The 26th SGC will go down as one that never had an Editor- a nominated position provided in the MUSO Constitution. The editor is tasked with the responsibility of running the Muso based Illuminator publication. The official paper for the student union. What happened?
It was back in 2012 march, just when the 26th SGC had assumed office. The then fresh SGC (Student Governing Council) conducted interviews and one, steve Macharia, a major political player and a former campus writer emerged top as per the interview. However, Muso chairman Florence Doghana was not comfortable with the idea of Steve being the editor. He argued that Steve, having been an agent and chief campaigner for Sec Gen Dikembe during the Muso elections, and therefore must have been pushed in using ‘corrupt’ means. Backed by a section of the students and his preferred candidate for the editor’s post, Koome Kimonye, now a Citizen TV employee, the group vowed, by all means necessary to thwart Steve’s ascension to the disputed post. This marked the beginning of a debacle that cost the union an Editor.
Interesting developments followed. Dikembe waged a verbal battle both on ‘land’ and on social media accusing Doghana of sabotaging the process of appointing Steve. On the other hand, Doghana would not let this lie low. He was out to prove indeed he was the chairman of the union. A battle of supremacy reigned supreme. Arguing he was acting on ‘popular opinion’, He confronted the dean of students, Mr Muriithi to nullify nomination of Steve or else he would call a ‘kamukunji’ and resign as the Union’s chairman.
Dean Muriithi, playing by the ‘popular opinion’, gave in to Doghana’s demands and nullified Steve’s nomination and promised to appoint a new interview panel that would come up with a new editor nominated through a fair and a Just process. This was the end of that story. 14 months later, the slot remains vacant.
Questions from different Campus media quarters remain unanswered to date. Why would Doghana fight so hard to nullify Steve’s appointment and leave the position vacant? What was so difficult for Doghana to act on ‘popular opinion’ and push for the appointment of another editor, and not Steve? In a university that has thousands of media/communication students and a vibrant campus media, why did the 26th SGC fail to appoint even a single student to the position, to make use of that Muso certificate in their future media careers? What happened to thousands of Muso funds set aside to run daily ‘illuminator’ publications and production of the annual MUSO Magazine? The role the Muso Editor plays of linking the students and the SGC through publications, was this so trivial that the SGC decided to care less about it?
Speaking to Dikembe sometimes back, the Sec gen. put the blame squarely on Doghana for not acting to fill the position. To date, he maintains Steve deserved the post. On his part Doghana has continued to remain silent over the issue.
The 26th SGC is wrapping up its tenure. Nothing can be done now. However, it will go down in MUSO history books, the said SGC failed to appoint a Muso Editor, not because there weren’t qualified individuals for the post, nor the Dean of students objected the appointments, but because the SGC members were too busy with their own issues to deem the issue important.
It was back in 2012 march, just when the 26th SGC had assumed office. The then fresh SGC (Student Governing Council) conducted interviews and one, steve Macharia, a major political player and a former campus writer emerged top as per the interview. However, Muso chairman Florence Doghana was not comfortable with the idea of Steve being the editor. He argued that Steve, having been an agent and chief campaigner for Sec Gen Dikembe during the Muso elections, and therefore must have been pushed in using ‘corrupt’ means. Backed by a section of the students and his preferred candidate for the editor’s post, Koome Kimonye, now a Citizen TV employee, the group vowed, by all means necessary to thwart Steve’s ascension to the disputed post. This marked the beginning of a debacle that cost the union an Editor.
Interesting developments followed. Dikembe waged a verbal battle both on ‘land’ and on social media accusing Doghana of sabotaging the process of appointing Steve. On the other hand, Doghana would not let this lie low. He was out to prove indeed he was the chairman of the union. A battle of supremacy reigned supreme. Arguing he was acting on ‘popular opinion’, He confronted the dean of students, Mr Muriithi to nullify nomination of Steve or else he would call a ‘kamukunji’ and resign as the Union’s chairman.
Dean Muriithi, playing by the ‘popular opinion’, gave in to Doghana’s demands and nullified Steve’s nomination and promised to appoint a new interview panel that would come up with a new editor nominated through a fair and a Just process. This was the end of that story. 14 months later, the slot remains vacant.
Questions from different Campus media quarters remain unanswered to date. Why would Doghana fight so hard to nullify Steve’s appointment and leave the position vacant? What was so difficult for Doghana to act on ‘popular opinion’ and push for the appointment of another editor, and not Steve? In a university that has thousands of media/communication students and a vibrant campus media, why did the 26th SGC fail to appoint even a single student to the position, to make use of that Muso certificate in their future media careers? What happened to thousands of Muso funds set aside to run daily ‘illuminator’ publications and production of the annual MUSO Magazine? The role the Muso Editor plays of linking the students and the SGC through publications, was this so trivial that the SGC decided to care less about it?
Speaking to Dikembe sometimes back, the Sec gen. put the blame squarely on Doghana for not acting to fill the position. To date, he maintains Steve deserved the post. On his part Doghana has continued to remain silent over the issue.
The 26th SGC is wrapping up its tenure. Nothing can be done now. However, it will go down in MUSO history books, the said SGC failed to appoint a Muso Editor, not because there weren’t qualified individuals for the post, nor the Dean of students objected the appointments, but because the SGC members were too busy with their own issues to deem the issue important.
No comments:
Post a Comment
your comment, your voice...