The Secrets Behind The Life of University Students in Kenya
It is not a wonder any more as many people keep wallowing in
sheer distress as to why university students in Kenya undergo bad life in the
entire process until they clear in the final year. First and foremost, it is
not only Kenyan universities and colleges but also in the entire world,
students never stop doing the unexpected in order to have that extra cash and
survive in campus or colleges. It all started in USIU in Kenya where a student was
alleged to be kidnapped by fellow students amid a student from KIST. It also
made the story worse when one other student of USIU was alleged to have
committed suicide. It is Not The First Time Deaths, Kidnaps and Bad Ordeals Have Been Reported in Campuses
I must say it is not the first time probably it is only
heard of in this ‘posh university’. But for real this is an issue that has been
there in our universities in Kenya for a long time. However, the public
universities suffer the most in these scenarios. It is not news when we hear
students getting into gangs, students selling drugs and other illegal
businesses in the name of surviving in campus. I wish to demystify this odds
for the common people in order for everyone to see that it is not all about
what happens or why it happens but more than how it happens.
Step # 1: The Mystery in The Kenyan Universities And Colleges
University students are
poor! – This is my first assumption in this debate and believe me every
time I raise this notion it has never been cool with my fellow friends,
colleges and even work mates who consider themselves think tanks. They have
always differed vehemently with me. But for real students in the University do
not have money to sustain themselves in campus and colleges probably it is the
way I say they are poor. The truth is that as long as one is in college where a
lot of school fees is paid then it means that the students must be coming from
a family that is if not well off, but at least charitable to pay and sustain a student
in campus or college. However, there is another aspect which paraphrases this
notion of “poor university students”
which is: if these students in the university come from families that are well
off or well to do then the question is do these rich parents give them good
money to cater for their needs satisfactorily? Are you sure they do? Do they
give them money that sums up to the, fine!, food, rent (if they live in their
own apartments, rental houses etc) pocket money? Tell me? I was in campus
myself and I think I have a story to tell in what I saw, lived and witnessed.
This is why I have a novel on my way just like Miguna Miguna in Title: A
Villager in Campus. At least, I know something small that I can share with you.
Take pause and follow.
Step # Why There is Kidnapping, Gangster Life and Deaths in USIU and Other Campuses in Kenya
I was in Egerton University for the last four years before I
graduated and ran away from that University as if someone was trailing me with
a hook or a noose. I will tell you joining a University with the necessary needs
fulfilled by my parents was not enough. I believe you will understand that a student
like me, I needed to have some time with the guys and also the chicks. But Walla!
My little rent and pocket money could not stand for this. I had to do something
in order to stand out in the crowd if not behind but still feel part and parcel.
The first instances, I was taken out by friends and colleges who I latter knew
came from well to do families but as time went by I needed to return the hand
as it is well known in the circles of men around a big table or in a table of
men. This was not possible, so I opted to avoiding the men here and went to do
my small time outing where I went to club alone and did the drinks right from
my small house which I called house but was better called a jail cell.
But you know what clubbing alone is like walking in the jungle alone.
So this was becoming also unbearable.
This continued to the place where I had to juggle up real
businesses in town. When I say real I don’t mean to say it is what you can take
on today as a career but all in all, I struggled as a Jack of all trades to
make a living. That is when I made friends with big guys in campus and councilors
were just the common ones. I will say on my side I was a talented speaker and I
made it in the art of speaking in the formal meetings but all in the name of
making money. So don’t get confused. I summed up as an emcee and also a guru in
the marketing jobs which never escaped my list. I traveled everywhere in this
country selling this or that. No wonder people still call me asking for SET book
DVD’s which I stopped long long time ago while in campus. I can hardly remember
whether I participated in acting some of the Video clips that high school
students watch currently. That is why I had a lot of tag names in University. For
instance: Mc Richie, Motivational Speaker, Inspirational speaker, Graphics
designer, Mass comm. student etcetera. But I will tell you as I was hustling
and brushing shoulders with real motivational speakers, marketers, speakers,
politicians and business people in town I noticed one funny thing. First, I never
failed in my exams, in fact I scored A’s. But the truth is that there are other
students that never seem to be bothered with any jobs to get money in campus
whereas others never ever called their wealthy parents for money but they never
missed any event in town. This was however much it was executive, from local to
where international artists came in. So I noticed two three things which affirms
that university student don’t have money and if they have, they do all sorts of
businesses to obtain the money.
This is What University Students Do to Make a Living in Campus if Not To Survive!
1.
There are a couple of students who are in devil
worshiping and making money. I call for debate here.
2.
There are students who are doing illegal businesses
for instance: “Wash Wash”. Commonly known as Money laundering, money robbing,
petty theft etc.
3.
There are students who are just thugs and
highway robbers and they make good money until caught. I call for debate once
more.
4.
There are those that get money from parents
whether it is from deals on their school fees or simply pocket money, it adds
up. But the bottom line is that even parents with lots of money rarely give
their children huge sums of money for their clubbing etc.
5.
Finally, ladies settle down with all these guys
with lots of cash. But sometimes also we found some ladies in campus doing the Shugga D’s where as men still going the
same way or the lucrative business of same sex. But all in all business here
takes center stage from the common notion they are “poor” or simply put, they have no money to sustain their lifestyle
in campus.
So coming up with a solution to these problems of deaths,
kidnapping and all sorts of “Shugga
Daddys” in campus or whatever is not easy. But first we need to admit that there
is more that what is happening behind campus doors. We need to address them and
finally issues like death, kidnapping, HIV and AID’s will come to an end if not
reduced in rates. But my advice to the ladies, just find a better way to ask
that lavish living campus boyfriend of yours this way, “Honey, how do you get
this lots of money easily?”
If you love your jaws, fine just turn around and leave, but
if you hate including your little face pester him further!
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