The University of Nairobi was closed indefinitely, yesterday, after students went on the rampage.

Vice-Chancellor Crispus Kiamba said the university council had stopped all programmes at the institution - regular and parallel studies - to avoid violence. Students were ordered to leave by 2pm.

The closure came after students at the main campus went on the rampage over media reports - which the vice-chancellor has denied - that the university planned to raise fees by Sh8,000.

Students assembled in front of the administration block in the morning and demanded to be addressed by the vice-chancellor.

They disrupted a council meeting and threatened to petrol-bomb the building if their grievances were not addressed.

They forced the VC out out of his office to address them, but they did not give him a chance to talk. He cut short his address after he was booed.

Some of the students held the administration block under siege, as others blocked motorists on roads around the campus. University Way, State House Road and Nyerere roads were closed for several hours.

Education minister George Saitoti, who was going for lunch at the nearby Norfolk Hotel, was caught in the riot. His official Mercedes Benz car made a U-turn on Harry Thuku Road, near the Central police station, and sped off, followed by another vehicle.

Students harassed and robbed motorists before police were called in at 1.15pm as the situation threatened to get out of hand. Riot police in two trucks, led by provincial police boss King'ori Mwangi, used water canons to disperse the protesting students.

The VC announced the closure after he and other council members were rescued from the students' two-hour siege.

"Following the unrest and repeated attempts to ensure calm returned to the university, it is now shut until further notice. We will issue an official report later, " said Prof Kiamba.

Earlier, the VC had released a circular refuting the report, in yesterday's East African Standard, about a plan to increase fees.

He said the university "has neither considered nor is it considering any increases in the direct tuition fees" or accommodation charges. The East African Standard said regular students would be required to pay Sh3,000 for computer laboratory, Sh2,000 for caution, Sh1,000 for activity and Sh2,000 for medical cover.

But Prof Kiamba admitted that the recent increase in salaries and housing allowances had put the university in a financial crisis.

Earlier, Prof Saitoti had said he was not aware of proposals to increase fees by any university. He spoke after launching an education sector joint review mission of 17 donors at the Kenya Institute of Education, Nairobi.

At Moi University, Eldoret, lecturers accused the management of reneging on agreements reached with their union.

Universities Academic Staff Union chapter secretary Musalia Edebe accused Vice-Chancellor David Some of failing to involve lecturers in the running of the institution.

	Copyright © 2004 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).