Friday, August 9, 2013

A UNIQUE ELECTION: ELDERS WILL WATCH TODDLERS PLAY

By Kinyua Njeri
The oncoming MUSO elections will perhaps be the most unique and awkward too. It is an election that has been delayed since September last year when the Dean of Students ruled to fatten the tenure of the 26th SGC by adding them yet another academic year in office.
And though the elections were to be held between March and May this year, as per the Dean's decision, efforts by student-activists to have the word honoured seemed more fictious than real.

Again, this election will be unique in that it'll be amongst the few
that has been held with some groups in absentia. Half of the 1st
years, to whom the Assistant Secretary General's slot normally goes,will be out of session and this might see a 'very old' continuing student rise to the position.

As if that's not enough, this election will be meant to scrap out the
26th SGC, which has notoriously been branded as the longest serving SGC. I'd have wished to let you know how the directors have the pride of owning shops and emaciating the MUSO kitty, but I leave it for some other day.

It'll be an election to 'exit' Doghana's government, which will go
down as one of the most sterile SGC's MUSO has ever had. Though the academic calendar hit their efforts hard, they were expected to be better, if the oratoric and eloquent speeches they gave at the cross-fire is anything to go by.

Well, most important of all, the fact that 4th Years will not vie
during these elections makes it one of the most peculiar. My father (I don't know him even) once told me that when an elder sits at his stool under the family tree, he sees farther than a boy who's on top of the tree. I don't know how true the statement is, but the man 'was' thoughtful.

In these elections however, the elders will have to sit, relax and
watch 'toddlers' play.

MOI UNIVERSITY TO HOST MOST JOINT ADMISSIONS BOARD STUDENTS

Moi University will admit the highest number of students at 5,792, followed closely by the University of Nairobi at 5,496 and Kenyatta University at 5,491 in their new intakes, the Joint Admissions Board (JAB) has announced.

About 53,135 students who sat last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination will join public universities this year.

“Each university will contact its admitted candidates directly and advise them on reporting dates and procedures,” said Jab acting chairperson and Maseno University Vice-Chancellor Prof D W Makawiti Thursday after the board held its final meeting.
Egerton University will admit 3,500 students in various disciplines while Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology will admit 2,151 students. Maseno University will admit 3,096 students while Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology will admit 2,176 students.


Technical University of Kenya will admit 1,778 students, Pwani University 748, while Dedan Kimathi University of Technology will admit 1,012. Technical University of Mombasa will admit 864 students, Chuka University will 1,731 students and Kisii university is expected to admit 1,060 students.

Maasai Mara University and Meru University of Science and Technology will admit 1,258 and 808 respectively.

The University of Kabianga will admit 1,418, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology will admit 1,156 students and South Eastern Kenya University, 1,646. Multimedia University of Kenya will admit 745, Laikipia University, 1,680 and Karatina University, 1,740.

FRESH INTAKE

The University of Eldoret will admit 2,923 students while Taita Taveta University College will admit 505 students in its first intake.
Muranga University College will admit 233 students while Kirinyaga University College will receive 322 students. The Cooperative University College of Kenya will admit 382 while Kibabii University College will receive 759.

Garissa University College will admit 722 students while Rongo University College will receive 1,136 students. Embu University College will admit 384 and Machakos University College will register 423 students. Each candidate who met the board’s cut-off criteria may access their admission information through its website www.jab.uonbi.ac.ke.

Adapted from http://www.standardmedia.co.ke

Thursday, August 8, 2013

WHAT EXACTLY DO READERS WANT?

By James Kombe
It is said that a writer remains blind to how his/her readers react to the text until they finally respond. I agree. The diversity of audience surely makes it hard to at least make a guess regarding the same. After all, different people consume similar pieces of information for different purposes – some to get informed, for leisure, to criticize – just to mention a few.

However, I have personally come to realize that there are a few ‘funny’ responses that one ought to be prepared for, especially while writing for such a vibrant forum as ‘Moi University Press Club, The Third Eye’. If you want to believe this, take some time, go through some of the comments made for stories posted in this fan page. Trust me; you might not stop laughing, at least for a while! You will come across comments that you least expected. That is what I normally do sometimes when I am depressed.

As I write this piece, I constantly refer back to its beginning, just to confirm that it is still a short one. Some comrades seem not to be in love with long text pieces. They have no time for them, whether or not they have something else to do. “I can’t read all this…” “This is too long…” “Can someone summarize this for me…?” are some of the complaints that I want to avoid now. So trust me, this won’t be ‘too long’ for you.

Allow me to restate one or two replies for a news story that I came across sometimes back. Someone, after reading the online post, just said, “e.t.c” Another one wrote, “Blah blah blah!” I did not really understand what they meant until I asked one of them, who said, “Ok, I read the story and understood it. I simply had nothing serious to say about it, I just wanted to submit a comment.”

Well, I promised you that I was going to keep this one short. For that matter, let me disregard all the other paragraphs that I am yet to type, so that I can sum up with the question of, ‘What exactly do readers want?’

THE MUSO BATTLE

By Elvis M. Nyakreal
August 2013, a month like no other in this university with the longest serving dean of students in East and Central Africa also fondly referred to as the university with a difference. It is a month of ‘hot’ politics. Terms such as “comrades’ power!” will soon be the fashion in every corner of main campus. The never to be promises, propaganda, critics, student activists rackets and insults will be ringing in our ears.

For first years and some second years who have never participated in campus elections, this will be a defining moment. My friend Sheila Serser reminds me that I should inform the first years to be prepared for endless knocks on their doors by the door-to-door campaigners. George, the boy from the lake side who calls himself “Senior Counsel” also tells me that the only way to avoid going sleepless nights during this political time is to find a marker pen and write on your door “PLEASE COME TOMORROW.”


Various aspirants among them being Titus Kisangau, Kipsaro Arab Boit, Sam Ogutu, Jeff Kenyatta and Bush have already decided that they will contest for the MUSO chairman docket. Some of the female students who have brought a touch to this battle include Journalist Parcie, Delicate, and Angie.

Unusually, the campus Mutahi Ngunyi’s have already predicted who will clinch the most powerful docket in MUSO, however, one of the best serving student leader- Mwamburi Mwangombe’s reminds me that, in main campus there is nothing like tyranny of numbers. I am yet to agree with him.

Well, for those aspiring to be student leaders, be prepared to meet the master of students. Be prepared to hear statements like “the university has no money, the previous MUSO left behind a debt of 10 million which I am struggling to pay.”

Nyamweya one of 3rd eye’s grandfathers will tell you, “walio na masiko wasikie.”

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

WHEN DIKEMBE COMES BACK... (The Shamba Boy series)

By Maalim Salat
When Dikembe comes back from the land of Obama, I will have so much to tell him that he will never dream of going back to that land of white skinned human beings. I see the Americans as people with burnt skin because in the village where I come from, there is no white human being. None of the elders ever talked of human beings with white skin except those men who were burnt by their wives when the husband sees the bahali yake of another woman. However, I have gone to school and learnt that people who use dollars to buy omena develop white skin.

When Dikembe comes back, I will tell him how the My University has transformed from analogue to Uhuruto. I will take him to Hostel-A where I live with some of my village mates. I will make him a cup of tea and a glass of maziwa ya ngamia before telling him about our new deputy headmaster who forced us to enter the hostels through laptops. You see, these days you do not need to have a capital-T at the end of your name to get a room. There is no need to smile at janitors in order to get a room. All you need is to have the computer that can be folded and I you do not have one, kuna nafasi stage.

I got a very beautiful room in Hostel-A because I happened to get to have the computer that can be folded which can only be found in the university, at least according to my family in the village. Let me take you back to the extra-long holiday that we went for. Before I went for the holiday, I decided to get a second-hand laptop from a reformed goon in the name of Macharia at a cheap price on condition that I vote for him when we return. Next week, I will tell you how all the girls in the village wanted me for a husband when I showed them the miracles my laptop, the computer that can only be found in the yolofasity, could do.

When Dikembe comes back, I will tell him how I entered my room through the laptop and never produced my ID at some of the offices to prove that I have capital-T at the end of my name.

I will also tell Dikembe how I wanted to become the chairman of the My Univerisity Shop Owners (MUSO) and how my dream was thwarted by a section of those who went to Nakuru last year to get us HELB which is found in Nairobi. If I were to become the chairman of the shop owners, I would have transformed the administration block into a hostel so that those living in diaspora can have a place to call home. The guys from Nakuru convinced the dean that I do not deserve to own a shop.

I will tell Dikembe about the about the people who are competing to get the shops and go to America next year. I will tell him of our future Doghanas with some names that sound like Nyefnyef Kenyatta and Titus Nyang’au. There is also another one but if I mention his name here, I will find my mass at the senate. It sounds that weird.

I will also take him to the School of Human Resource Development, that place where journalists are trained without a radio to practice with, and show him the fixed seats at the hall where he and I once listened to boring lectures and wrote notes on our laps. That is why we walk the same style with bent backs.

Before he gets up and thanks me for the maziwa ya ngamia, (it will sound like thenk yew because he is from America) I will ask him the final question which is about whether he changed his name from Dikembe to Johnson Dikindizi.

Don’t miss the humour every Wednesday.

Monday, August 5, 2013

MUSO ASPIRANTS: IGNORE SOCIAL MEDIA AT YOUR OWN PERIL

By Mohammed Doyo
It is indisputable, social media is the next platform for successful political campaigns. Going by the recent March 4 elections, a lot happened in social media networks. Both CORD and JUBILEE alliances invested millions in their social media campaigns to drive their agendas to the masses.

Uncountable Facebook pages and groups were created, influential people on social media were hired by the competing factions and so were bloggers and propagandists. By the end of the frenzied elections, Jubilee alliance emerged victors. While there may be other reasons for the win, a section of communication scholars attributed the Jubilee victory to a good communication strategy.

The same scenario was witnessed during the 2012 USA presidential campaigns where the sitting president Barack Obama, despite the growing resentment on his economic policies during his first term in office easily triumphed over the Republican candidate Mitt Romney. Political analysts to a certain extent attributed his win to an excellent use of the interactive new media to woo supporters.

A Key analysis of MUSO’s electoral process in the past and the current climate will inform the belief that the upcoming elections may end up being the most heated and dramatic ever in the history of the Union. While no one can predict with certainty what exactly would be the outcome, it is clear that social media will play a pivotal role in driving messages and will be a huge battle ground in the forthcoming students’ elections.

Why will Social media be crucial during the upcoming 2013 MUSO elections?

Majority of university students are tech savvy and well informed. Almost every single student owns at least one of these: Twitter, facebook, whatsapp or a blog where they discuss ideas and share what is in their mind or what is happening. In Main Campus context, a close look at one of the popular pages- The 3rd Eye reveals that main campus students have embraced the new age media. A single post in the page that has over 20,000 likes attracts at least 10,000 views!

Aspirants must therefore come up with a good social media strategy if they are to remain relevant in this tough race. And speaking of good social media strategy, it doesn’t just involve opening up of facebook pages and groups and posting political messages while adding members randomly and haphazardly. It is more than this. The content of these interactive media must well thought of, audience friendly and thought provoking. It must capture the aspirations of the comrades while at the same time invoke questions and constructive debates among students.

Into the bargain, having a team of social media campaigners is fundamental. This team effectively answers all questions from the comrades, makes updates in popular groups and pages, and persuades comrades into identifying with the aspirant while tackling character-assassinating propaganda that might emerge in the course of campaigns. Use of graphical representation, images to explain policies is a boost to the social media campaign.

Advertising in popular pages that have huge fan bases is advisable too. These adverts are able to reach the masses at the comfort of their rooms. Students can effortlessly tell what an aspirant stands for.

However, this doesn’t mean the traditional avenues such as use of posters, banners, Door-to door campaigns, forums on the ‘ground’, crossfire, Kamukunjis and barazas will be less important. No! A successful campaign strategy is one that is able to effectively use social media alongside the aforementioned avenues.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

I CALL IT DOWNRIGHT LOGIC!

By Timothy Simwa
As we continue to grapple with the Kenyan curriculum of education that has been condemned of being devoid of the basic essentials that education in developed countries encompass, voluminous files of review commissions on education continue to gather dust in our national archives. (Just as many other reports with the latest but already mutilated TJRC report to exonerate the untouchable just as our culture of freeing the big fish demands.) Grave issues remain unsettled.

In the recent past, Kenyans have woken up to news of at least three satellite colleges that underwent an overnight evolution to become fully-fledged universities. While you might view it a plus to whoever does this, you are probably not giving it a critical evaluation or you are a continuing undergraduate who ostensibly has no idea of what lurks in the world of tarmacking for public university graduates. I blame it on popular politics, flicks and tricks that are now playing a role in our education spheres.

The sector's role in realizing a transformed society (in Kenya we call it vision 2030) cannot be underestimated but it remains crystal clear that roadside declarations by the head of state, or any other mandarin who matters in our worshipped political structures, is uncalled for in our education systems .Such moves have seen village polytechnics transform overnight to become universities. This is what I term as downright and warped logic as a way of empowering our people education-wise.

I watch in amazement as pundits succumb to pressure of locals in political rallies to establish a university within their walking-distance even when KCSE statistics reveal the whole districts had only a dozen students making it to public universities albeit the harmonized threshold by the Joint Admission Board.

Notably the head of state, particularly during the coalition regime, was characterized by institutions mushrooming in tremendous numbers. Under the same reign, as if it was a succession of awards from the head of state, we saw a number of districts upsurge to over 160 maybe to create opportunities for employing DOs as part of the 500 thousand job creation strategy plan in a year. Then followed the number of universities. Interesting enough their children read about our institutions in the newspaper from the diaspora.

Yes,we all endeavour to create a society where everyone is learned and accessing education isn't an uphill task as it has been for the have nots. But in the same breath, an education system 50 years old down the lane that has very little to salute is doomed.

The appalling conditions that describe our lives as Kenyans is enough evidence that introducing the luxury of laptops for standard one kids 
in our crippled education system is a rib-tickling joke. What good does it serve to a child who comes to school with an empty stomach, barefooted, in torn uniform repaired beyond repair and of course a yawning teacher whose peanuts increment treaty signed 15 years ago has not been effected leaving their situation is laughably hopeless.

If the few public universities still do not produce graduates to beat the competitive job market then average reasoning informs that creating 160 varsities to match the moribund 160 districts is disastrous. Instead of consolidating the few we have to realize hybrid graduates than the half-baked type as we are described, and of course tackle the problems bred by the crash program. Pundits in the sector continue to enjoy office slumber as we languish below their noses.

But despite this subjugation, I delight in the enthusiasm with which we remain steadfast in this struggle to refute the appellation of suffering creativity bankruptcy as public university graduates.All we need is a million dollar determination. We will overcome

The writer is a 3rd year journalism student.

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