While I grew up, university
students and graduates were few and as rare as democracy was in the 1990s. They
were really respected, adored envied and liked by almost all. They were honored
in burials and as well as in weddings. The society really considered them
special with the rich and the peasants alike trooping to their homes with gifts
and good wishes. University students are considered to be the cream of the
society, they are intellectually sounding, hold the moral compass of the society.
They are credited to having been so instrumental in the second liberation of
our nation; Fighting to restore multiparty system and ending a tyrannical rule
by the KANU. Many lost their lives for this nobble course. For instance Titus
Adungosi Aloo was thrown to jail and tortured along with other 67 students for participating
in a demonstration in support of the coup and he later died in jail from deliberate
mistreatment which was a common form of torture. Many went to exile following
threat from the government after they posed to be thorns in the flesh of the
KANU administration. Miguna Miguna was one of them. Others like Edward Oyugi and
Dr. Willy Mutunga remained to fight to the end. These were beautiful times when
university students were really the cream of the society. Unfortunately it
would be very unfair to compare those long gone days with our current ones
where the intellects are as rotten as those they are supposed to fight. During
those days the whole society was depending on the university students and in
them they saw some light in the tunnel but the current society has left the
society hopeless and disillusioned. The lecturers also played a big role and
they were not left out as they took their arsenal and joined the students in
the war. They are the ones who would instill ideas and the passion in the young
and fresh minds of the students. They were taken to be role models and they
even at times joined the student in the streets to fight against social
injustices. For instance professor Mazrui , professor Micere Mugo , professor
Ngugi wa Thiong'o and others were on the frontline. It is very absurd and
callous when a vice chancellor pays the student leaders, who have been elected
by the students to represent them, so that they can mislead the students. As a comrade
I elected this leader with the hope that since he is my colleague, we may
understand each other well but he shamelessly betrays me. Later he comes
chattering of how he wants to join politics as a career. This kind of a person
is not only dangerous to the society and his family but also to himself because
he lacks humanity and is only fit to live in a zoo. As a political scientist it
leaves I with a question that if
power corrupts what does absolute power do...maybe it drives one nuts. As an intellect I have vowed to play my expected role and will join Juliani in saying "sitasimama maovu yakitawala". As my fellow intellects you are most welcome to join me in this nobble course. To my friends in UON who are about to exercise their democratic rights as comrades vote wisely and may peace prevail.
power corrupts what does absolute power do...maybe it drives one nuts. As an intellect I have vowed to play my expected role and will join Juliani in saying "sitasimama maovu yakitawala". As my fellow intellects you are most welcome to join me in this nobble course. To my friends in UON who are about to exercise their democratic rights as comrades vote wisely and may peace prevail.
Dennis Kirera is a Political Science Student in Maseno University
