For general information on the Student Organization of Nairobi University (SONU) including its objectives, vision, structure and list of officials, please consult the attached document found on the University of Nairobi Website (6 July 2000). Although this document states that SONU was registered in 1998 (University of Nairobi 6 July 2000), it was founded in February 1982 and has been banned and re-instated by the authorities at various times during its history (ASR Apr. 2002, 51-53) including a reinstatement in 1998 "after many years of being outlawed" (The Daily Nation 10 Jan. 2001). Details regarding the history of SONU's leadership, its activism and relations with authorities can be found in the attached extract from the article entitled "University Crisis, Student Activism, and the Contemporary Struggle for Democracy in Kenya" by Jacqueline M. Klopp and Janai R. Orina (ASR Apr. 2002).

Although two references to a one-day student riot on 23 March 1998 at the University of Nairobi were found among the sources consulted (ARB 20 Apr. 1998, 13052; The Nation 26 Mar. 1998), a third reference claiming that the riot continued into the next day was also found (ER 30 Mar.-5 Apr. 1998). The Africa Research Bulletin (ARB) reported that "[p]olice armed with live ammunition and tear-gas were forced to retreat by stone-throwing university students in running battles in central Nairobi that lasted all day on March 23rd" (20 Apr. 1998, 13052). According to the ARB, the students were reacting to an advertisement in the Daily Nation that offered medicine and health degrees to "'privately sponsored students with minimal educational requirements" (ibid.).

The Nation provided corroborating information of the event, stating that "[t]he university and its constituent colleges were closed on Monday [23 March 1998] after the students engaged in a day-long orgy of violence over reports that the university planned to introduce new medicine degree programmes for privately sponsored students" (26 Mar. 1998). In addition, following a statement by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) requesting an apology and calling the student's behaviour "'criminal,'" The Nation reported that on 25 March 1998, Yonah Obwoge, Moses Sande and Adei Esala, officials of the "unregistered" Students Organization of Nairobi University, apologized to the public for the violence (26 Mar. 1998). However, the SONU officials denied that the students were "incited" by politicians and claimed that the protest was organised by students from the College of Health Sciences and not by SONU (The Nation 26 Mar. 1998). According to Moses Sande, the protest began at the College of Health Sciences at Kenyatta National Hospital and eventually students from the "main campus" joined in (ibid.). The Economic Review reported that on "[t]he following day [24 March 1998], about 300 Kenyatta University students joined the fray in support of their colleagues and to protest against the recent acquittal of 11 policemen who were charged with the murder in 1996 of two Kenyatta University students" (30 Mar.-5 Apr. 1998).

The Nation reported that officials blamed the riots on Vice-Chancellor Francis Gichaga for "allegedly failing to hold dialogue with the students" (26 Mar. 1998). Yonah Obwoge reportedly claimed that the "problems at the university arise because the students have no registered organisation to discuss issues affecting them with the administrators" (The Nation 26 Mar. 1998).

Additional information on SONU, including whether a student from Strathmore College, Nairobi would be eligible for membership, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series (ARB) [Oxford]. 20 April 1998. Vol. 35, No. 3. "Kenya: Riots Close University."

African Studies Review (ASR). April 2002. Vol. 45, No. 1. Jacqueline M. Klopp and Janai R. Orina. "University Crisis, Student Activism, and the Contemporary Struggle for Democracy in Kenya."

The Daily Nation [Nairobi]. 10 January 2001. Wahome Thuku. "University Students' Union Is Outlawed." http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/36/225.html [Accessed 10 Mar. 2003]

The Economic Review (ER). 30 March-5 April 1998. "Same Old Story: Cycle of Protest, Violence and Closure Returns." http://ww.africaonline.co.ke/AfricaOnline/ereview/980330/university.html [Accessed 10 Mar. 2003]

The Nation [Nairobi]. 26 March 1998. Stephen Muiruri. "Kenya: Student Reps Say Sorry, Want Varsity Re-Opened." (Africa News/NEXIS)

University of Nairobi. 6 July 2000. "Student Organization of Nairobi University." http://www.uonbi.ac.ke/cur_studs/sonu.htm [Accessed 7 Mar. 2003]

African Studies Review (ASR). April 2002. Vol. 45, No. 1. Jacqueline M. Klopp and Janai R. Orina. "University Crisis, Student Activisim, and the Contemporary Struggle for Democracy in Kenya," pp. 47-55.

University of Nairobi. 6 July 2000. "Student Organization of Nairobi University." http://www.uonbi.ac.ke/cur_studs/sonu.htm [Accessed 7 Mar. 2003]

IRB Databases

NEXIS

Youth Movements of the World

Unsuccessful attempts to contact the Youth Agenda and academic sources.

Internet sites, including:

Africa Confidential

Africa Files

Africa Online

AllAfrica.com

BBC Africa

The Daily Nation

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

International Union of Students

Kenya Web

University of Nairobi

World News Connection (WNC)

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