Rongo University was closed indefinitely on Tuesday, March 26, after students violently protested over results of a hotly contested student leaders election.
The decision to close the university was arrived at after a meeting of the Rongo University Senate.
At the same time, deputy vice chancellor Michael Ntabo noted in a memo that the institution was closed to avoid further destruction of property, as the administration launched investigations into the cause of unrest.
“Senate resolved that the university be closed indefinitely due to ongoing unrest as a result of student election. All students are directed to vacate the University premises immediately,” read part of the memo to all students.
Preliminary investigations indicate that chaos erupted after the announcement of election results as opposing teams clashed.
Property worth millions of shillings were destroyed during the fracas, although police intervened on time to contain the situation.
Police used teargas canisters to disperse rioting students at the university, however no injuries have been confirmed so far.
The university is located in Migori County, and it has a high student enrollment rate according to statistics from the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
