Security Concerns Cited As JKUAT Cancels Senator Edwin Sifuna’s Campus Address

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna was blocked from entering the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Karen campus, where he had been invited to address students at an inaugural public lecture.

In a statement issued on Thursday, September 17, 2026, the Nairobi lawmaker explained that he was arriving at the institution at the invitation of student leadership for a forum on law, policy, and governance when he found the main gates locked and security personnel denying his delegation entry.

Video footage from the scene captured Sifuna and his team standing outside the locked entrance alongside a group of students. A university official addressing the gathered crowd stated that the event had been postponed due to security concerns regarding potential student unrest and the absence of several key faculty members. However, the university administration did not issue an immediate official statement identifying who ordered the sudden cancellation or when the forum would be rescheduled.

Condemning the incident, the Linda Mwananchi movement leader criticized what he termed an atmosphere of fear surrounding public and academic engagements ahead of the 2027 general election. Sifuna expressed gratitude to JKUAT Karen Campus Student Association leadership and announced plans to invite the student body to the Senate to hold the forum.