Tension gripped Olkalou, Nyandarua County, on Friday, October 3, 2025, after police were forced to disperse a protesting crowd with teargas during a standoff over the future of Salient Secondary School.
The protests erupted after Olkalou MP David Kiaraho and Woman Representative Faith Gitau moved ahead with a groundbreaking ceremony for a new secondary school on land currently occupied by Nyandarua University College.
According to County Commissioner Abdarasak Jaldesa, the community had already allocated more than 100 acres, including the existing Salient Secondary School infrastructure, to host the university college. “This ceremony is to establish a new Salient School. Nothing is lost,” Jaldesa assured.
However, Governor Moses Badilisha is backing the takeover of the secondary school by the university, insisting students should be relocated to other schools within the county. On the other hand, Kiaraho argues that students must be allowed to complete their four-year studies before any transition is made.
“We know some ECDs don’t even have toilets. The governor should stick to his mandate,” Kiaraho remarked.
Kiaraho further revealed that President William Ruto had allocated Ksh10 million for the construction of the new secondary school, with NG-CDF contributing another Ksh10 million and the Ministry of Education pledging Ksh20 million.
Despite the tension, the groundbreaking ceremony proceeded under heavy security, attended by MPs George Gachagua (Ndaragwa) and Kwenya Thuku (Kinangop). Thuku urged leaders not to politicize education, praising the government for issuing a charter for the university despite a freeze on new universities.
Faith Gitau also emphasized that the university falls under the national government, and therefore, MPs should guide its establishment rather than the county.
The heated standoff highlights the growing rift between Nyandarua’s political leaders over education priorities, pitting secondary school needs against higher education expansion.
