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)

DEAR MR. INCOMING NAROK UNI STUDENTS GOVERNING COUNCIL CHAIRMAN…..

Once upon a time, in a tiny village so far away, an animal dancing competition was to be held. Everybody wanted to participate in the great annual event as there were several prizes to be won by those that proved to be the greatest of the dancers. Everybody expected that the antelope, being the greatest splinter and dancer in the land would scoop the top most prize and take the medal home. But it never was. The said antelope practiced new dancing moves so hard before the main dance such that on the actual day he was so tired and lame thus he never scooped the top prize.

To be bold and brave enough to move to the point of wanting to lead the leaders of Kenyan youth as far as academics and social cultural setting is concerned, it is my assumption that you must be wise enough to decipher the meaning of the above analogy and thus I will not disseminate it any  further to you. Congratulations  to you Mr.president  in advance for come rain or sunshine, before  the end of February we will have you on the seat! I would love to call it the hot seat but for now I am holding my horse so let us trend slowly.

Mr. Chairman am writing this from my room and it is almost impossible to concentrate unless you are an academic criminal because music is blaring from  the “system”. I would love to go to the library so stop asking why I can’t go there because you know it is so full such that breathing facilities are urgently needed there.Secondly,I would need the services of a computer to write this and the three computers that are there are only too few against the population of over 3 thousand and though I admit I’m  poor in maths,my  natural instinct tells me that 1,000 students should be sharing one computer so I can wait for at least 500 days before accessing the computer. I have to post this through the internet and so I have to load my modem with credit or worse still go to the cyber because internet is still viewed as a privilege in an institution of higher learning that claims to be a center of excellence in information technology. Sometimes over the holiday, I  would go in our shamba which neighbors’  an upcoming university college and enjoy roaming internet because they have wireless internet all over the place I bet my grandma is enjoying internet services too because the whole village is swimming in the internet!How I miss home!

Mr. chairman I know I sound like a basic public noise maker but I’m commanding you to bear with me because it is my right to complain to you for from now henceforth you are my spokesperson hence you must be more vocal and aggressive than I am. I’m  also writing this with almost an empty stomach because  the food prices in the mess have soared and quantities nose-dived. The  last time I checked, the  size of mandazis was so small that four of them pressed together can only make a small doughnut. I love ugali and I’m sure you do too. The  size and shape represent a razor blade as you can see through it.6 pieces of meat cost 30 bob hence I’m  left wondering how a piece of meat is costing 5 bob…the services are poor especially in the morning when the ones serving have to leave you queuing  so that they go and collect plates and cups on the table and have not even mentioned the long queues  and the painful waits as the food is cooked. It has become an official queuing campus, from bathrooms to the toilet to the mess to the shop to the payment of fees name them!

I want to trust that you, my good chairman is moving at the same pace with me for I’m now taking you to the new hostels which are hosting our younger brothers and sisters the first years. I assume you have seen the deplorable situations under which they are living. It is not exciting to live or sleep in a room that has just been painted the same day.In fact,I understand that  it is unhealthy. It is inhuman to go to sleep on the floor when you have paid accommodation fees  as it is an insult for a person with a stomach upset to be seen running across the field at night running to answer the call of nature from one hostel to another. It is even insecure  because that means the doors are not locked at night and anyone can pop in including crooks who are also coming to “ help themselves “in  other ways .Were I a first year and I’m sharing the same building with the members of the other clan that wears skirts, I would probably be so excited  but trust me that were I a parent and I know my teenage daughter is spending nights in the same building with young men whose hormones are a raging fire I would not  sleep a wink .I would keep worrying every Friday night because of the fact that I might be a grandpa any morning cold Friday night!!

The journalism class were promised heaven and other less than two months ago. This was in the name of a studio and other tools of trade associated with journalism and media, by good lack, being the nosy lot just like journalist are, they  stumbled  upon old media equipment and some new in the new store next to the deans office, they  were told that they belonged to the TTC and plans would be made to have them handed over to the NUC,a technician who was never seen was to come and access how good they are was supposedly hired, to cut the long story short, the equipments were carried away last week by the TTC,could you please Mr.chair  start by forming a tribunal headed by your academic director to present a report to us what exactly  happened? see? we  are still in the dark.

                 CONDITIONS FOR ELECTING MY CHAIRMAN.

I have stopped addressing the letter further for I have profound fear that I might be well be addressing a person who doesn’t know what I’m talking about  because we doesn’t talk the same language..and im not talking about mother tongue here, for us to understand each other better as a comrade and my representative you must possess these qualities

1. Ø  Be of any of the 43 Kenyan tribes but be a visionary leader.
2. Ø  Profess unquestionable integrity and ethics.
3. Ø  You must be a full comrade who dines and wines with me in the mess so as to understand what I’m talking when I say life is hard even with the so called cut down costs but low lack of variety about in the above letter.
4. Ø  You must have stayed with me and other comrades in the hostels so as to know what I mean when I say the collidors are alive with dust and know what I mean when I say there is not a single fire extinguisher in the hostels(by the way where did they go?)
5. Ø  You must take shower in the murkiest bathrooms and know what it feels hence you will complain together with me.
6. Ø  If you get HELB and try to divide it to buy your own internet and computer and buy expensive meals in the mess then you are the man in looking forward to lead  me for I know you will be so vocal to air my grievances for from hence forth they will be our grievances.
7. Ø  You must not be the kind that is taken to seasons hotel for I full week and you come back with a ring officially  married to the admistration,that  tells you that if you share a bed with me in the hostel I will know when you are hosting  “diginitaries”or using the influence of the job I have given to you to destroy the life of my little sisters who are here as a light for their families and villages
8. Ø  You must have jostled for a space with me in the library and in fact missed it so as to instill the spirit of brotherhood in you.
9. Ø  You must declare to me a thing of interest you have done to the comrades or youth in general that makes you think that you can lead the leaders for in university we have everyone as a reader and leader in one way or another.
10. Ø  You must not be the lot that stares from the sidewalks as fellow comrades’ call for support in case they want to be addressed.
11. Ø  You must have been an active participant in student demos that call for a positive change and by saying demos I don’t mean hooliganism, I mean mature and peaceful demos that seeks to get explanations from the administration.
12. Ø  I  wanted to write that you must declare your  personal interests but  then I thought you will never do that,

THE COURT IS BACK IN SESSION AND THUS MY DEAR READERS AND LEADERS,KEEP WATCHIN THIS SPACE AS THE COURT HAS BEEN ROUNDING UP SERIOUS CASES AND WITH THE GREATEST EVIDENCE IN PLACE,ALL YOU CAN DO IS SIT STILL AND WATCH THE SUSPECTS  GET NAILED HELPLESSLY BY THE MOST  FEARLESS JUDGE IN TOWN!!For now, I leave you with this

If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your

Liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.

-An aboriginal Australian woman

MUTUMA MAATHIU GOT IT WRONG THIS TIME.

   

I’m an adherent fan and follower of Mutuma’s opinion articles and I read his recent article  on  “why matatu industry players are not about to strike over chrismas” with a lot of interest and it was quite true and straight because in the first place they never did strike.. Lot of reforms need to be done on the public transport sector in Kenya.However, I beg to defer with him when he cold-bloodedly declares that the welfare of Kenyans would be greatly improved by collecting matatus in one place and inviting one of our air force bombers to perform an ordinance on them, and then he says that our roads would be safer and world class if the matatu drivers were to be rounded up and exiled.

Let me remind him that not all Kenyans can afford private means of travel like the elites. If matatus were to be rounded up and bombed, probably that man who cleans his car would never be able to reach to work same as his tea lady. He forgets that if the matatu drivers are exiled, there children could sleep hungry and probably drop out of school due to lack of school fees. He is misguided when he point blank says that all the matatu drivers spend all their money on nyama choma and beer. Some of them are responsible guardians and parents and have people who depend on them.

Instead, he should have talked about the owners of the matatus, and these are elites who travel in the private vehicles he’s suggesting are the only ones who should be left on the roads. He forgets that they are the ones who sometimes dictates the number of trips a matatu should make in a day say from a point A to B and at the end of the day, they under-pay the drivers and hence the drivers in coalition with the conductors try to make extra income. He forgot that as they get bombed together with their matatus,the traffic cops should be bundled together with them for I believe that they are squarely  responsible for all the mess on our roads.Surely,life cant  cost the 50 shillings they pick. The government also as a role to play by erecting road signs and bumps in the right places and the commuters who continue piling in a already full matatu also have to be held into account.So,my  friend Mutuma,go slow on the matatu drivers!