Multiple fatal shooting at Virginia Tech University could have been prevented - lesson for Kenyan Universities

This morning, we woke up to see live pictures on CNN of a multiple fatal shooting incident at Virginia Tech University in the United States. At last count 32 dead, scores injured.

Virginia Tech officials and police have already come under fire for not placing the campus on complete lockdown immediately after the first, early-morning shooting. The second spree, during which the bulk of the victims were killed, took place about two hours later — and many students were unaware of the first incident or of any danger on campus at all.

The university has said it believed the first crime was an isolated, domestic case, may not have been related to the second shooting and was under control — even though police and administrators have admitted they didn't have the gunman in custody.

Though there are limits as to what schools can do to prevent such crimes and heighten security — public universities and colleges in this particular State, for example, aren't allowed to have gated access to campus, because they're public — there are safety measures schools can and do take.

Among them: Controlled access to residence buildings in the form of student ID swiping machines; guards at academic and dormitory buildings; a strong campus police and security presence; active-shooter training for officers and guards; metal detectors and bag searches at athletic and other events that attract crowds; security cameras; trained student guard forces; and education about safety procedures for students, faculty and staff.

All of those policies are in effect at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, a large suburban campus with more than 34,000 students (50,000 total at the school's three main locations), and at UCLA, an urban state school with a total of 37,000 students (more than 10,000 of whom are residents of the university).

What kinds of security measures, if any, do our Kenyan Universities have in place?

It is time its management opened their eyes, ears and minds as to possibilities.

This blog has already given fair warning about the feeble security at the University of Nairobi's main campus. http://ncrwcc.blogspot.com/2007/04/suspicious-night-time-photographer-at.html

Whereas gun laws in this country are stricter, it has been previously said that illegal firearms are easily available in this country, coming in through the porous borders of some of our unstable neighbours like Somalia.

Kenyan Universities should spend more resources on professional security arrangements for its students, lecturers and guests. I do not recall having ever seen even a single CCTV Camera at the University of Nairobi. It should not be heard to say that it does not have sufficient resources because it is a public university. No excuse should stand in the way of protection of precious human lives.