A student who was strangled in a viral video on Friday, October 7, has recounted the events that led to the brawl on the premises of Sang’alo Institute of Science and Technology in Bungoma County.
The Civil Engineering student, identified as Fredrick Oduor Otieno, stated that the altercation occurred when he attended a training session with the institution's rugby team.
Otieno was reportedly barred from the institution after he was accused of leading a students’ strike in early 2022.
According to reports, the student was accused of sneaking into the institution’s pitch despite expulsion, prompting a reaction from the security guards.
The guards pursued him and tried to forcibly lead him out of the premises, which subsequently led to the assault that was captured in the video.
However, Otieno refuted the claims stating that he had consulted with the rugby coach prior to his entry. While speaking to The Standard, the victim added that he lost consciousness during the altercation.
“As I waited, the school’s security head, Lucas Wanjala, a former uniformed officer, approached me from behind, demanding that I step out of the school.
Before I could respond, he hit me in the back, tearing my jacket as he called upon his junior from Pride Security,” he told The Standard.
According to him, it took the intervention of his female peers for the security guards to finally let go of him.
The shared video only captured the last moment of his ordeal, which, according to him, was longer.
“What Kenyans saw came in the last part of the assault, they had torn my jacket, hit my head against the water taps, beat me on the back, and strangled me several times before I fell unconscious when a student recorded the last minutes of it as they (guards) continued with the assault prompting the female colleagues to demand that they free me,” alleges the civil engineering student.
The institution's management has assured of investigations into the matter. The principal, Dr Rosabella Chukwu Cheptoo, condemned the assault, despite insisting that Otieno was "on the wrong".
Otieno is also hoping to have his expulsion reviewed to allow him to complete his civil engineering studies.
