Kenyan Wits

This is the list of JKUSA Awards 2016 winners and the number of votes each winner accrued from the voting system. Politics and Leadership Most influential male student: Ian Kinanga (1151 votes) Most influential female student: Mellanie Kagehi (1076 votes) Male student leader: Odima Vincent (1034 votes) Female student leader: Sarah Mueni (1020 votes) Male class representative: Oliver Wesonga (989 votes) Female Class representative: Faith Nyasuguta (1094 votes) Exemplary deed of the year: Hall 6 Firefighting (1781 votes) Male outstanding Student with disability: Philip Musyoka (1089 votes) Female outstanding student with disability: Joy Mchungaji (1463 votes) Fashion and Modelling Male model of the year: Kelvin Nyamongo (951 votes) Female model of the year: Ladona Okello (1109 votes) Male designer of the year: JB Jura (1371 votes) Female designer of the year : Brenda Okuba (1161 votes) Sports Male outstanding sports personality: Collins Oyugi (1092 votes) Female outstanding...

Wow! Calm down! I know I’ve just touched a very soft spot and you are already checking for your critic ammunition and preparing to attack. You’re probably wondering what on earth I’m thinking by babbling such unspeakable words. With the current shift in the Kenyan education system which has seen the scrapping of ranking in national exams, it would be far-fetched for a young man to wish to take Kenya back to the old times when ranking made top students perform better and students at the bottom to fail more. However, endeavor to give me a chance to explain myself, folks. I am a firm believer of ranking. I know if there was no ranking, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Ranking gives me the motivation to satisfy my inner need to be recognized as a successful person. Ranking disorients me from my comfort zone, alarms my focus and puts me back in the race for excellence. Nevertheless, we don’t all share in this perception. In fact, more than three-quarters of people don’t understand the benefits...

JKUAT holds its annual modeling event, Mr. and Miss JKUAT on the Pavilion grounds. The spectacular event took place on the 18 th of November and added to the list of great functions happening in the institution this academic year. Comrades started to assemble at the graduation square as early as 6 pm as they eagerly awaited for the greatly advertised event, which promised the presence of renowned figures, to kick off. The tent set up and seat arrangement were wonderfully done as space at the front was reserved for important people in the fashion industry. The event commenced at around 8 where students were given opportunities to showcase talents. Young rappers and dancers presented their performances with enthusiasm as the crowd responded with support and appreciation. Notably, the crowd went berserk anytime a lady with a blessed behind showcased dancehall moves on the stage; talk about JKUAT having the most vibrant team Mafisi in the country. When the moment for the main section fina...

JKUAT held its first-ever university awards; JKUSA Awards 2016, an event that rewarded outstanding JKUAT personalities for their wonderful works in various fields. The event, graced by the presence of comedian Obina, the talented young JKUAT deejay Bra and very hot models, pimped with glittering and colorful light works and with record-breaking attendance, it surely goes down as one of the best JKUAT function ever. Every year a party of new student leaders descends into power and rush to implement their noble ideas to make comrades’ lives better. Frequently, student politicians give unrealistic promises in a bid to be elected and when they get in office, all about service for comrades is forgotten. This year, honestly things have changed. Since the new leadership under the stewardship of President Anyungu, JKUAT has witnessed the implementation of great ideas that are taking the institution to the next level. Just when we thought there would be no better ideas than the implementation o...

When we move from one stage to another, we often find ourselves remembering the good old times, wishing we can go back and change the things we didn’t do well. Yet each of us has a chance to make things perfect. Here are certain things you need to do before leaving high school that you will never regret. 1. Get into good terms with your teachers. It’s very unfortunate that most people think that when they graduate from high school they will never need their teachers again to succeed in life. This is definitely not right. First, you will come back in the next few years to seek a recommendation for job applications. If you left a bad reputation with a teacher, it’s a sure thing you’ll not get a great recommendation. Secondly, you might meet these teachers as influencers in your professional life. That teacher you looked down upon might be your connection to the company you’ve dreamt woring for. The principle here is never to underestimate the value of anybody. Lastly, Teachers...

Before joining university or college, many students wonder about the difference between high school and college life. Is it more fun in college or does the pressure increase? Will I finally be free to do what I want or is it a trap? But before I answer those questions for you, let me admit; High school was such an adventure. I mean, being called a mono, cleaning floors, tables and wearing shorts for some, in form 1 and getting rowdy, unruly and sleeping a lot in form 2. Then cladding hot for all manner of functions and writing mails during preps in form 3 and finally asking form ones to wash your clothes in form 4 so that you can ‘read’ for the big exam, are just but a few of the indelible memories. Well if you’re just about to join university, then be prepared for a much more memorable ride. Be ready to be your best and worst, get sober and crazy and learn through easy and hard ways. Here are some of the differences between high school and college. 1. Freedom in college, timetables in...

Finally, JKUAT’s biggest annual tech event is here; The JKUAT Tech Expo; a function where students showcase their inventions and innovations to the world, sell their ideas to consumers and seek investors for their products and services. The event seems to be growing bigger and better since more students came to present projects and several big companies were not left out. This year, the event set off on an amazing start at the pavilion where more than thirty projects were pitched in tents in preparation for the potential stakeholders walking around. Students strolled into the graduation square and overwhelmed the presenters with questions as they tried to comprehend the brilliance behind their brains. Others just looked on and wowed because apparently, some things are so technical for normal people to understand and so when they got a chance, they would ask; “How can your idea make money?” These are some of the ideas from the tech expo and twitter handles where you can tweet to show yo...

The rise in numbers of college shisha smokers in Kenya which is alarmingly high has been contributed by the misconceptions that the drug is a healthier and cooler alternative to cigar smoking. Students are now streaming into hookah lounges every day especially at night and during weekends to puff clouds of shisha and feel ‘awesome’. This is not only happening in Kenya but also worldwide where even junior teenagers in developed countries have become more tenacious in trying out shisha smoking. When you think of a drug that gives young ladies the audacity to abuse it in public, then this drug must be well ahead of its game. Ladies were previously less known for smoking until shisha came. Several times I’ve walked through joints with high affinity for youths searching for fun and as I leave these premises, I wonder what has become of our generation. Smoking cannot be mentioned without nicotine, the agent of addiction. A recent questionnaire-based study that involved around 470 respondent...

This past weekend I visited a friend at Kenyatta University and was wowed by their new smart card id implementation. They use their IDs to pay for fees, for meals in the mess and even to save money. This kept me thinking, JKUAT the epitome of technology in Kenya, can’t we implement such a system? Imagine a campus life where with the swipe of a card, you can eat dinner, photocopy notes, attend premium functions, and open locked doors, just to mention but a few. Wouldn’t it be wonderful? Well, it’s rapidly becoming a norm in developed countries’ institutions. Students don’t have to walk with money everywhere so as to buy stuff or access services, neither do they need to carry bunches of keys to access buildings. A smart card is all they need. What’s a Smart Card? So, what do I mean by a smart card? Simply, this is a card which is smart. Ha-ha! Gotcha. That was so rude of me I guess. A smart-card is a pocket-sized card with an embedded microchip that can be loaded with data and...

There comes a time while on campus when you send your parents a please-call-me text because you are very broke and they reply with the same text because; either, they are just as broke as you are or they are evading because you’re always asking for money. Then you begin to seriously consider your money options. Online writing is the easiest gig a student can do for money. As long as you have a laptop, Internet connection and can construct a sensible paragraph, you are eligible. You will need to find clients. It’s seasonal employment for the spring break or whatever break period you need to find a different hustle. Ask someone in your class, your roommates and call the advertisers who display their business contacts on the noticeboards. For a beginner, for whom this article is intended, you will want to stick to 3 pages or less. Ask for papers with a deadline of four hours upwards and slowly build your confidence. If your employer is nice enough (mine was) you can meet u...

Most of us college students take sports for granted. We stay ignorant of the fact that these sports can create future success paths. For those who had passions and great skills in some of the sports, then chose to drop them when they came to college, it’s even more unfortunate because they are losing more than they can afford to lose. So, before you graduate then look back into your past and wish you had taken sports seriously, go through these several reasons why you should take sports in college. 1. Build relationships and connections : When people who share a common passion come together as a team to better each other, strong bonds are created. Sports connect such people who develop deep friendships and these connections open doors for each other in the future. Humans are social beings and spending so much time together having fun is what we desire most. In addition, what if the person of your dreams, the one you want to spend your life with was your sports enthusiast, wouldn’t it b...

As a college student, you encounter hundreds of people every single day and normally never speak to most of them. Nonetheless, you relay some kind of information to all of them. You know how? By how you dress. Clothes are powerful means of communication in human and even though we don’t give credit to this fact, our clothes do affect our lives. We judge people by what they wear. That’s why we attend interviews with official clothes. So, it is rather obvious that our college clad does affect our college life and hence we should choose what we wear wisely. This is why? Your dressing affects your emotions . When you put on dull clothes you might not realize how dull and boring you look until a friend approaches you and asks you whether you have just woken up. Next time someone asks you a question suggesting you have a low mood, look at what you are dressed in first. When you put on sharp clothes, you are most likely going to be alert and confident because you brighten the environment. Loo...

Being a guy in college is quite simple especially when it comes to dressing. All the clothes you require to survive for a semester plus a blanket and a bedsheet can fit well in just two bags packs. As ladies stream into campus with suitcases for every category of wearable, guys are pretty comfortable coming with as little as possible. Nevertheless, there are certain items that are just necessary for every college guy’s wardrobe to remain comfortable all week. They include 3 T-shirts (Simple designs). Best tops when you are out to meet people. They always look inviting. Get T-shirts that fit your body well and mind their colors and whatever is printed. Wearing pink shirts is a no-no. 3 Shirts (Most preferably white and at least one long-sleeved). Whenever you want to attend an official meeting or just want to look presentable, shirts are the way to go. White ones can be matched well with various types of trousers and leather shoes. Make sure you have at least 3 of these. 2 or 3 Pairs...

I know you have heard about this orientation event for first ‘years’. While some have wondered what it concerns, other don’t know its importance. This gives me the opportunity to clear the confusion. To begin with, orientation is an event meant to introduce newcomers into an institution. In college, first years are grouped into departments and their supervisors take them around the institution. You remember in Form 1 when your guardian or godparent showed you around the school so that you became familiar with the school? Now, this is the college version, though here, you are in groups and instead of a guardian, it’s a supervisor. You will later assemble for meetings probably on the second day and here the department staff will take you through the rules of the institution. These meetings are very crucial if you plan to graduate. I say this because some information from these meetings might never be mentioned again until when you go to pick you degree and get dismissed for not adhering ...

You are done with high school and want to progress to campus. You scored good grades or you meet whatever other qualifications your campus of choice dictates as the benchmark. You know your general area of interest but there are so many fields under it becomes overwhelming to select one. And everyone’s waiting for you to make the big decision. Can be a bit terrifying, I’ll give you that. But here’s the thing. You should, for starters, be proud of yourself for knowing where to begin. There are more people than one can imagine who actually have no idea what career path they want to follow. Sure, there’s knowing what you cannot possibly do. I am afraid of blood and cannot to this day bring myself to touch raw meat when I am cooking. So I definitely know I cannot have a successful career in the field of medicine. But why not law? Or Physics? Maybe a Chemistry related course. Expose yourself in several short courses This is one of the reasons I advocate for a short stint in several fields b...

Online hostel booking of rooms is finally in JKUAT after a long wait especially since other top universities had already integrated it in their system. The JKUAT fraternity received the news from the Accommodation Secretary Cynthia Toel late last week. This comes at a time when allocation of hostels is very hectic due to the limited number of rooms available compared to the increasing number of undergraduates. Precisely, she sent this brief memo which circulated through Whatsapp   From: Accommodation Secretary To: All students RE: BOOKING OF HOSTELS Everyone including continuing students will book rooms online. Students are supposed to log in their students portal and they will see the option for hostel booking. They are allowed to select the hostel, floor, room, and bed they want. First years will be sent their login details. Mode of payment will be via Mpesa, where one is expected to pay the full accommodation fee, that is; 6500, after successfully reserving a room . The option of bo...

Stop thinking of big ideas, think of small ideas in a great way, these are the words that blew my mind as Peter Muthee told me his journey as a young and fresh entrepreneur. Peter Muthee is the founder of Saikle Bikes; a bike renting company currently operating in Juja. Through the amazing outpour of customers for his service, Peter has made tremendous progress but all these did not come on a silver platter. Peter was a Geomatics Engineering student at JKUAT, Kenya’s premier institute for engineers. As a young man who wanted to enjoy his college life, he chose biking as a pass time activity and soon he was benefiting from the sport; more so, his breathing difficulties healed. In the second year, he came up with the idea of renting bikes to earn some cash as every comrade strives to do. But he did not want to benefit alone, so he decided to present his idea to the Association of Geomatics in JKUAT so that the club would raise funds for their activities. The officials at that time turned...

JKUAT held its 2016 Food Expo Competition at the Pavilion grounds in 28 th July. The function was planned to span over 3 days; Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We all know that this institution is known for its innovative students who always think out of the box as they find ways of making this country a better place. Well, this event was a clear testimony of their dedication to innovations. Sponsored by the JKUAT Nissin Foods, the event involved families coming up with tantalizing dishes centered on the Nissin noodles. There were four groups, all tasked with combining whatever ingredients they had in their imaginations and prepare a noodles dish that will make everybody desire to taste. Customers would then buy each dish at a subsidized price of 20 shillings and enjoy. A customer is given a card where small stickers of distinct colors from all groups are planted after buying any of the dishes. When customers buy 3 or more dishes and hence have the same number of stickers, they can go ...

When choosing an apartment for your student days you need to know your price range and play around with other important factors, keeping in mind your price range. For instance, bedsitters along Thika Road will range from 4,000, if you are determined, to 15,000 if you are, well, rich, one bedroom 6500- 15000 and so on. Is the electricity and water bill included in the rent? Is it not? To avoid the added expense of buying furniture you could find an off-campus hostel. You could choose to split costs with friends and rent a larger house. Do check with the management though as some apartments have rules against this. Security is a key factor what with burglary being commonplace in university towns. If you will have classes late into the evening, you do not want to be commuting to the middle of nowhere at night, especially if you are not good with knives. Security can be as simple as the apartment being in a frequented area and you are guaranteed relative safety late into the night. It cou...

Being broke is the most common adventure in college, if there was a club for broke students, it will be the most dominant society in all colleges. However, did you know it is very easy to remain financially stable for the most part of college life and still manage to save money for your future? There are a lot of temptations in college that aim at putting a dent in your finances and you should be well aware of these agents of insolvency. With the right money attitude and control, you can save daily and still be cool. Brotherhood/Sisterhood Living Communal living is advantageous especially when it comes to distributing expenses. By the time you reach the second year you will realize how living with a friend can lift most burdens from your life let alone your finances. To start with, you will pay less rent for a better apartment. Also, if you had a roommate outside campus you can come together to put meals on the table and take shifts in cooking and dishwashing. You can also buy the hous...

Empowered to Empower is a charity club founded in JKUAT by Jakin Mattah, Nemrod Manduku, and Brian Odhiambo Odhiambo. The idea was previously nurtured by Mattah who got the inspiration from her parents’ touching story. In the dark times when HIV was taking a toll on Kenyans, (just before ARVs were introduced) many parents in Mfangano Island succumbed and left their beloved children orphaned. Mattah’s parents could not sit comfortably and watch as these orphans suffered and hence they founded a sustenance and educational institution for them; Gethsemane Garden Christian Centre . Their vision was to nurture orphans by giving them a normal childhood. One major obstacle was finances but with God by their side, they conquered all odds and made the institution an epitome of excellence. Right now it takes care of more than 500 young people who are going to be our next leaders. So Mattah was inspired by her parents who dedicated their lives to the service of humanity. In her entire existence, ...