How the current UNSA Electoral Framework has Smothered Student Politics: The Rise of Keyboard Leaders

Courtesy of Nairobi News

First and foremost, I would like to dedicate this article to all participants in the incoming UNSA elections, wishing them a peaceful, free, and fair election as they exercise their political rights. Secondly, this piece is in no way a campaign instrument for any of the prospective contestants; it is a non-aligned project. Nonetheless, this article attempts to highlight how the electoral atmosphere has drastically changed under the current UNSA electoral regulations and how it has affected student politics, especially in Parklands. 

This week, I had an illuminating conversation with Ben Odhiambo, a former KU student leader; the conversation was peppered with nostalgia for the glory days when politics was politics. Vote hunting was a do-or-die venture, and the actual vote hunting was done on the ground, not on the keyboard. We were reminiscent of the days when we used to campaign vigorously, through mass public addresses, door-to-door campaigns, and even, to some extent, bed-to-bed campaigns. Now the latter form of vote hunting was left to only the chosen few, the legends. These wise men (as we used to call them), were not only persuasive but also articulate, smart, and had a witty tongue. This special branch, as I would recall it, was not for the lighthearted; rejection was and is still a reality. Such a precarious mission could backfire miserably in your face. 

One cannot mention campus politics at the University of Nairobi without mentioning the mighty, yet impugned, Student Organization of Nairobi University, hereinafter referred to as SONU. Under the SONU regime, students witnessed high-octane, vibrant politics, especially around election time. It was during these glory days that campus politics was characterized by all forms of political trickery and maneuvering that would have made Robert Greene completely revise his book, The 48 Laws of Power. The kind of political strategies employed in those days would have rattled Machiavelli to the core. University lecturers were even cautious not to provoke students in any manner, lest they suffer the wrath of their ever-vigilant comrades. Students had a prominent voice in the university's administration then, and the student leaders exuded considerable power and were able to influence not only campus politics but also national politics. 

This brand of vivacious politics produced an elite crop of politicians who waded easily and for a long time through the murky waters of national politics. Because of the highly competitive campus politics, these fiery and outspoken student leaders graduated and seamlessly integrated into the national arena. These leaders include S.C. James Aggrey Orengo, Wanyiri Kihoro, Tito Adungosi (later a political detainee who died mysteriously in prison), Prof. Makau Mutua, Adongo Ogony, Mwendawiro Mganga (the only chairman to inspect a guard of honour mounted by his loyal comrades at the Chancellor's court), Miguna Miguna, Karl Max, His Earthquakeness Hon. Babu Owino, and His Pekness Vickins Bondo, among others. The heroics of these firebrand former student leaders cannot be fully documented in this article. On countless occasions, these vibrant generals have organized strikes and demonstrations that have brought Nairobi to a standstill, something our neighbours at the Technical University of Kenya cannot even dream of, let alone imagine. 

Nonetheless, in 2016, the Parliament enacted the University (Amendment) Act that subsequently impugned SONU and established the University of Nairobi Students Association (hereinafter referred to as UNSA). The UNSA governance framework is collegiate in nature, that is, the overall UNSA President is elected by the campus representatives. This is a far cry from the former electoral arrangement where the overall President was elected through universal suffrage. As a result, this new UNSA structure significantly stifled the voice of students (better known as comrades), and more importantly, substantially slashed the political influence of the campus leaders. As a result, administrative changes in the university were swiftly implemented to quell pervasive student unrest, hooliganism, thuggery, political bigotry and violence. 

 Additionally, under the UNSA regime, the university administration has huge sway in campus politics, contrary to the SONU regime. With reduced powers, the current student leaders lack the motivation and the zeal to fight for their constituents, their comrades. To aggravate matters further, some student leaders even lack the aura and charisma exuded by their SONU predecessors. Recently, I lightly scorned a current UNSA aspirant, who was robbed of his smartphone in broad daylight, while walking with only two comrades. I corrected him, that an aspirant should walk in a group, especially around university premises; that way it would have been quite difficult to be robbed. Even Jesus, the Son of God, had to walk with twelve disciples, not two.  A prospective student leader, especially in the great UON, should exude charisma, confidence and gusto. He/she should always be spewing wisdom to his comrades like Jesus to his faithful disciples. Even as we live by hope, even as they hope to be future leaders, a reed never becomes a Baobab tree by dreaming. 

The current UNSA system has also reduced the thrill and adrenaline of the game that is student leadership. Even more concerning is that, currently, the elections are conducted online. While the online system is convenient and cheaper, the online elections setup has equally reduced the magnitude of political activity on the campuses. Currently, it is for the bloggers (alias keyboard warriors) to tear each other apart in the WhatsApp groups, whereas SONU aspirants had to battle it out on the ground. Of course, I am not discrediting online engagement as a political strategy, it is equally potent; I am only stressing that groundwork is substantially instrumental in student politics, and the famed SONU leaders understood this aspect well.  During the election period, the school would be decorated with posters of aspirants and the colleges would bustle with political euphoria. Nowadays, the Parklands students can't identify their aspirants. I presume vying under the current economic times is not a Mickey Mouse venture, it is a costly investment. Anyway, the SONU leaders were horned by the tense political climate then, they acquired skills and experience requisite to survive in the turbulent waters that is national politics. However, the same cannot be said of the current UNSA leaders and aspirants. 

Nevertheless, I am not a bitter critic nor a zealous radical. The UNSA regime was brought by the winds of change, and the tree that does not bend to the wind eventually breaks. My clarion call to the current group of incoming student leaders is to prioritize the interests of the students and step up in their efforts to protect, defend and promote the welfare of students. They have already suffered, they should not suffer any further because you have become lukewarm to the administration, and you are not a student leader by bootlicking the university. You are elected to serve the students. Additionally, the university should not be authoritarian in addressing student matters, they have no business undermining the very students paying exorbitant fees to learn in their universities. Instead, the student leaders and the university administration should proactively collaborate and cooperate in protecting and promoting the interests of the students, who are the major stakeholders in the sector. Most importantly, it is not the business of the students to engage in hooliganism and racketeering. They should focus on their studies while ensuring they are getting the best services from the university, otherwise, they shall be targets of stringent administrative measures. A Zambian proverb has it, that when the head is too big, it cannot dodge blows. This article calls for increased engagement from current UNSA student leaders, as well as the aspirants, in promoting student welfare and actively voicing the grievances of comrades.

Let me leave you with a wise adage, once uttered in the fabled halls of the University of Nairobi; no matter how handsome you are, you can never date your mother! Comrades power! Comrades tibim! 

Valentine Kasidhi

Head of Law Review, UNLJ.