CCTV footage shows police officers firing at Multimedia University students during protest

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) says it has launched investigations into incidents earlier this week in which two students were shot and left with bullets lodged in their bodies.

The Monday afternoon protests descended into chaos after plain-clothed police officers stormed the university armed with rifles, pistols and tear gas.

Videos captured during the operation show officers firing inside hostels where students had been sheltering.

In another clip, one officer is seen brandishing a gun at students while others clutch pistols.

Four students sustained gunshot injuries during the confrontation, including injuries to the neck, head and back.

Abubakar Fugicha, Victor Kariuki, Evans Mugambi and Darren Sidandi are among the students injured during the incident. Victor Kariuki is currently admitted at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

“There were civilian police officers carrying pistols while those in uniform had AK-47 rifles. The officers with pistols were aiming directly at us, and that is when I was hit,” said Victor.

Another student recounted narrowly escaping being shot; “Kariuki, the student who was shot in the back, was right in front of me. If the bullet had missed him, it would have hit me. I managed to run back to the hostel, but one of the officers later came to the balcony and tried to aim at where we were hiding.”

A third student alleged that officers openly discussed who had fired the shots.

“One police officer told another that the one who had fired the bullet was called Seska and that he was carrying bullet number 27. When I asked why they were shooting at us, they told us they had overpowered us and had called in civilians,” the student claimed.

Doctors say Abubakar Fugicha will continue living with a bullet lodged in his neck because removing it could be life-threatening.

Victor Kariuki is expected to undergo surgery to remove another bullet lodged in his body.

“The specialist handling arteries and nerves says the bullet is being held by tissues and has not reached the spinal cord. I am waiting for the doctor today,” said Victor from his hospital bed.

Student leaders have now questioned how armed plain-clothed officers gained access to the university.

“How and why were armed plain-clothes police officers granted access to this institution? Who authorised their entry and under whose directives did they open fire into a crowd of students? These are not unreasonable questions, they are the minimum we are owed,” said student leader Tamara Wachira.

Activists have also condemned the incident and accused police of using excessive force against young people.

“In this country today, we have trigger-happy police officers hunting young Kenyans at every opportunity. Beyond Kariuki and Abubakar, at least three other students are injured, one here, another in Kajiado and another at Nairobi Hospital,” said Vocal Afrika activist Khalid Hussein.

As IPOA investigates the latest incident involving students at Multimedia University, a similar case reported at the institution last year remains unresolved.