NAROK UNIVERSITY POLITICAL SCENE AS AT NOW.

Students  elections at the university level is just not another prefects electing ceremony in a high school. The elections are taken with so much seriousness as evidenced  by the University Of Nairobi’s  last elections where they tried to hire the services of the then Kenya Electoral Commission which was in charge of the 2007 elections which led to a dispute that saw Kenya go up in smoke. Later they sought the services of a South African professor who is an elections expert who oversaw the whole process. Some students sink even over a million bucks in the whole process and even though the elections are not as fiery as I here they were some years back when university students were the real opposition of the government and were the elites of the community and were seen as real scholars(they were not dancing to bendovers those days and universities were not found in every village, so I understand),but still they have their grip as most government politicians still have some influence on the elections as they try to capture the elusive youths vote as they deal with students leaders who are seen to have influence on the youths of even their home grounds.

In NUC, the situation is not much different right now as the election date is beckoning as the 2011/2012 group officially retired yesterday. The group was supposed to have retired last semester but the whole thing was affected by the double intake and by a letter written to the dean of students by Kennedy Langat a first year on behalf of the others petitioning the elections not to be conducted while they were not around .Well, they  now are around and the politics have never been this interesting

                                      A peek into the former SGC

The outgoing chairman was Kasaine Partoip who burst into the scene with a thud and captured the seat despite not having been known by many students by what was seen as massive support by his Maasai clansmen and the Luos with whom they had a coalition. Many  people also believe that his father being the mayor of Narok town had a hand in his winning by supporting him financially as it is estimated he spent quite a huge amount of money. He won narrowly to a strong  revolutionist Victor Ngari who many speculate up to now that he would have been the NUSO president had he come into an agreement of a coalition with his Kalenjin counterpart Gideon Khilel with whom they shared the remaining votes.

The Secretary general hotly contested by Albert Onyango  and Kimtai Thomas(who won)and  who many  view as the Gideon Mbuvi of Narok uni or what will you say of a leader who never misses any opportunity for fun may it be raving or just rapping if not mchongoano by the bon-fire!!This fella Kimtai!The budget of their expenditure as read yesterday by Thomas Kimtai had gone a notch above a cool 1.5million but that’s a story for another day.

                        The 2012/13 SGC aspirants

This is going to be a real hard time for anybody interested in any seat. Reasons being; the population has shot up and not only so but the entry of freshmen in the scene complicates the whole picture altogether. This is because these are not the ordinary freshmen, they have been around for one full semester on their own and hence have suffered together and have in the process identified their own leaders whom they can look up too. When tribal coalitions are being cooked by the tribal barons, they might be in for shock as the first years have declared that they are one community called first years and will not be divided on tribal lines.

They have identified their own leaders such as Kennedy Langat(who successfully petitioned the elections to be postponed )who is now going for the position of vice-chairman. There is a vocal sir Joseph who is going for accommodation and security (the first years claim that nobody can understand their accommodation problems better than one of them) and there is another  opinion leader by the name Ole Magana who is seen to have a huge stake in freshmen campaign strategies.

                                   Chairpersons’ seat

 The chairman is the most coveted seat as it includes several privileges and benefits packages. For example, last year, the chairman, the Sec-Gen and his Finance director flew  to Kigali Rwanda for a conference and that means big time allowances. So this time we have we have two main known contenders who wish to replace Kassaine and they are James Thuo,a bold 2^nd year taking a bachelors degree in business management and is the class representative. He is a holder of Certified Public Accountant title and is a Starehe Boys Alumni. He resides inside the campus hostel and hence seems to have a common base with majority of JAB students with whom they stay with. He has immense support from the first years as he has created a good rapport with them as he has been going to Maara hostels from the first day to talk with them. He has support from the GEMA community and any other community that will form a coalition with them as truth be told at the university people still vote along tribal lines, so sad.

The other known contester of the same position is a James Seneyia who hails from the Maasailand area hence seen to have great support from the Maa community.He is a holder of a diploma in human resource management and is currently taking a course in International Computer Driving Certificate(ICDL)as he awaits to clear with is diploma project and join degree programme. Many students who reside inside the campus have a feeling that electing a person who resides outside the campus might be unfair as he will not know their problems well. Some also have a feeling that somebody who is not a degree holder might be a letdown to them. The NESHCOURT makes it clear that as per the constitution of the insititution,anyody who is a student at the institution whether taking certificate, diploma or degree program can vie for any position but it is the students to decide.

                                                 SECRETARY GENERAL

Another hot seat which is seen to be most influential on campus matters. This is the legal seat and through the intervention of the sec gen a student who is supposed to be expelled for 1000 academic days can be saved. So far, the most outspoken member is Kenneth Odhiambo popularly known as Jobando who is seen as the one most likely to be the next SG as he is very popular. He is a fearless crusader of students rights and has been at the forefront of many demos demanding students rights. He is a second year student taking Bsc.Science(Mathematics)and from his record has support not only from his Luo counterparts but from across the other communities too for he is well known.

The other contester is a Isidore Koech Cherwon a 2^nd year BBM student who is also the organizing secretary  of the catholic students association in Narok uni.It is said that he will have immense support from Kalenjins and the catholic faithful.

                                                          Other seats

ENTERTAINMENT-This is seen as a celebrity seat as the person in charge is responsible to getting the campuserians to wear their dancing shoes. It was headed by Wesley Mosoti Mokua who has really tried as he organized for the Cultural  week festival as well as brought the Mambo Mseto East Africa courtesy of citizen  radio of Royal Media he however some complains that he had the habit of bringing in only DJ kalonje.Truth be told, this might be quite a big pair of shoes for anybody to fit in but we hope they will fit and fit perfectly well. This is the most hotly contested seat this time round maybe, we have Antony Opwora Sumba,a 2^nd  year majoring in Information Science and arguably the best male dancer in campus and lover of music. There is Kenneth Kibata, a close confidant and friend to the former entertainment director who is a 3^rd year taking Bsc.computer science.

CATERING-Seen as a lady’s docket and formerly held by Mourine Mbaka a staunch C.U official,now there seems to be interests by around 3 lady’s but the most well established is Mistry Loise Muleka who is the C.U praise and worship leader and is a second year taking a bachelors degree in special education.

SPORTS-Docket which was formerly held by Ernest Onditi and mostly reserved for sportsmen this time it is likely to be held by a vocal and students rights activist Brian Muga,a 2^nd year taking degree in public relations and communications who is a winger in the campus football team.For the first time,a lady has shown interest in the seat and she is a first year by the name Brenda taking Agric-Economics(At the time of going in print,NESHCOURT could not reach her for comment)         

ACCOMODATION AND SECURITY-Formerly held by Shed Kimtai AKA “defence”the seat is going to be a tag of war between the first years vocal and well known Joseph Njoroge AKA Sir Joseph and   Steve Biko a 3^rd year majoring in Statistics and computing. Sir Joseph will have immense support from the 1^st years and generally the GEMA community while Biko is likely to get support from the 3^rd years and sections of his 2^nd years.

HEALTH-also seen as a ladies docket and formerly held by Netty Kirongo who is a C.U official, the seat has only one contender who is Emmaculate Mutheu,fondly known as Emmah who is a 3^rd year majoring in BBM and is also a CU official where she holds various leadership positions .It would be difficult to floor her considering the support she stands from fellow third years and her many friends.

VICE CHAIRMAN-Formerly held by a quiet Rydon Ndeda,the seat seems to be having only one known contender; Kennedy Langat who is a 1^st year majoring in Bsc.computer science where he is also the class representative .He successfully petitioned for the election period  to wait until the 1^st years are there and so he seems to have a huge following  among freshmen and ladies as well as his Kalenjin community. Famous for his joke slogan “tingisha gitole ya KANU!”let’s wait and see what the Moi’s        grandson has up his sleeves this time round.

ASS.SEC-GEN-Formerly held by a largely absent fellow by name Allan Ntimama(He was also the only one absent from the retirement ceremony yesterday!)this seat is a silent seat that a lanky Kamba chap by name Peter Motiso want to take. A 3^rd year  student majoring in BBM and an aggressive campaigner of comrades rights,all we can do is wait and sees what will come of any other contender who may emerge.

                                *EDITORS FOOTNOTE

The candidates mentioned above are not the official list of contenders from the Dean of student’s office. The ideas and views presented belong solely to the editor and if you are contesting and your name is not on the list the writer take no liability for it is not his fault that he doesn’t know you.

The NESHCOURT media encourages all the students to vote in the best leaders irrespective of their sex, education level, tribe or age and to maintain peace during the campaign and the election period. Keep watching this space for all the election and campaign updates.

GOD BLESS NUC!!!!

 

THE EXPLOITS OF N.U.W.E.C’S MEMBERS ON THE SLOPES AND PEAK OF MT.KENYA ON A RECENT TOUR

.When one joins the university, they are obliged to join various clubs and societies so as to boost their careers, to socialize, to improve their socialization skills, to further their interests in various fields or just for the heck of being in a club. Being in an environmental club at Narok Uni as always been pleasure because of my love for wildlife. It therefore was my joy when a chance to hike the highest point in Kenya presented itself at the start of semester when I’m financially loaded like a Casanova who has just made the best bargain in the casino(if I owe you don’t use this line to ask me for anything,afterall I used it all on the trip!!)

The process of organizing a non-academic trip is no simple feat especially if you are going to use the campus bus,and you plan to use it on a week -day,but thanks to two industrious officials Victor Ngari and Morris Mbae for to these two upcoming managers,everything is possible all you need is to place it on the bargaining table!Thanks to them and other officials,ie,Shiru,Peter and Kung’u.They made the trip possible.

Kenyans have a problem with time keeping.Atleast majority,else why would the driver arrive almost half an hour late despite having been informed that we would be leaving exactly at  6.But what do you tell an elderly and fatherly guy that mr,Rono the driver is, when he arrives and apologises like a gentleman and promises to make up for the lost time..

The first rays of the sun appeared harmless,soft and innocent  as they cast their warmth on the “small bus” as it snaked its way on the rolling plains of Narok towards the capital but nobody was to be fooled that day by the godess of nature for experience had taught all the 33 members aboard that within no time the sun rays would turn into fierce inferno that would leave them fanning their faces with their hands for a little air-condationing.At first people engaged in small talk as they familiarized with each other as they enjoyed classic fm for the first time since they left their homes(I wonder when the Communications Commission of Kenya(cck) will respond to the many letters have sent them informing them that Narok is an airwaves desert!)

We made a stop over at Sagana to buy charcoal(yes we were going to cook for ourselves camping style)and this is the place where charcoal is left unguarded on the roadside in sacks so that whoever wants to buy can buy and whoever wants to steal can  try too. Several cases of people whose vehicles refused to start after stealing charcoal have been told and they had to pay hefty fines to the owners of the charcoal so as they be “released”. I alighted and on seeing the cost was tagged at 500/= I thought that was real conman ship after all the fellows don’t make trees to grow but I was careful not no grumble while on the ground rest I got the beating of my life from unseen forces, so as everyone on the bus was enquiring as to why I had not bought the charcoal, I remained mum until I was safely on the bus and made sure it was moving and then I complained Atwoli style about how bad the charcoal was!

Evening saw us land at Chogoria,the last frontier town before one enters the forested area leading to the camp and then mountain, we did all the necessary shopping wel aware that it was the last town or market we would be stopping before the long ascend to the mountain.Talk about a little quiet and green town and boy! They have more land rovers in that town than all the proboxes in Narok and Naivasha combined, well maybe they well understand their terrain and also tourists require them for ferrying them to Kinondoni camp lodge  at the base of the mountain where we were ended. Majority had already started shivering excluding yours truly for they say if your stomach is full, cold moves away from you and yours truly had worked on that area well.

The motorcycles that have sprung everywhere in Kenya and being cycled by mainly by class 3 graduates who can’t tell right and left side of the road are also, by good or bad luck, in plenty in Chogoria.The buggers saw the bus headed on the side of the mountain and within no time they had surrounded the bus  and they were all proclaiming and prophesying doom on the bus and the commuters if we dared try the roughest terrain in Kenya(that one from Chogoria to Mt.Kenya national park.)they claimed that only their motorcycles (so China and equally Cheap)could make it to the area or we hire landrovers.We later learnt that they charge 2000 shillings to ferry people to the mountain. That confirmed my worst fear for I hate trekking, I could therefore not figure myself doing the 30kms on foot.Mr,Rono the driver didn’t let us down neither did the bus disappoint for the first 20kms or so. We didn’t know the exact distance to the camp but our local tour guides were there to help us by guessing!!

What was so evident on the road was the elephant waste and I was afraid of what would happen were we to meet one on the roughest part of the bamboo forest road  where we had to walk in the dark so as to give the bus enough power to move forward while empty. My fears for meeting a tempo who was loose on rampage after maybe being jilted by a lover were confirmed later at Meru national park where full grown male jumbo almost trumped on our bus and infarct I think I heard it scream “get a better busSSSSSSSSSSS!”but that’s a story for another day.

The weather that met us at the camp was chilling to the bone,ice crystals formed on the water in the taps, the camp is at 2700m hence the cold. We prepared ourselves fort the hike the following day………..to be continued(watch this space to know what went down at mulika lodge of Meru national park,the miraa farms of Meru north and the hike to the top of the mountain)