Kenyan Wits

The prevalence of exam cheating in Kenyan institutions of learning at all levels is evidently wide to an extent some key stakeholders would describe as uncontrollable. Over the past decade, many cases of exam irregularities have been reported in many institutions around the country and thousands of students have been confronted for the vice. However, these reported cases only account for less than 10 percent of all cases which shows just how big an issue it is. In a recent interview, Zipporah Kayuma, an international student in MKU expressed the shock she got when she came to pursue her higher education in Kenya. “In my country, cheating is very rare. Since childhood, we have been nurtured to do our exams credibly hence everybody studies knowing they will reap what they sow, but in Kenya, students steal exams like routine, and even more surprising, the invigilators care less.” Zipporah Abel Kengere Minister Academic Affairs MKUSA Society claims that education is the most important inst...

Kenya is inching forward to yet another general election in August, and the stakes cannot be much higher. Polarization is at its peak and feelings of division and negative ethnicity are fast creeping amongst the citizenry. Many would be forgiven for expecting that scholars would not fall into this ugly trap that has arguably ravaged this nation and left many engulfed in hostility. Sadly, this is not the case. A recent research conducted in Kenyan universities has left shocking results at how much the scars of a national crisis is mirrored in a younger generation. A whopping 70 percent of respondents, admitted that they would not, vote for leaders not of their own tribes regardless of their qualities, while at least 65 percent believed that tribalism and nepotism are heavily practised within university student’s unions. However, this is not the case everywhere. Martin Owilah MKUSA President According to Martin Owilah, the President of the Mount Kenya University Students Association (MKU...

Mount Kenya University is the largest private university in Kenya, hosting more than 21,000 students alone on its main campus. With these enormous numbers, one important question continues to ring in many people’s minds; how does it accommodate these many students? The first aspect of this question involves the reasoning that increases in population without a corresponding increase in facilities undoubtedly leads to the reduction of quality. So, what does MKU focus on? Martin Owilah, President of MKUSA, argues, “Our institution is founded on the principle of giving equal opportunities to deserving students and with the current increase in students supposed to join universities, we had a duty to give as many students as we can opportunities to pursue their dreams. Quality is not necessarily compromised because more facilities have been acquired.” To our next aspect and most importantly, how does the institution ensure all students are comfortably accommodated. Tally Musee; MKUSA Ministe...

The fastest-growing institution of higher learning in Kenya. Home to not less than 70,000 students. A source of employment to more than 5000 staff members. These are some of the descriptions of Mount Kenya University, often referred to by its acronym, (MKU).  Founded in 1996, the institution has grown to become arguably Eastern Africa’s largest attractive education hub for students not only in Kenya but also across the globe. Thanks to the large student’s body, there is a students’ union at Mount Kenya University, referred to as Mount Kenya University Students Association (MKUSA). The powerful association is responsible for collectively agitating for the students’ rights and grievances. All students pursuing an academic program at the University are bonafide members. The association is governed by a cabinet of nine people with key positions being the President, Secretary-General, and the Finance Minister, all, who are signatories to the association’s kitty of funds. Martin Owilah ...

Social interaction is like a routine in university. In fact, you cannot avoid it because of the numerous avenues where you meet people. Hence it is very crucial to always be the best representation of yourself. However, when creating this best self-representation, we occasionally forget to take care of one very important aspect; how we smell. Did you know that ladies are consistently attracted to men who smell great? In recent research by Kampusville, 332 university ladies were asked how high they place scent in their male attractiveness charts. An astounding 83 percent placed it in the top 5. You’d be surprised that looking as sharp as John Allan Namu or Ian Mugoya won’t guarantee you’ll get the girl but smelling like a star will. Ian Mugoya So what exactly can you do to ensure you are always smelling nice? Here are quick tips you should apply to smell like a star. 1. Take two compulsory baths daily. One in the morning immediately after waking up to get rid of sleep sweat and freshen ...

University staff strike of 2017 has finally come to an end after an agreement was reached upon between the UASU officials and the government. The strike which had been on for more than 50 days had paralyzed academics in all the 33 public universities in the country and its constituent colleges. Earlier on Monday 13 th March, UASU which had previously demanded 300% pay rise as in accordance to the 2013-2017 CBA decided to settle with a 17.5% increase in basic salary and 3.9% increase in house allowance. According to the top officials in the union that represents all public university lecturers and staff members in the country, the settlement was the best possible deal under the current circumstances. All university staff have been requested to resume their duties as early as Tuesday 14 th . As for the students, this great news comes as a relief since, for the past 7 weeks, they were left idle and most decided to go and spend time at home. They have been urged to report to their instit...

What does it take to study abroad? To embark on a daunting journey to a new land in search of better education, and a successful future? To leave your home comforts, family and throw oneself into the deep murky waters of uncertainty in foreign lands? International students across the world often tell a tale of courage and utmost audacity. A life of trying to blend in with the locals while away from their citizenry. A story of go-getting. A journey of achieving academic nourishment and an invaluable learning process. An interesting period in one’s lifetime. Violet Zipporah Kayuma is such a student. Born and raised in ‘the warm heart of Africa’,  Malawi, she attended the lower levels of her education life in the country; juggling between the capital, Lilongwe and Blantyre. She, however, chose to come to Kenya recently to extend her academic career. Destination? Mount Kenya University. Her reasons are varying. She says, “People often prefer employing someone who has studied abroad. The qu...

Kenya is home to a large number of international students.  A good foreign policy, better infrastructure and facilities, and an ever-growing number of higher learning institutions are some of the reasons that make many international students choose the country as a destination to expand their academic goals. A huge chunk of these students is at Mount Kenya University. Founded in 1996, Mount Kenya University, often referred by the acronym (MKU) has grown to become an attractive education hub for students not only in Kenya but also across the globe. The number of enrollment is ever-increasing and subsequently the number of international students therein. Yusuf Usman, a Nigerian citizen, is a student pursuing his masters at MKU. He doubles up as the President of the International Students Chapter. For him, the chance to extend his academic career at an ever-expansive institution proved so inviting.   “I discovered MKU through positive reviews from my friends.  Mount Kenya University is th...

Are you exhausted with the habit of being overly nice to others at the expense of yourself and desire to turn a new leaf but have no idea where to start? Are you sick and tired of being a doormat and want to start standing up for yourself? Do you want to express your ideas and have people listen and consider them? Well, this is your lucky day. It takes a while to understand the difference between being nice (good) and being overly nice (bad). The life lessons below if applied will help anybody experience a transformation while at university and in future career life. 1. Build your self-confidence. With every action of an overly-nice person aimed at pleasing other people, there lies fear. Fear that you are not good enough. Fear that you must do something for others to gain approval. This is pure lack of self-esteem and it is the biggest culprit to this niceness menace. In fact, if you conquer this issue, all the rest will fall in place When you walk around campus, you should understand ...

What is it like when you feel obliged to defy your busy schedule against your wishes so that you can attend to someone else’s issues? How does it feel to sacrifice your needs so that you can provide for a colleague and expect something in return only to be disappointed? How do you cope with living in accordance with other people’s approvals and expectations? You think you are being nice and believe the universe should reward you, but do you really benefit? Yes, being nice is a great attribute, it draws people towards you and your social life tends to be successful. However, being overly nice to other people at the expense of your beliefs and interests is detrimental to your life. Short story When I was 10, I noticed I had taken the nice guy attribute and at such a time when I was surrounded by innocent kids like me, being nice was adorable. I quickly embraced the habit and enjoyed while still young until I joined high school when things suddenly changed. My new friends asked me for unr...

Noticeboards have been a fundamental means of communication and advertising since the dawn of civilization. They, however, have one major disadvantage; whenever you walk around, you’ll see all kinds of boards pinned with countless notice. And unless you have the time to view all those notices, (in most cases we don’t) you’ll just go about your usual businesses of the day. Well, why do we at most cases don’t have the time to view noticeboards? Let’s take a minute and digest these facts first- 95% of notices posted in noticeboards have nothing at all to do with us, 3% are outdated notices that were probably posted a week ago, and only 2% are the notices we are really interested in. This is according to the numerous national surveys that have been undertaken in quite a number of countries by accredited survey bodies. Nevertheless, today we declare the complete annihilation of this previously stubborn con. Meet Pepeza, an application that has been smoothly designed to change the course of ...

Valentine’s Day is finally around the corner; so soon in my view, because I was just getting started with a girl I like and suddenly I now have less than a week to convince her to abandon her V-day plans and reject all proposals from many suitors so that I can take her out. I would have tried but unfortunately, some boring store manager claims V-day is not a public holiday so she can’t take a leave on that day. (Oh yeah, my date has a part-time job, she is ambitious and gorgeous.) So, all I’m left to do is to fantasize about the wonderful things I would have done for her on the day of love. Since I enjoy sharing my ideas, here is how I would have spent my V-day with my valentine. You can pick up a few tips applicable in your situation. 1. Write her a love poem. First, on the eve of valentine, I prepare a written message of love. Seated on a comfortable chair in a pin-drop silent room with spectacular lighting, I draft an enchanting love letter expressing my deepest and most sincere emo...

It’s quite apparent that university lecturers, just like the Doctors, are not relenting their fight for implementation of the salary and working conditions agreement they made with the government a few years ago. The government, on the other hand, has cast a blind eye on the matter since all they care about right now is how to get back in power come August 8 th . So, in this dramatic tussle, the group of people being affected is the youth especially those in colleges and universities. We have already lost January and it seems like it’s just the beginning of a year that will be subjected to massive wastage. However, one thing we fail to remember as the young energetic generation of this country is that we have the power to allow or not allow situations to affect us. We forget that we are the drivers of our destinies. Many students have decided to stay in their homes, watch TV and movies all day, party all night and live abundantly under the mantra of YOLO. If asked they bluntly whine th...

It’s always a delight when university political campaigns approach. Well, a delight in disguise because of many exasperating reasons such as the endless string of zany messages propagated on social platforms, the tension breeze blowing through campus, the glittering faces that greet you on the streets and beg you to vote for strangers, just to mention but a few. However, the one delightful reason I long for such periods; the incentive that clouds my mind whenever I hear ‘comrades-power’ might shock you beyond words. It is so stupid. It’s founded on the simplicity of a man’s brain which occasionally delegates its functions to excited body parts fueled by immediate short-lasting pleasure. This motive is to get ‘dem’ hugs from lady-student politicians. Haha, there it is. I spilled the beans. I know what you’re thinking, It’s idiotic and very trivial. I like it. In fact, I love that am so simple, an adolescent at 21. This strategy employed by lady politicians has worked a ...

The Milimani Law Courts set the hearing of the petition against the students’ election bill for Wednesday 25th January 2016. Top student leaders including JKUSA President Anyungu Wanyungu will be present in the courts from 12 noon to fight against what they term as draconian university act of 2016. During the Christmas Holidays, a bill was passed by the national assembly which takes away the rights of Kenyan university student to participate in student activism and accords them to a small group of leaders who represent the rest. The amendment was published in the Kenyan Gazette, 30/12/2016 notice number 198. Many student leaders across the country have considered this bill which gives only seven leaders from every college regardless of the size, the responsibility to fight for the rights of every comrade, shortsighted and severe. Some have claimed this amendment takes us to an era characterized by inefficiency, impunity, and powerlessness of the common comrade. In a statement this morn...

Most of us, if not all desire to be loved by everybody. Yet when we get the opportunity to make others interested in us, we screw up. In today’s society, who you know matters a lot. So these are some basic principles you need when interacting with people to make them like you. Inspired and derived from Dale Carnegie’s Book; How to win friends and Influence People . 1. Be genuinely interested in other people. The hardest way to get friends is by trying to impress by people and living according to their standards. Rather, you should invest more time in getting interested in the people you want to be friends with. For instance, know their birthdays or other special days and surprise them with gifts in such days. 2. Know people by both their names and a little bit about their families. The average human is more interested in their name than any other names in the world put together. When you master someone’s name and call them the next time you meet, they will feel precious and recognize...

It’s Friday evening, I’ve just had my supper, half a loaf, and 4 bananas. I am seated in my room watching The Goldbergs, a 2013 sitcom about a geeky boy who uses a video camera to document his family’s crazy life. Suddenly a brilliant idea hits me; it’s Friday, I should go take a walk around Juja and see what college guys are up to. I fit into my jeans, put on my Timberlands and in a jiffy, I’m out of the hall. On my way, I spot a close friend, I walk up to him, wide-grinned because apparently, when am not smiling I seem grumpy. Guys tell me that. But it’s at night, so what the heck. “Hey man! How are doing?” I greet him as we do our usual guys-salutation; an echoing clap of palms followed by a mighty brush of shoulders. Thank God this guy is an inch taller than me, am so tired of brushing peoples’ spleens and pancreases, let alone ribs. My guy was talking to a friend before I interrupted. So, as courtesy dictates, I greet the guy too then am back to my guy. “Dude, you doing a gr...

With the current prevalence of social media platforms in the society, any rumor can spread like wildfire due to a large number of judgmental and hungry news gluttons ready to take in whatever is given to them. The week has kicked off with the news of Lulu Kamau, a student at JKUAT who is accused of allegedly infecting the dean of students, Mr. Nyarika and his wife with an STD and intending to use the dean to rig the upcoming elections in the institution. Alleged screenshots of the conversation between the student and the dean’s wife have spread like wildfire through Whatsapp and Facebook making this rumor a hot topic at the moment. However and quite unfortunate, we might be crucifying this young lady, accusing her of things that might not be true. Take a keen look at the following details. Lulu is contesting for the post of Academic Secretary in the upcoming elections. She faces fierce competition from Kevin Alunga, Wanyoike Daniel, and two others. Don’t you think the conversation migh...

Throughout life as a kid, my community has associated land tilling as an activity for failures and wrongdoers. My parents would sit me down and warn if I didn’t work hard in school I will till the land until I get old and it really scared me. While in school I slashed through grasslands and tilled acres of shamba as punishment for wrongdoing. I couldn’t have loathed farming more than I did until I reached 20 when suddenly something hit me. Farming requires a lot of energy, makes farmers dirty and has very low returns compared to other so-called ‘better jobs’. Yet farmers feed the world. They nurture the poor and the rich alike. They nourish the most powerful people in the world. Farming was present from the beginning of time and is still present now. There is no way we can survive without it. As a young youth, I can attest that the society had cast a shadow on my understanding of farming. The media which is the biggest culprit, made it very hard for me and most of my close friends to d...

Have you ever wondered what your student leaders earn or asked yourself why student politicians campaign so viciously to secure positions? They will say; it’s not all about the money, I want to change the face of the university, it’s a calling, the voice of the people has spoken and it says that I should lead them and many other BS statements you hear out there. But all these chaotic speeches trivialize the wages and benefits they acquire. Okay, I’m not condemning anything, I just want you to know and so, here is a list of JKUSA remuneration     SALARY HEADS  TOTAL Executives       1. President 11,600 1 11,600 2. V. president Admin 10,400 1 10,400 3. V. president social welfare 10,400 1 10,400 4. Secretary General 9,400 1 9,400 5. Finance Secretary 9,400 1 9,400 6. Other secretaries 10,500 8 84,000 Parliamentarians   1. College representatives 2,500 5 12,500 2. School representatives 2,500 17 42,500 3. Department representatives 2,500 42 105,000 4. Hall rep...

1. The era of being lazy and dependent is over . You are now a burden to your parents and hence you have to go into the world and strive to survive on your own. You will work hard just to put food on the table. There will be no space for laziness because the consequences will be upbeat. 2. Learn to get what you want through your own effort . Don’t wait for people to solve your problems. Nevertheless, never pass a free offer of assistance 3. Procrastination will drain your life . It is one of the biggest time wasters, entertaining it reaps bitter results and pulls you further away from your dreams. One way to conquer it is by focusing on the results you expect rather than the work to be done. Don’t think ahead, just think of now, don’t plan to do, start doing 4. Don’t complain. Another big time waster. Either do something about it or shut up and move on. Also worrying doesn’t change your future 5. Understand that there is life as an individual . Happiness should come from within. It ...

University unions have issued a strike notice requesting that the government indulges into negotiations with them over better pay as stipulated by the 2013-17 CBA which the government has failed to honor. They have threatened to boycott until the Kenyan government heeds to their demand even if it takes an entire year. Wait a minute, what’s a CBA? A collective bargaining agreement (CBA), is a legally enforceable contract for a specified period between the management of an organization (in this case government) and its employees who are represented by independent trade unions. It defines employment conditions (wages, working periods, benefits, etc.) and procedures for dispute resolution. In 2011 November, Kenyan lecturers went on a weeklong strike complaining of the delayed implementation of new salaries and allowances by the government in accordance with the 2010-2012 CBA. In addition to the wage grievances, the lecturers were against the government’s decision to double the student inta...