Traffic along the Meru-Nairobi Highway was brought to a standstill after hundreds of students staged protests against the Kenya Nationals Highways Authority (KENHA) lamenting an increase in the number of accidents.
Protests erupted just hours after a student was killed in an accident on the busy highway yesterday. The student was reportedly struck, along with two others, by a speeding car.
According to Chuka University Student Association Secretary General James Kariuki, they decided to come out to express their anger after several attempts to persuade the county government and KENHA to redesign key safety features on the road failed.
''This is to bring to your attention that Chuka University has lost a comrade in a tragic accident along the Meru-Nairobi Highway. We have continuously voiced our grievances to the County Government and KENHA for proper safety measures: bumps, barricades, and zebra crossings to protect our lives,'' Kariuki stated in a statement.
''But despite countless appeals and reminders, our calls for safety remain ignored. This is not the first time a comrade has died in an accident; we are sick and tired of this disregard,'' he added.
According to Kariuki the strike was aimed at sending a clear message following the snubs that they had received in the recent past.
''How many more lives are to be taken before they come into action? This time, we are not just mourning, we are taking action. This needs to prove to them that enough is indeed enough. Comrades,'' Kariuki added.
The students, who barricaded the roads while burning tires, demanded action from the authorities to redesign the road to avoid the spike in the number of accidents.
They also used stones to block the highway until the police arrived to intervene and clear the road. By the time of publishing this story, the police were yet to use force to disperse the protesters who put up a spirited fight.
The students also hijacked a police lorry, hanging on it precariously as police watched while demanding for justice for their fellow comrades.
Businesses operating alongside the Highway were forced to close in fear of attacks from the angry students who carried twigs and whistles.
Neither KENHA nor the County Government of Meru had respondend to the accusations of the students at the time of publishing this article.
