The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched investigations into allegations of excessive force by security officers following a violent crackdown on student protests at Multimedia University of Kenya in Nairobi.
The incident, which occurred on Monday afternoon, left at least four students nursing gunshot wounds after demonstrations descended into chaos when armed police officers, including some in plain clothes, reportedly stormed the university grounds.
Videos circulating online show officers firing shots and deploying tear gas within student hostels where learners had sought refuge.
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In some clips, plain-clothed officers are seen carrying pistols while uniformed officers wield AK-47 rifles.
Among those injured are Abubakar Fugicha, Victor Kariuki, Evans Mugambi, and Darren Sidandi. The students sustained injuries to various parts of their bodies, including the neck, head, and back.
Victor Kariuki, who is currently receiving treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), claimed officers deliberately targeted students during the operation.
“There were civilian police officers carrying pistols while those in uniform had AK-47 rifles. The officers with pistols were aiming directly at us, and that is when I was hit,” he said.
Another student recounted a near-death experience, saying Kariuki was standing directly in front of him when he was shot.
“If the bullet had missed him, it would have hit me. I managed to run back to the hostel, but one of the officers later came to the balcony and tried to aim at where we were hiding,” the student alleged.
Students have further claimed that officers openly discussed who had fired the shots during the confrontation.
“One police officer told another that the one who had fired the bullet was called Seska and that he was carrying bullet number 27. When I asked why they were shooting at us, they told us they had overpowered us and had called in civilians,” another student claimed.
Medical reports indicate that Abubakar Fugicha will continue living with a bullet lodged in his neck after doctors determined that removing it could pose a significant risk to his life.
Meanwhile, Victor Kariuki is expected to undergo surgery to remove a bullet lodged in his body.
“The specialist handling arteries and nerves says the bullet is being held by tissues and has not reached the spinal cord. I am waiting for the doctor today,” Kariuki said from his hospital bed.
The incident has sparked outrage among student leaders, who are demanding answers regarding the presence of armed plain-clothed officers on campus.
“How and why were armed plain-clothes police officers granted access to this institution? Who authorised their entry and under whose directives did they open fire into a crowd of students? These are not unreasonable questions; they are the minimum we are owed,” said student leader Tamara Wachira.
Human rights activists have also condemned the police action, accusing officers of using excessive force against unarmed students.
“In this country today, we have trigger-happy police officers hunting young Kenyans at every opportunity. Beyond Kariuki and Abubakar, at least three other students are injured, one here, another in Kajiado, and another at Nairobi Hospital,” said Vocal Afrika activist Khalid Hussein.
As IPOA begins its investigations, attention is also being drawn to a similar case reported at Multimedia University last year, which remains unresolved. The latest incident is likely to intensify calls for police accountability and justice for victims of alleged brutality.
IPOA has urged anyone with information, videos, or eyewitness accounts related to the incident to cooperate with investigators as they seek to establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting.