BY ADOW JUBAT
Several students and police officers were injured in deadly rampaging of secondary students from Garissa town over the recent massive cancellations of K.C.S.E exams by KNEC over alleged malpractices.
The students from Garissa high, County high, NEP girls high, Umul-Salam and others local schools took to the streets chatting slogans denouncing the government mistreatment of people from North-Eastern region.
They chant Somali war songs lit huge bonfire in main streets in the usually busy commercial town using old tires before venting their anger on signboards, vehicle and offices bearing the names of government ministries by pelting stones and other crude weapons on government.
The troubled started after the peacefully protesting students who assembled at the local DC’s office for audience with government officials were rudely turned back by administration police manning the premise prompting the students to go spontaneously into violent rampaging that took more eight hours on ends.
The students claimed it was not possible for candidates from secondary schools from an entire region to practice irregularities noting that the same government has equally dismissed the census results of the same region three years ago over alleged malpractices.
“These attempts of the some government ministries dismissing everything that goes against their perception of their mindset is impunity which must be rejected with an equal impunity” chanted one of the rioting student as he uprooted a Kenya police signboard.
Business premises were hurriedly closed by traders who feared been looted by criminal elements who may took advantage on the situation and government vehicles quickly withdrawn from the roads forcing senior government officials boarding motorbikes with some scarfing their faces with Somali men headscarf to avoid been attacked by the irate students.
A Military ambulance vehicle which unsuspectingly run into the rioters had its window screen damaged badly.
Police fired live ammunition to the air to and lobbed tear-gas in bid to disperse the rowdy students who had the backing of the residents who were equally angry after the cancellation of their children exam results.
At one time the security personnels had to take into their heels after huge number of public onlookers was touched by the senseless beating of an administration police of subdued student joined the student rioters by pelting police with stones.
By the time of going to the press the streets of the Garissa town was a battlefield commanded by rioters as the police kept out of the streets after been overpowered and retreated to their camps as reports indicated they were waiting for reinforcement from the neighboring Tana-River and Mwingi districts.
ENDS.
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