Garissa University’s self-sponsored students ignored
- University News
Self-sponsored students from the ill-fated Garissa University College have complained of being sidelined following the closure of the institution after the April terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 142 students and six security officers. The more than 50 students have accused the Moi University senate of discriminating against them by failing to offer them chances in other constituent colleges of the university where their regular counterparts resumed classes two weeks ago.
Speaking to journalists at the now defunct university, the students said they had been left to idle at home even after the university received their full fees before the attack on April 2, 2015 while the regular students were readmitted to the main campus in Eldoret.
Abdifatah Ibrahim, who spoke on behalf of self-sponsored students, said they were shocked after finding out that the other students were readmitted while they had not received any communication on the fate of their studies from the university.
“Just like the regular students, we were equally victims of the terror attack and we feel discriminated against and ignored despite having cleared the semester’s fees,” he said.
The students, who mostly hail from the northeastern region, said they joined the institution as parallel programme students since it was the first public university in the region and which is also near their home areas.
“We believe this is discrimination. The university only considered the fate of the regular students and left us out as if we were not among their students or as if we were not affected by the terror incident,” he said.
He said if the Eldoret campus isn’t ready to receive them, then the university should consider at least reopening the Garissa campus for the self-sponsored students to continue with their education uninterrupted, noting that some of them are employees of the county and national governments.
Since the attack occurred they say they are worried about their fate. The university senate has been silent on our issue.
“The university only got concerned about the fate of regular students, but there has been no communications from the senate regarding our fate,” said the second-year business management student.
Another student, Hassan Abdi, said they need urgent clarification from the Moi University senate on the next course of action that they should take since they had already wasted a whole semester.
“We want to be told where we will sit our exams, which are due in the next few weeks. We can’t allow the university senate to discriminate (against) us and play with our future as if we were responsible for the unfortunate incident that took place (on) our campus".
“We shall seek legal redress if our issue is not addressed immediately,” he added.
Mr Abdi, who works for Garissa County's water department, wondered why the institution was discriminating against some of their own students and appealed to the university’s senate to urgently explain their fate before the start of their August exams.
Efforts to get comment from the university authorities were fruitless as emails sent to the vice-chancellor were not answered.
Reference : mobile.nation.co.ke