Garissa Universiy reopens amidst tight security 9 months after the terrorist attack that left 147 dead

In a move that has been hailed by many as resilient and triumphant in the fight against terrorism, Garissa University College reopened Monday, January 4, nine months after it was closed down following a terrorist attack by Al-Shabaab that resulted in the deaths of 148 people, most of them students.

A memo to staff and students stated that an academic board meeting would take place following the reopening. Both academic and non academic staff were asked to report back on Wednesday.

109 students who survived the attack will have their fees paid for a year by the French government. They will also be given a living allowance, according to a statement by the French Embassy back in November 17.

The university was reopened amidst heightened security, as the varsity’s staff assembled for the first staff meeting. During the low-key ceremony at the institution, the college principal, Prof Ahmed Osman Warfa, said most of the staff had reported back to work.

The campus, a constituent college of the Eldoret-based Moi University, was the scene of a 10-hour siege when Al-Shabaab gunmen stormed it in the early hours of April 2, 2015.

Since then, a police post has been set up within the campus to increase security, and Prof Warfa said the government would spend Sh230 million to erect a permanent perimeter fence equipped with a closed-circuit TV (CCTV) monitoring unit in the coming months.