Sometimes In April

It is April again. With it come the short rains. The heavens are heavily laden with showers that descend upon us unexpectedly, pounding the earth as if punishing us for our transgressions. Every year in April, a woman is stranded somewhere along the overflown banks of River Nyando, caught in the same predicament that she was in the previous year in April. But here in Parklands Campus, April is not just a season of rains, but reigns as well.

On hindsight, I remember April last year; when I was walking to Kabete Campus. As usual, the rains were pummelling upon my umbrella that barely served its intended purpose. Most probably the jamaneni lady back in Kisumu County had just lost her children to the raging waters of the great Nyando River. So, given the comparison, I had very little I could complain about. It was just a little splash of water on a broken suit. I was on my way to Kabete for the annual season of reigns.

SONU elections had just been completed. The entertainments that halo the SONU franchise were still bright; the unrest, goonship, and occasional prodding on the losers of the election who were yet licking their wounds.

I remember walking in the rains with a certain conviction that I would later inspire in the first years, second years, third and fourth years alike to vote for me to the Vice Chairperson of the Kenya Law Students Society. This conviction could not be washed away by the rains, for it was firmly inscribed in my will to bring life to an otherwise dull society of legal rookies. I chose KLSS over SONU because the latter is not especially my brand of vodka- it has an aftertaste that inadvertently makes me want to excuse myself and go throw up.

I could not understand why a campus with so much potential could not tap into its available resources to empower students. KLSS had all these affiliate programs that were only felt on paper. That is what I sought to correct, and I did.

Now, I do not take credit for other people’s sweat. Neither do I hog all the praise for successes that was a culmination of different people’s hard work. That is why I cannot, and will not steal the thunder of success of affiliate programs in Parkie like KMUN, Moot Court and Debate Club. These are organizations that had strong foundations by the time I assumed office, and therefore I cannot say that I am responsible for their success without running the risk of sounding like a rooster taking credit for the dawn. Nonetheless, I was instrumental in helping out KMUN in organizing some of its activities such as PROJECT 1 Brain Challenge, a venture that turned out to be a great feat.

When I came into Parkie, I had a deep seated passion for the Arts, though the existing Arts Club was slowly drifting into limbo. But during my tenure in office, and out of my respect to the arts, I together with the Arts Club leadership managed to bring it to its feet. We managed to bring guest speakers of people who have succeeded in the arts to mentor artists. Remember Jackson Biko & Smooth Poet?

I would be ashamed to speak of Arts without mentioning that the Campus Chronicles magazine that was conceived in Parklands is now a nationwide online magazine of which I still am the Managing Editor.  Not forgetting the Karaoke Nights that I together with my friends introduced to Parklands.

The last time I posted, I wrote about my girlfriend- my laptop- Soni. I told you that I won her during the Connect, Vuka Border campaign organized by the Ministry of East Africa in collaboration with WOSWA and KLSS. However, what I failed to tell you is that it is as a result of my successful participation and that of UoN in general that this event will be held annually here in Parklands. A night that will see students of this university celebrate the culture of the EAC community. Needless to say that we brought home an award for the school and placed UoN at the top ladder of the universities in East Africa.

Students’ mentorship was one of my pillars of last year’s campaign. I envisioned a program that would allow students to interact with the alumni of this school, an event that would bring back those who have made it big in the complex realm of law to guide and nurture us, so that we would follow in their footsteps into success. I thought of an alumni dinner- an idea that wasn’t able to be realized given the fact that the university staff went on strike demanding for better pay. Nothing could go on. But then a heaven sent nominated member of KLSS came up with the idea of Kuza. This mentorship session that encompassed my previous idea. Once again, Kuza is not my brainchild. But ever since its conception, I as the VC of KLSS together with the proprietor of the program have managed to institutionalize this idea.

That is why every Thursday I spam the Facebook pages, reminding students to attend this session, because, in order for anyone to thrive in a particular area of law, one needs to be shown the way. Going into the legal practice without mentorship is like walking through a valley of broken glasses and thorns blindfolded. Once every fortnight, students gather in a class from 5.30pm to 8.00pm to listen and learn from the masters of the legal hustle. Kuza is now an affiliate club of KLSS due to its overwhelming reception from students of Parklands.

Personal session with Renee Ngamau at a Kuza session

I would gladly go on and on about how the current KLSS regime has been an improvement of its predecessors. I would talk of having a clean office devoid of any corruption cases, money laundering and abuse of office. I brag of being part of the team that organized the best Cultural Week yet seen in this campus. I would talk of the internship opportunities that we have facilitated for the outgoing 4^th years by bringing to school companies seeking graduate recruitment. I look back at how I have helped students through the system with regards to missing grades, and lecturers playing truant, and I smile.

Leadership is not an easy thing as most people perceive. It is not completely fireproof. Sometimes leaders get burned. Throes of power and responsibility come with their fair share of challenges like the bureaucracy of this university, limited resources et cetera. But I take consolation in the wisdom of my late father who said that the raging terror of where you are headed is a sure sign that you are walking in the right direction. So regardless of these bottlenecks, we have managed to achieve major milestones towards the betterment of Parklands Campus.

It is therefore the confidence on the good work I have done and been part of that I place my bid to succeed the office of the Chairperson of KLSS. My security in this is performance. I did not, however, remind you of the things I have been instrumental in achieving in order for you to vote me in. That’s blackmail. I did that so as to let you know who you are voting for. I do not want you throw a dice with your vote, rather, make an informed choice as to the person you would want to lead you for the next one year. One of the reasons people hate politics is because the truth is never a politician’s objective. But you have witnessed, heard and seen the truth of my work. It is not my right to be elected, but I believe it is the right thing to do.

I have told you of what I have done so that you realize that when I say that I want to focus on academic matters of this school, then I mean it. I keep my end of bargains, so I am careful to only make promises that I can keep. I am sure a matter concerning curriculum revision in order to divide bulky courses (like Public International Law) into two units is achievable. There is no reason as to why 300 plus students should get resits, not because a unit is hard, but because they had 400 A4 pages to plough through at the end of the semester. Students’ minds aren’t pressure cookers- and education is about learning, not the piling up of papers or completion of a syllabus. Its about education, not school work.

I seek to establish a scholarship fund that will be the light at the end of the tunnel for needy students whose parents are burdened with competing necessities. A fund for both Module 1s as well as 2s. Yes, Module 2 students too. During my tenure in office, I have had whispers of students dropping out due to lack of school fee. I am a regular student, so I am lucky to have government sponsorship. But contrary to popular belief, not all students in the Module 2 program were born sucking on a silver spoon.

This fund will be a pool of corporate sponsors, alumni, the school, law firms, the government, and well-wishers. I believe that no student should be barred from attending class, sitting examinations, or graduating because of lack of school fees. Not when we study in a university that prides itself in being in the top 10 list of the best universities in black dominated African countries.

Over and above all these, I seek to establish a student recognition award program to acknowledge the efforts of outstanding students of this auspicious school. As well as the strengthening of the affiliate organizations of the Kenya Law Students Society, and expanding KLSS to include other Kenyan varsities, starting with our neighbours from across the road in Kenyatta University.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have come from far, and we are destined for even greater heights. I stand to lead all students in this long walk to prosperity indiscriminately. It does not matter which part of the country you stem from, by what name you call your God, whether or not you believe in God. Really, whether you walk or drive in to school, eat at the mess, cafeteria or poolside, your sex or sexual orientation is inconsequential. It does not matter whether you are in Module 1 or 2. Those are just titles. Discrimination on such fronts has never been a KLSS phenomenon and we should never be shy to consider the contemplation of such as heresy. We are united by the fact that we are human and novices of the legal vocation.

Yes, it is April again. The season of rains and reigns. And here I am again, to ask you, implore you and beseech you to come out and vote for me on the 10^th of next month to be the next Chairperson of KLSS. Vote for passion, performance and progress; coz it is the only way we can live the promise.

If the will of the people talks as they say, then let it speak clearly as we echo the following words; MAGUNGA WILLIAMS FOR CHAIR!