Students from Meru National Polytechnic took to the streets on Friday, March 8, staging demonstrations along the Meru-Nanyuki highway after the reported deaths of three fellow students in a tragic accident.

The protests disrupted business activities as hundreds of students barricaded the main highway leading to Meru town, setting up roadblocks and lighting a bonfire, effectively halting vehicular traffic.

The demonstrations were sparked by the deaths of three students, allegedly struck by a speeding vehicle. The grieving students demanded justice for their fallen colleagues, expressing anger over what they perceived as police inaction against the driver involved in the accident.

Marching from the institution towards Meru town, the protesters vented their frustrations, calling for immediate action from the authorities.

The fatal accident occurred on Thursday, March 7, when a speeding car hit down three students who were reportedly skating on a main road. Sadly, one student died on the spot, while the other two succumbed to their injuries while being rushed to a nearby hospital.

The protests at Meru National Polytechnic echo similar demonstrations a month earlier at the Multimedia University in Nairobi. Those protests were triggered by a student being mauled by hyenas while heading home.

During those protests, students blocked the Magadi road connecting Ongata Rongai to Nairobi and ignited bonfires, accusing the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) of failing to address the issue of stray hyenas attacking students along the road to the institution.

The students vowed to continue their protests until the matter was resolved, citing repeated attacks by hyenas as an ongoing menace.