UoN student faces arson charges after he was allegedly found with petrol during protest

A University of Nairobi (UoN) student arrested along Harry Thuku Road in Nairobi with a five-litre jerrican with fuel during students' protests against the university funding model on Monday is facing charges of preparing to commit an offence of arson.

Bernard Wangila was charged with preparation to commit a felony contrary to Section 308 (1) of the Penal Code, where the prosecution says he was armed with petrol in circumstances that indicated he intended to burn an institution.

Wangila is accused of committing the offence jointly with others at large, near the Boulevard Hotel adjacent to the Waiyaki Way.

The suspect was among students who were plotting to hold protests against the new and controversy-ridden higher education funding model.

Anti-riot police officers had blocked the students' entry to the UoN and were pushing them back when they allegedly spotted Wangila carrying the fuel container.

He was accosted as he boarded a motorcycle to leave and was locked up at the Central Police station pending arraignment in court.

The accused person denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki of the Milimani Law Courts and sought lenient bail and bond terms through lawyer Danstan Omari.

Omari told the court that Wangila is a fourth-year student at the faculty of social sciences who lives in a slum next to Westlands Estate.

The lawyer added that the student works as a boda boda rider to fund his education and uses the same travel to the learning institution.

On the fateful day, according to Omari, Wangila had come to town without his motorcycle because he was unable to fuel it, and he was arrested while heading home to fuel his motorbike after buying fuel.

The prosecution had warned the court against that argument, citing the ongoing arson cases in secondary schools.

However, Omari dismissed this as an attempt to mislead the court, claiming that university students were involved in arson cases in high school. Omari told the magistrate that Wangila was accompanied by friends in solidarity and was available to be contacted.

He urged the court to release the student on a personal bond or a cash bail of Sh5,000.

On September 11, Ondieki will decide on the bail and bond application, while Wangila remains in custody at the Capitol Hill Police Station pending the ruling.