Safety and security in Kenyan Universities Recent dynamics

Safety and security in Kenyan Universities: Recent dynamics in securing the students Paul Ochieng Dean of Students Strathmore University |

Presentation Structure • History of safety and security in Kenyan universities • Change in university environment • Recent dynamics • Where are we currently • Questions and answers 2 |

Short history UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA • There a total of 71 universities in Kenya at present. • The majority of them having come up in the last 5 years. • Universities in Kenya are spread throughout the length and breadth of the country. • Traditionally, the government funded university education in Kenya but now due to quality issues people are ready to pay more in private universities and leaving their slots in public universities. • Like in most universities in Africa, Kenyan universities also were the political nurseries of the 1980 s and most of the current ministers were former student leaders. 3 |

Short history • Politics never died in universities, but rather grew with the coming of multiparty in 1992, so did rivalry and this is when heightened violence entered universities in Kenya. • Weapons started being found in student rooms in universities for self defense against rivals. • University riots started becoming a regular affair and its over petty issues. • With insecurities in public universities, most parents started preferring private universities to public. • In late 1990 s government starts to cut back its funding to public universities, and to keep afloat universities admit excess students and they soon get overwhelmed. A perfect recipe for insecurity. 4 |

Change in University environment • Reduction of government funding: Lack of maintenance and building of new facilities. • Unplanned increase in student population. • Regulatory body for universities : Public vs Private 5 |

Recent dynamics in safety and security • Typical university in Kenya I. III. IV. Big both in student population and physical location. More focused on its financial bottom-line than its service level to students. More focused on its competition. Lack of enough security and safety personnel or even undertrained staff. • Almost all universities have more students than originally planned for! Why? Education boom in Kenya. E. g. UON was meant for 30, 000 and now it has 60, 000 students. • New risks that never existed before; fires, Cybercrimes and kidnappings • Export of crime via inter-campus gangs; students expelled in one university go and commit the same crimes in their next university. • Increase in petty crimes due to social problems; theft of electronics. 6 |

Recent events • June 2011 - A University of Nairobi Student Mercy Keino is shot and thrown off a speeding car. • Nov 2011 - University of Nairobi Student Union Sec Gen-Alex Matere stabbed but survives. • March 2012 - A leading newspaper The Nation, runs a story of unexplained wealth of student leaders and the impunity amongst them. • July 2012 - A USIU student Sarah Aruwa is kidnapped and killed by fellow students • June 2012 – A USIU student Brian Bii commits suicide • August 2012 - A Strathmore University student is shot by thugs outside the university and succumbs to his wounds a week later. 7 |

Recent events 8 |

How we manage • • • Theft- Do you have a receipt? Rape and Kidnappings; Tell us where you are going! Student Mental health- A better care! Fire and Floods- No metal grills on windows? ? Database to help curb inter-university gangs. Student security assistants ( community policing)- Be our eyes! Social networks to improve communication- Facebook, Twitter Making the environment friendly Police- We need help! 9 |

Our Challenges • Student Database clean up and update. • Inadequate equipment. • Students support; in purchases and following instructions. • General insecurity. 10 |

End Thank you for listening 11 |

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