Police on Sunday engaged in battles with protesting University of Nairobi students protesting the swearing-in of the new students' association chair Anthony Manyara Muchui.
University management was forced to deploy security officers within the campus to contain protests by a section of the students against the ceremony.
The institution's spokesman John Orindi says polls held were valid as Manyaratook over the reigns of the University of Nairobi Students Association ( UNSA ), previously known as SONU.
The decision was made after the other aspirants were disqualified from vying on the disciplinary and academic issues leaving Mr Manyara as the only candidate in the race.
[caption caption="University of Nairobi Towers"]
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The candidates who were struck out from the ballot were Jamal Birkan, Daphine Githuku, Job Omondi and Felix Apiyo Opiyo, a section of whom moved to court to dispute the decision.
One of the candidates, Opiyo stated that the move to swear in the chairman in the absence of other students was suspicious.
“They stage-managed accusations claiming that I forged documents and that my team is full of thugs. How can only one person qualify to lead about 89,000 students,” he conveyed.
In the court case filed, Opiyo sought to have the elections stopped until they are allowed to be on the ballot.
A court summon ordered that the University and the electoral commission for students association appear for a hearing of the matter on Monday.
“It is hereby ordered that the ex-parte applicants serve the respondents with the Chamber summons by close of business April 13, 2018 together with hearing notice for inter-parties hearing on April 19, 2018 before Justice John Mativo,” part of the court summons stated.
The chairman position was previously held by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino who shifted to national politics during the August polls.
[caption caption="File image of Babu Owino with his supporters"]
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His win was however nullified in March over irregularities, a ruling he's gone to the court of appeal to have overturned.
Babu had garnered 46,817 votes against the petitioner, Jubilee's Francis Mureithi's 42,501 votes.
