• Students barricade the Kehancha–Mabera road and accuse college management of imposing unexplained additional charges.
• Police disperse protesters after classroom and administration block windows are broken during the unrest.
• Education officials urge dialogue as parents call for an audit of the institution’s fees.
Learning was paralysed at Mabera Technical and Vocational College in Migori County after students went on a rampage to protest against alleged high fees and other levies.
The students barricaded the Kehancha–Mabera road, lit bonfires and stormed the administration block, accusing the management of imposing extra charges without a clear explanation.
According to the students, they are required to pay examination fees, activity fees, maintenance and development levies on top of the official tuition fees, which they said have made it difficult for many learners from humble backgrounds to remain in college.
“We were told the government capitation caters for most of the costs, but here we are forced to pay for everything including practical materials which we already paid for. Some of us are being sent home every week,” claimed one of the second-year students who did not want to be named.
The protesting students also claimed that the fee structure is not displayed publicly and that receipts are delayed, leading to confusion during examination registration.
College closed after unrest
Property of unknown value was destroyed during the melee, with windows of two classrooms and the administration block broken. No injuries were reported.
Police officers from Mabera Police Station, led by the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), intervened and dispersed the students. The institution was later closed indefinitely to allow tempers to cool.
Efforts to get a comment from the institution’s principal were unsuccessful, as calls went unanswered by the time of going to press.
However, the Sub-County Director of Education for Kuria West, Mr Robert Ongeri, who visited the institution, urged students to use dialogue to resolve grievances.
“We have listened to the students and we have also spoken to the management. We have advised them to produce a clear fee structure approved by the relevant authorities and to have a meeting with student leaders when they resume,” said Ongeri.
Parents who had rushed to the college after hearing of the unrest called on the county government and the State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training to audit the fees charged by the institution.
The students were directed to go home and await further communication on when the college would reopen.
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