Students from the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) on Monday, June 26, set a building inside the institution on fire during protests.
A source confirmed to Kenyans.co.ke that the fire was started by students protesting recently instituted fee increments by the school administration.
The disgruntled students initially held a peaceful demonstration which, according to our source, quickly turned chaotic resulting in the burning of the institution's student center.
The protests that started earlier that morning saw students carry twigs and chant against the administration's plan to suddenly revise the school fee structure.
After the administration allegedly turned a blind eye to the protests, the students were incensed and set one of the buildings on fire.
Police officers and firefighters were quickly deployed to the scene to diffuse the situation and put out the fire.
The security officers lobbed teargas at the demonstrating students as the two parties engaged each other in running battles.
One of the students told Kenyans.co.ke that they went on strike after the institution refused to hear their plea against increasing university fees at a time when most students were struggling financially.
The student noted that without any sanction, the school had raised fees by Ksh9,000 from Ksh19,000 to Ksh28,000 per semester.
On February 2023, the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) proposed university fees be revised from Ksh16,000 to Ksh48,000 per semester.
After receiving the recommendations, Beatrice Inyangala, the Principal Secretary for Higher Education, noted that the government would not adopt the proposals right away.
"President William Ruto will look at the recommendations from PWPER and advice the Ministry of Education accordingly," Inyangala stated then.
