Karatina University has been closed indefinitely after students held demonstrations over rent increases by landlords and matatus operating along the Karatina Kagochi route.
Following a meeting by the Karatina University Council and security apparatus, more than ten thousand students were ordered to vacate the university premises by 3 p.m. after a long day of fighting anti-riot police.
Tension was high in the area after landlords, in an effort to preempt damages to their houses, hired villagers who armed themselves with crude weapons.
According to Mathira east deputy county commissioner Debora Mwania, at onetime police were forced to lob teargas to prevent clashes between the two groups.
Further, she said that the students had complained that landlords were overcharging them, with a bedsitter going for more than Kes 8,000 per month instead of Kes 4000.
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Similarly the students complained that most rooms were in bad state and lacked basic facilities.
Additionally, she revealed that the matatu operators were also overcharging them, and we’re demanding Kes 200 instead of Kes 60 for the 6 kilometre trip from Karina town.
