Chuka University Vice Chancellor Henry Mutembei has assured students that the government is taking necessary steps to ensure that the Meru-Nairobi highway segment at the university is secure.
This comes in the wake of student protests witnessed along the road on Monday, October 28, 2024, after a second-year student lost her life and another was left in critical condition following a tragic accident along the highway at Ndagani on Saturday, October 26, 2024.
Chuka University flyover
According to the VC, the Ministry of Transport through CS Davis Chirchir has promised to construct a flyover and erect rumble bumps at the university section of the road. The ministry has also promised to establish properly indicated speed limit signs and zebra crossing sections.
The ministry will also oversee the construction of footpaths on the highway.
“The Transport CS has assured us that Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) are on site and they will ensure a footbridge and footpaths are constructed and rumble bumps are erected. We are also going to have well-indicated speed limit signs and zebra crossings.
“The designer of the footbridge has already been sent by the ministry. We should not wait until disaster strikes to act, I have word from the CS that an emergency meeting took place after concerns were raised and he has agreed to budget for the changes which we are going to witness soon,” he said.
Prof Mutembei asked motorists to exercise caution on the roads and asked the students to remain calm as the university continues to engage with the government to ensure the promises made are fulfilled.
“If the driver was careful, we would not have lost a life. All motorists should be careful. To the students, we have heard you, let us maintain our calm, as the university continues engaging the government. The transport CS has responded well and we expect all those promises to be followed to bring safety to our students who are usually calm,” Mutembei stated.
Chairperson of the Council Prof. David Serem while sending his condolences to the family of the second-year student who lost her life in the Saturday incident asked the government to take action to ensure the safety measures of road users especially pedestrians are taken care of.
He also called on students to remain calm.
“We are sending a message of condolence to the family of the student we lost and quick recovery to the one in hospital. As a council, we join our Vice Chancellor to mourn the student who passed away. We ask the government to take action by building the flyover and necessary infrastructure around, government should take action to ensure the safety measures are taken care of,” he said.
Chuka University demos
Hundreds of students on Monday, October 28, 2024, engaged the police in running battles around Ndagani and parts of Chuka Town, with the police being forced to lob teargas to disperse the charged-up crowds.
The 8-hour-long protests paralyzed activities along the Meru-Nairobi highway after students barricaded major sections of the road.
On Saturday, October 26, 2024, at around 5:30 pm, a road accident involving a Toyota Fielder and a Probox was reported along the Meru-Nairobi highway at Ndagani, after the Probox veered off the road and hit two students who were walking on the side road.
Both were rushed to Chuka Referral Hospital where one succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment.
The Toyota Fielder registration KBX 203S was headed to Chuka from Meru while the Probox, registration KDL 985G was coming from the opposite direction.
