THE UNIVERSITY I CHOSE

By Remington Miheso
One of my new year’s resolutions was that I would try as much as possible to be serious with life, in fact it was a vow. But I had to break that vow. I broke it the moment I stepped foot in the so-called Moi University. I wonder why I liken Moi university to my village school than to other universities. I think initially it was meant to be a secondary school but as some people will say, 'they' had to change their minds. (I wonder if it was replacing the minds they initially had or it was something else.) Believe me, that was the worst mistake ever done to this institution.

I heard (before the election results were announced) someone say that it would do us good if Kenya was sold and each one of us given their own share. I agree and disagree. Kenya should be sold but in bits, starting with Moi High School a.k.a Moi University. In as much as we brag of producing some of the best brains in Kenya, we literally have nothing to pride ourselves in.

I am made to understand that Moi university is among, if not the richest public university in Kenya. (I stand to be corrected.) Shame on us! How can it even be mentioned and yet the one writing this article was denied accommodation just because he had not cleared a tuition fee of just eight hundred and fifty shillings, not dollars!

When the president we elected was sworn in on 9th, I thought everything would change to digital, just as one lights up a bulb. I was in for a rude shock when I was told I had to queue, just like I did when I had to beg Moi university to accommodate me in first year, to be accommodated again.

I couldn't understand why a mzee like me could be subjected to that kind of torture, a continuing student queuing for eight hours! Give me a break! How different am I from that ‘freshman’ who doesn't know where frakaz is? How will he know that I am not just ahead of him academically but also by age? In fact, if I had called my mum to tell her what I was going through I am sure she would tell me to leave school and help her sell mitumba in Gikomba market.

I wonder, do those guys who sit at the administration building think about us students? Do they know we exist? If a mere hostel can be built for twenty three years, what if they were to build a new administration building, how many centuries would it take? If those guys really think of us, they would have changed Margaret Thatcher Library to Margaret Thatcher Hostel a long time ago. What is the use of having a library with books older than itself? I nearly died laughing last week when I dragged myself past it in the evening and saw a guard trying something that I thought was checking students as they enter the library. Surely, even a class three pupil will confidently tell you there is nothing in that building to interest the most broke thief in the world.

I later purposefully passed by the administration building to check if the same was going on and as expected; nothing of the sort was taking place. So, the chief security of Moi University wants to convince us, beyond any doubts, that the library is more important than the white building we call the administration building, and my school! Wacheni mchezo!!

Some will say instead of criticizing I should be acting. Come on, I am a journalist. I am only allowed to give advice to these guys. Next time, instead of allocating a room to first years, give them small pieces of land. They seem to be in a better position to utilize it than the school is. And by the way if hostel M is so hard to finish, kindly allocate the rooms as they are to us, we will do the finishing ourselves. Moi University ni Kenya!!