March 21, 1985: First-year Kenyatta University College students set their National Youth Service uniforms on fire, after rejecting an order that they hand in the uniforms to the university authorities. The students took to the street, marched along the nearby Nairobi-Thika Road, arranged the uniforms in a bundIe and burned them down. The Principal, Professor J. K. Maitha, told the Nation that a circular requiring the students to return the uniforms applied not only to Kenyatta College but also to its parent body, the Nairobi University, and to Eldoret’s Moi University. It was a Government directive and there was no question of a student refusing to hand the uniforms in, he pointed out. Prof. Maitha said the behavior by first-year students of marching outside the college, harassing motorists and burning the uniforms – only a day before the closure of the college for the Easter holiday – was unfortunate.

Photo|Nation Syndication