Police fire teargas as Nyandarua leaders clash over school
By David Macharia, October 3, 2025Tension flared on the better part of Friday, October 3, 2025, as police engaged the irked crowd that had barricaded the Olkalou-Gilgil highway in protest against building a new school by Olkalou MP David Kiaraho on the ground currently occupied by the Nyandarua University College.
According to Nyandarua County Commissioner Abdarasak Jaldesa, the establishment of the university college had been okayed by the locals who allocated over a hundred acres to the university, including the existing infrastructure of the salient school.
“This ceremony (of ground breaking) is supposed to establish a new Salient school. Nothing is lost,” he said.
The protesters are backing Governor Moses Badilisha, who is pushing for the university college to take over Salient secondary schools by the university and the secondary students be moved to other schools around Nyandarua County.
However, Kiaraho and Woman Representative Faith Gitau are opposing the phasing out of the school and set Friday for a groundbreaking ceremony for another secondary school in a section of the sparse land of Salient Secondary School.
On his part, the MP said the president has given Ksh10 million for the construction of the New secondary school to start. NG-CDF will chip in another Ksh10 million so that the construction work can go nonstop.
“The Ministry of Education has pledged to also give Ksh20 million,” Kiaraho said.
Despite the clash, the police managed to contain the situation, and Kiaraho, Gitau, Ndaragwa, MP George Gachagua, and Kwenya Thuku of Kinangop graced the ceremony amid tight security.
Why the stand-off?
Kiaraho has been insisting that the continuing students should not be ejected immediately, but be allowed to complete their four years.
He told Governor Badilisha to confine himself to ECDs, which fall under the mandate of the County government.
“We know some ECDs don’t have toilets,” he said.
Kinangop MP Kwenya Thuku urged Nyandarua leaders not to do politics with education matters, lauding the government for agreeing to issue a charter for the university when there is a hold on establishing new universities.
The Woman Rep (Gitau) said the university is under the national government, which puts the university under MPs.