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Sharleen Kanana Miriti, another student blamed the insecurity rise to dysfunctional floodlights installed from the school to their hostels regretting that the government has not been committed to restoring lights in the area.

According to a section of small hotel owners who serve the students, the criminals execute their ill missions using speeding motorbikes.

Josephine Muthoni who operates a greengrocery that serves the students said the situation becomes worse at 6 am as no police officers are usually on patrol.

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Muthoni, who was recently attacked when she was going for her routine purchase of grocery items, said the floodlights in the area went off over a year ago.

“If the government can light up this area, cases of insecurity can go down drastically but the relevant agencies have been silent leaving our children at the mercy of cruel attackers,” said Muthoni.

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This is not  the first time  a student  at Mount Kenya University  have been in the news, less than two years ago, Lawrence Warunge  who was  an MKU student killed 5  family members.

Last year alone, 10 students  from Mount Kenya university  Thika campus died last year  through  murder and love triangle