Warder dies after attack by protesting Machakos students

A prisons warder died in hospital after he was attacked and stoned by a group of students at the Machakos University.

Constable Phillip Mulandi of Machakos prison died in hospital following an attack by the students who were protesting insecurity.

Mulandi was walking to work on Wednesday morning when he came across a group blockading a road.

According to Machakos police commander Issa Mohamed, Mulandi tried to intervene and remove the boulders.

However, he said, as Mulandi bent the students saw a handcuff he had and raised alarm.

“They raised alarm and alerted their colleagues who joined and stoned him badly. By the time we arrived, he had been seriously injured. He succumbed to the injuries in hospital,” Mohamed said.

He added the warder was not in the anti-riot team that was trying to quell the protests.

The institution was closed indefinitely over insecurity and ongoing demonstrations.

Vice chancellor Lucy Irungu made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon in a memo.

The move came hours after a student who had been shot by a police officer during Monday's protests died on Wednesday morning.

"Due to the evolving insecurity situation around the university and the ongoing students' demonstrations, a special meeting was convened on December 7.

"It resolved that in the interest of the security of staff and students, the university be closed with immediate effect," the memo read.

All students were advised to vacate the premises immediately. The administration said further communication will be made in due course.

The university students went on a rampage for the third day on Wednesday protesting their colleague's death.

They had been protesting insecurity in the area.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority launched a probe into the shooting incident of the student.

As part of efforts to address claims of insecurity a police officer was arrested on robbery with violence charges on Monday.

He allegedly attacked a university student and robbed him of his mobile phone and other valuables.

The officer and an accomplice had accosted two Machakos University students as they headed to their rented quarters on a bicycle on Sunday night.

The duo who were on a motorbike had flagged down the students in the wee hours of the morning before descending on one of them with resounding slaps as they ransacked his pockets.

Police and witnesses said his roommate however managed to escape the attack narrowly and took flight screaming, attracting neighbours who also happened to be students from the university.

The students responded to the distress calls and rescued their fellow comrades from the wrath of the officer and his accomplice.

Another officer was arrested in connection with the shooting of a university student during a demonstration on Monday.

Corporal Michael Mulwa who is in custody at Machakos police station is accused of shooting Brilliant Anusu, a student who together with his colleagues had staged a demonstration due to the escalating level of insecurity.

The student died later.

Police say the student was part of a group that had engaged police officers in running battles for the better part of the day.

“Some nine firearms including five pistols, three G-3 riffles and one AK-47 assault rifles have also been seized from different police officers.

"They will be subjected to forensic ballistic analysis at the DCI National Forensic Laboratory to scientifically ascertain, which firearms were misused when quelling the rioting students,” police said on Tuesday.