Keeping Up With Student Leaders

Nyambega Gisesa

14 May 2011

Nairobi — The position of chairman in public universities’ student bodies is riddled with blood, sweat and tears.

It is a hard fought position that guarantees one connections to the high and mighty.

It is also a training ground for future political and civil firebrands although that seems to have fizzled out over the last few years together with its influence and power.

The University of Nairobi is the only public university yet to hold its annual elections and the Students Organisation of Nairobi University (Sonu) announced the elections would be held on May 20.

SM Muendo and Babu Owino are the front runners hoping to join their comrades from other universities.

Kenyatta University Students Association (Kusa) is now led by Anthony Akoto, Egerton University (SUEU) has Erick Mutwiri and JKUAT’s (JKUSO) position went to Immanuel Kasina.

Others are Moi University Students’ Organisation (Muso) George Otuoma, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology Students’ Organisation (MMUSTO)’s Paul Maloba and Joseph Mbaka of Students’ Organisation of Maseno University.

Babu Owino, an Actuarial Science student has been suspended a number of times for taking the university head-on on student issues like the limited accommodation for Joint Admissions Board (JAB) students and the right of each one of them to be accommodated in student hostels, arbitrary suspensions and rampant insecurity.

For a man who started selling fish in Kondele market, Kisumu, at the age of 15 to finance his secondary education and attained an A minus before joining the university where he sponsors himself in the Module II programme, Babu is doing well for himself. The 23-year-old already drives a BMW.

Mr Mwendo is also a man with a big wallet and his budget is expected to exceed one million shillings. There are rumours that much of his campaign money would come from the administration that considers him as a friendly candidate.

Millions of shillings are used to influence the outcome of these elections and just like the General Election, they tend to be bloody, with voter buying and rigging being a common occurrence.A number of student leaders especially from UoN own cars. The immediate former Sonu chair David Osiany is alleged to have bought a car during his first term.

Student leaders earn a salary, are housed in special rooms that are not only larger but have television sets and in some cases satellite television.

They are given free meals and attend numerous seminars and conferences where they earn allowances.

Last year, the president and vice-president of Kusa were flown to a fully paid trip in the USA to visit the world’s best-ranked universities and learn leadership skills.

Because of the connections that come with their positions, they also date the hottest and most glamorous women in campus, who are mostly models. They attend exclusive parties and use their influence to enter into business deals.

Egerton’s student leader Erick Mutwiri says even though he spent Sh100,000 to campaign for a job that earns him Sh11,000, it is not about the money.

“This job is not about the amount of money you earn or how much you spent to win the seat. It is about being in the right place to connect yourself with national politics,” he says. “It is looking beyond campus.”

The Interim Independent Electoral Commission conducted SUEU elections. The body is made of nine executives.

The other SUEU executive members earn between Sh7,000 to Sh9,000. The union operates with an annual budget of Sh4 million.

At Maseno University, Joseph Mbaka, a 23-year-old Bachelor of Arts Economics heads the union whose executive is made of six members.

“I earn Sh6,000 while the rest of the executive members earn less than Sh5,000,” Mr Mbaka says. He used Sh34,000 to campaign for the seat in the union that operates with an annual budget of Sh9 million.

“The greatest challenge is tribalism as I come from the Mt Kenya region and I am leading in Kisumu,” he says. “Students have also many problems that they make your own.”

At MMUSTO, 23-year-old Maloba heads the 12,823 strong student body and reportedly used Sh300,000 to campaign for the seat and his salary is Sh9,000 per semester but has no idea on his body’s budget.

“There have been a lot of corruption in MMUSTO and former officials made it a closely guarded secret. I even don’t know the amount we budget for but I will be updated once we reopen in September,” he says.

MMUSTO has 11 directors (executives) who earn Sh7,500 per semester the same amount as the head of Kusa, which is headed by medical student, 24-year-old Anthony Akoto.

He earns Sh7,000 per month in the student body with an annual budget of about Sh10 million.

“What I don’t like about student politics is the brutality from the university administration and influence by national politicians,” Maloba says.

“The administration will even want to finish you academically by doctoring your grades,” he adds.

As for Muso, the immediate former chairman Dominic Karega says student leaders are not paid salaries.

“They benefit from allowances paid when attending seminars. These allowances can amount to Sh30,000 to Sh40,000 in a month,” Mr Karega says.

“Muso has an executive of 12 members and operates with a budget of Sh5 million. “The university administration is very supportive unlike in other universities. Our main challenge is insufficient accommodation and insecurity,” Mr Karega claims.

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology’s Kasina, a 22-year old mining engineering student would not reveal his body’s budget saying its top secret.

There are over 12,000 students registered in the body and they each contribute Sh200 per academic calendar.

“We take an oath of secrecy never to reveal to third parties how much we are paid,” Mr Kasina told Buzz.

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