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Police fire tear gas on protesting Langata primary school kids

January 19, 2015 4:25 PM

Kenya police have fired teargas at primary school children who were protesting the sale of playground which they found fenced off as they resumed from a two-week teachers' strike. Many of them sustained injured and are presently hospitalized.

Several pupils of Langata Primary School, Kenya, have been left hospitalized after policemen fired tear gas at them during a protest over the loss of their playground to a private developer.

According to a BBC report, the students had returned to school on Monday, following the two-week teachers' strike, to discover their playground fenced off.

Reports suggest that the playground had been sold.

The students, joined by some teachers and political activists attempted to push down the gate of the fenced off area.

Waving sticks and throwing stones, the children confronted riot police who fired tear gas at them.

Several children sustained injuries in the ensuing confusion, as the policeman tried to forcefully disperse their protest.

One of the pictures published online showed a policeman bleeding after he was struck by a stone.

Student Pulse gathered that the land is public property and there is not official position on how it was acquired by the developer.

It has been suggested that corrupt elements are behind the deal.