SOMU NESLETTER.pdf

THESOMU POSTService with Integrity

A Maseno University Newsletter

2012/2013 Issue No. 2

Inside

Auditions for Kings and Queens of Maseno was a bomb!

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Maseno’s ‘Nomads’ soaring higher in rugby

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Group photo of SOMU 2012/2013 officials,some members of the administration and other leaders in a past workshop File photo

The Somu PostIssue No. 2 2012/2013

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SOMU; there’s enough brushna in every wood, we can do it

Student Organization of Maseno University comprises of 25 members, in addition to 32 members who represent students at the faculty level, religious

groups, students with disabilities and student representative from Kisumu City campus and Homa bay campus. The president and the Secretary General represent the students at the senate meetings.SOMU has gone through some serious changes since 2010 when the constitution was drafted under the leadership of Joseph Kivunja as the chairman. The constitution was passed through votes by the students in the last academic year 2011/2012 under the leadership of Cyrus Kipkazi whose title changed from chairman to President as SOMU today runs as a government.The current SOMU under the leadership of James Okumu, the President, thrives in ensuring the constitution is implemented. Currently, SOMU works under the Director of student’s welfare, Dr Nyambedha unlike previously where all their operations were from the dean of the student office. Speaking to the SOMU Newsletter correspondent, the SOMU Secretary General, Mr George Korir highlighted some of the achievements sawn by the current SOMU government and their future plans as;a. Set aside funds for election of Congress persons, working on an MOU to review remuneration of congress person’s allowances from the current 200 shillings to at least 500 shillings per sittingb. Funds already set for the construction of parliament that would accommodate all congress persons and the executive and elect the speaker and its deputy to ensure the decision made on the proper management of SOMU is passed independently at the parliament and implemented by the executive as depicted in the constitution. The process is to begin immediately the administration will give land where the construction is to

take place.c. Slabs have been laid down to recarpet major paths leading to Tsunami, Student center and New Makerere.d. Funds to purchase music system for entertainment have been procured.e. Gym which was brought through negotiation between SOMU and private partnership from the docket of Stanley Amadi, the director security and accommodation, currently working on an MOU to reduce the amount paid by students to make it more affordable to many.f. Advertisement of construction of pre-fabricated lecture hallsg. Plan to fully support and ensure services are offered to students affected by the tri-semester programme, the second years.h. Ensure all lecture halls have white clean boardsi. Ensure every social hall like Hindocha, Harambee, college hall among others have plasma TV setsj. Organize and supervise election of student representatives that is the chairperson, treasurer, director academics and director sports and welfare in Homabay campus.k. Setting up a standing order for the next SOMU government.l. Construct shades at the shuttle stopping points which is also waiting for approval of land by the administration for the structure to be erected and also put up seats at the hot points/spots.m. Working on the strategic plan laid by the previous office to bring changes in the University and make the union completely independent from the administration.SOMU however experiences some challenges like lack of good will from the students who perceive that SOMU leaders are there to embezzle funds, that they have free meal vouchers and do not pay school fees, factors which are NOT true whatsoever.Budgeting has also proved to be a challenge as the administration does not give the exact number of students registered which is always an under approximation.The article 36(1) of the University act 2012, however, appears a barrier since the charter that should be passed by February 25 will block out the students representation at the council.

Students working out in the gym Photo:Kibet Aries

Hockey players and the Sports Director pose for a snap during a past tournament File photo

The Somu Post 2012/2013 Issue No. 2

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SOMU; there’s enough brushna in every wood, we can do it

Mr president

Your health mattersThrough the events that took place in

the last semester, it has dawned on the students that their health forms a

fundamental objective of SOMU activities. The semester picked well with the screening for breast and cervical cancers in October 2012, activities that majorly targeted the female students. This event was an eye opener as to the seriousness of cancer as a terminal disease amongst us and it demonstrated the importance of early diagnosis as the first step towards winning the war against it. The event attended by 500 students, 200 less than the targeted number, also faced several challenges, with the main one being few numbers of nurses available for the exercise. Others included a limited supply of reagents as well as the students’ shyness of the whole process of screening for the cancer strains. This is because a cervical cancer test involves extracting vaginal fluid from the patient and this requires both privacy and time as it is a delicate process.

After the day’s hustles and bustles, dusk arrives and certainly everyone is out to look for food, James Okumu, the SOMU President is not an exception.

I interrupt his evening plan to have a chat with him. He accepts my request and this is James Okumu…

Who is James Okumu? I am the current SOMU president, I value everyone. I believe in myself and am always ready to take responsibility for all that I do. What is Maseno University to you? Maseno to me is not just an excellent institution but also a family of people who have a heart for each other, a people of great intelligence, humane, industrious. A community of great men and women who accept each other with no preference to sex, tribe, values diversity from all cultures .I love Maseno, and I believe in what is good for this university and nothing can stop me from doing it good.How do you balance leadership and academics? I wake up early to do my reading and assignments and ensure that I attend all classes but miss when very necessary .But I also ensure that I get assistance from classmatesWhy do you love putting on jackets? I love Italian designs .I put on jackets because they make me approachable compared to coats that makes others feel intimidated, I also put on clothes that make me feel comfortable.What would you have liked to achieve if you were the president of Kenya? I would have tried to put sense to people through publicity. I have a strong belief that if all Kenyans speak the same voice, if all of us are united without any tribal differences, then I believe this country

will climb great heights.Best music genre I love country music.Best quote. You must believe in something in this world for you to live, if not it’s better to be dead.Best dish. Pilau and minced meat.Dislikes. People, who please others, have hidden agenda and those who talk a lot and do little.Mr President who is the lucky lady? Mmmhhh (dodging) …we’ll get to that.

Just then Njoroge knocks, with Mr. President’s supper and he insists he must eat. I therefore realize he is not tribalistic and speaks only English or Kiswahili. As I was leaving I had a lot in my mind, I was assured we have a leader, a brother, a mentor, and a candle that gives us light and promises us great future. I believe in you, lets trust him.

The incumbent SOMU President James Okumu

Photo: SOMU website

To avert this, the cervical cancer clinic took place for over a week. The success of this event opened a chapter for the blood glucose level test. This took place in October 2012 with the target of the event being to check the precursors to diabetes amongst students of Maseno University. Out of the targeted 500 students, only 470 students turned up for the event. It also provided ground for the medical lab students to exercise their expertise in the area.Apart from a few challenges, the event was considered a success. The 2013 arrived with lots of promises, in the health sector; the director assured the students that the habit of good leadership did not go with 2012. Hepatitis B immunization was launched in February in Siriba Campus. Hepatitis B is a viral disease that

affects the liver; it is quite contagious and can be transmitted through body fluids such as sweat, saliva, tears and vaginal fluids. It is also airborne and in situations where one is in closed space with an infected person, infections occur within minutes and the result is catastrophic. Symptoms of infection include fatigue, sweating, fever, yellowing of the eyes and skin, also referred to as jaundice and severe vomiting. Jaundice occurs as a result of liver malfunctioning, it is a terminal disease and fatal in its own right. SOMU through the health and sanitation docket carried out a vaccination of the said disease with a target of 200 students and even though that number was exceeded, the director; Erich Midigo says that they were overwhelmed by the turn up and at some point had to stop the process to re-organize the crowd. Along with the hepatitis B immunization, there was also blood grouping which mainly helped students know their blood groups. The activities were majorly conducted by students from Medical school.


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THESOMU POST The SOMU post, a publication from the stu-dents governing council is meant to demystify truths, myths lies and rumors about the student leadership, from the leadership itself. It also highlights the achievements, troubles and tribulations that the union undergoes in its quest to deliver to the students’ fraternity. This should not be viewed as if the union is pouring out itself in bitter words, but rather, the publication carries a message of hope to the students, it is a reminder that the union has a voice, and that if it’s a comrades affair, they WILL do it . It is also a far cry from the leadership urging the students to find out more about the union, get to recognize the correct boundaries of SOMU’s mandate ,because it is only then that we can build confidence in the union, believe in it and own it, remember it is ‘students orga-nization..’ comrades, ‘there is brushna in every wood enough to burn it’ Please watch out for the oncoming events and critic them accordingly. Remember that the students’ organisation is and will always be there to listen to and tackle your grievances. As we will be breaking for the general elec-tions, the board wishes that we be the ambas-sadors of peace. Tribalism and hatred are the monsters that impedes our progress and thus let us avoid them at all cost.Views and comments about this publication are welcome .

A Publication of Student Organization of Maseno University

Nyoiro Caleb Odiwuor : Editor in ChiefAries Kibet: Managing Editor

Paul Nandia, Mercy Riziki, Steve Biko, Kenneth Irungu, Caren Obiero, Mohammed

Ahmed, Kassim Adinasi, Irine Achieng’, Joshua Endrian: Editors

[email protected]

Mohamed Iman Sigat is currently the Vice President

of SOMU. He is a third year student pursuing BA Economics with IT. Sigat is a student representative whose guiding principle is to be available and advocate for the entire student body.He is an inspiring and a great leader who is disci-plined, dedicated and has the ability to perform his duties well. Mohamed is a team player who sees his SOMU col-leagues as comrades and great leaders with detailed approach and a style of leadership that is unique. He adds that great leaders have an amazing foundation of qualities and can commu-nicate, motivate and inspire individual team members to rise up to a higher level. Mohamed’s responsibilities run from studying, attend-ing to student welfare and performing certain personal duties. As a leader in an institution like Maseno Uni-versity, dedication to student service becomes vital. As the Vice President, Mohamed supervises, coordinates and oversees that all aspects of student organizations welfare at Maseno University. He says that he feels he is better than his predecessor in that through his office the needy students’ bursary fund has increased from 250,000 to 400,000 per semester. In addition, students now access SOMU resources equally without looking into one’s background or tribe. An independent Commit-tee has been established to oversee fair and equal dis-

tribution of these funds. This has also shown great transparency in handling these finances. Mohamed is an active sportsman. He takes part in MUMSA and TSUNAMI FC games.Sigat has proved to be a great agitator for change and always believes in jus-tice. He believes that this is why many students trust his leadership.“Students love me because they have great hope and trust in me, that I am an agent for change in this university,” said Sigat.His success as a student leader is as a result of having good advisors who have enhanced his experience. He fur-ther added that as the vice president, he has access to key administrators who provide insight whenever needed. “In every position I have served, I have learned to rely on these people to sup-port me in accomplishing my goals,” reiterated Sigat. As a leader, he adds that one must work with others to establish a vision for the future and inspire others to make the vision a reality. “I have learned firsthand that a leader’s mindset and values are present in every event, program, and meeting that they attend. If you want others to be as excited about your performance as you are, you have to set the standard,” said the VP.

Sweet tale; the VP has it all

SOMU Vice-president Mohamed Sigat Photo: Mohamed Ahmed

NYOIRO CALEB ODIWUORSOMU EDITOR - 012/013.


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Sweet tale; the VP has it all Here’s the real reelEntertainment in Maseno has taken

a new turn judging from the recent events and refurbishments in the

varsity.This involves the establishment of a second TV room in Tsunami, the installation of a second screen in the Students’ Centre, although not complete, and another screen in Harambee Hall among others.“We have installed another TV in Harambee Hall to cater for those residing in Equator Hostels and it will start functioning very soon”, Bright Shitemi, the Entertainment Director, told this paper in an interview.He added that the bar section of the students’ centre is also improved on and opens mostly on Wednesdays and the Weekends. You will most definitely notice the systems used from the quality sound and the aura that they create.This is a sector, apart from sports, that is always viewed as a relief from the course work and thus under the scrutiny of many students. In the last semester, a near-fight scenario

ensued in Tsunamis’ TV room between Arsenal and Manchester United football clubs’ fans. With only a single TV set available and both teams playing concurrently, no group was ready to forgo their viewership thus culminating into the tussle. These are some of the reasons that have prompted the current director to up his game.According to Martin Otieno, a 3rd year student, the development in the sector will also cater for the needs of the ladies who normally find it hard to struggle over the few TV sets with their male counterparts over which programs to watch.“There used to be a TV set in the College Hall but it’s not functioning anymore, so the incumbent director of entertainment should try and revive it”, said Otieno in an interview. Last weekends’ Sem Kick off Bash held in the graduation square was also an indication of the progress. For the first time apart from the music and drinks, revelers also enjoyed the play station, ps.All eyes are now set on the forthcoming Mr and Ms Maseno dubbed Kings and Queens of Maseno Culture fuse, an event that is normally viewed as a pivotal point in judging entertain-

ment in an academic year. The just concluded auditions for the event just gave a sneak preview of what we are to expect come the D day. Aside from the miss bootilicious category, the blazing hot couples and models accompanied with good music from the decks got the audience screaming for more. Partying was then extended to a better part of the night, something that any reveler would yearn for. With this trend, I bet the next director will find it hard fitting into Bright’s shoes or even doing better.

Flexers show off their muscles during the auditions for Mr & Ms Maseno Photo: Stanley Amadi

If one is confronted with a question whether Maseno University has shown effort to reach Vision 2030 where Kenya will be a 24 hour economy, then one of the hostels has already achieved this.New Sunrise Hostels, also commonly known as ‘Tsunami’ gaining the name County with the new constitution houses more than 30 percent of the student population of Maseno University.It is in this hostel where at any time of the night some residents always walk in the corridors while you will meet others seated outside chat-ting even as late as 3am in the morning and you are left wondering when they sleep.Those that stay in the hostels when they are in first year and taste the goodness of the place find it a hard decision to seek their stay in any other hostel and end up staying there in their life-time in the University.The students who live there have made Tsunami a complete community in that you will meet all sorts of people ranging from pastors to thieves, sellers to customers, women and men among others.Theft is rampant. In the hostel one must lock his or her door even when visiting a neighbor or when visiting the washrooms failure to which you meet a rude shock of your life, you know what I mean?It has reached the extent of making the residents of the hostels guard their property with those irresponsible facing the music. After laundry

work, one is forced to stay around the vicinity. The unlucky ones report their missing cloths when still wet.Thriving entrepreneurship is another character-istic of Tsunami. It is the hostel with all sorts of business carried out in the rooms with the latest one being laundry work and sale of fresh khat/miraa. Photocopying and hawking doughnuts are the two dominant businesses with those that are well established enjoy monopoly, through the customer loyalty.The entrepreneurs however had a rough week when the housekeepers destroyed and removed all their adverts in the noticeboards and walls of the toilets. According to the housekeepers, this was a breach of the University rules and regula-tions. But lucky those who had put their adverts in some funny places like pasting them on the far ends of the urinal pits as the stench in those places were simply forbidding the intruders.Gambling is another daily and 24/7 activity that takes place in the hostels. Playing cards is on the highest where most players leave the game having milked every coin in their wallet, while others make a kill, as much as sh1000 a day or more from the game. Pool table is another gambling haven, this is where one would find gamblers huddling around the tables as late as 2am in the morning.The hostel has its own uniqueness, in the event of unlucky thief running into the hands of the students, there is always a new story and a song

to sing. No blows, no kicks, slap miss the victim and occasionally spill over to unsuspecting RSFLs. It is a drama. The hostel also plays host to rum loving comrades, these you will find on day’s end, ever inebriated. Some go as far as stocking the devil’s drink in their hostel rooms to ensure a constant supply of the same. After they’ve had enough from their drinking spree, they terrorize their comrades by hauling at the wee hours of the morning. It is only in Tsunami where guys can ‘chips funga ‘a mad woman from the mar-ket to entertain themselves. Pirating cannot be ruled out in the hostel since the population is very high and thus it becomes a head-ache to the management to try to get hold of the few individuals who illegally stay in the hostel.It is also a funny thing to note that some members in the hostels ‘exile’ their roommates in order to en-tertain their girlfriends and probably get a chance to ‘score’ which is usually the ultimate goal for exiling. It never ceases to be a wonder how one individual denies three members of a house off their comfort, sending them out in the name of making merry. But this is the accepted mode of living and thus very few feel offended.Nevertheless, the residents of this hostel are contented with all the above and stay in peace and harmony. Few that we spoke to said that their stay there has made them be able to accommodate all kinds of people. “It is the best place to be!” most of them compli-mented when I asked them of their experiences and stay in the hostel.

Tsunami; the hustlers’ abode


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He currently sits on one of the most coveted seats in SOMU Executive Council, and despite facing challenges that range from character assassination to misconceptions about his office; he still plans on soaring high in the leadership realm. The SOMU Sec General shared his life with Steve Biko.

1. What is your name and what role do you play in SOMU?I am George Korir, a 3rd Year student pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Urban and Regional Planning with IT. In SOMU I am the current Secretary General.

2. Besides being the Sec Gen who is Korir?(Smiling) A social and humble gentleman who is responsive to issues addressed to him.

3. Tell me something about your family…I am the fourth born in a family of nine.

4. What are your hobbies and interests?I like travelling, watching movies, partying and sporting; rugby in this case.

5. As the Sec Gen, what are some of the challenges that you faced in your docket?Actually there are lots of challenges in my work…Some-times students expect so much and even have lots of mis-conceptions concerning the role of SOMU.

A case to point?Eeh! Students sometimes expect SOMU to construct lecture halls or hostels while in real sense, it exists to create a link between the students and the administration as well as rep-resent their interests to relevant authorities.

6. But some issues raised are genuine and require your attention…

Yeah! Sometimes when issues are raised, we forward them to the relevant authorities but due to bureaucracies, they are delayed while students expect immediate response leading to a backlash.

7. What do you do in such situations?It forces us to pressurize them. I think that the staff assigned duties should tackle them and not expect SOMU officials to push them because it eats into our work and personal time.

8. Yobrat Lasky was recently apprehended for alleged impersonation, defamation etc. What’s your take on that?I think each one should use the social media responsibly and not see it as a channel for spreading hate speech, blackmail or even to incite others. It is very bad to carry out character assas-sination using the same for example. Let’s use social media to share ideas and relevant information.

9. What’s your preferred dress code?I do official wear, especially cool colours like blue, black and chequered shirts.

10. Mmmh! I would catch you dead in? That would be a dreadlocked Korir sagging a pair of jeans trouser. Haha!

11. Which football club do you support in the English Pre-mier League?I support The Blues, that is Chelsea and in AFCON am drum-ming up support for Nigeria though my presumed team was Cote d’Ivoire.

12. Who is you role model and what drives you in life?My role model is William Ruto. As a Christian, I derive a lot of inspiration from a quote which states that ‘Do your best and let God do the rest’.

13. What is your view on the current political tension that has marred the country?We learnt our lessons in 2007/2008 and I don’t think there will be chaos. As an institution, we should be the ambassadors of peace and even organize peace events like a peace caravan before we break for elections.

14. As for those aspiring to be leaders what would you tell them?Leadership is about sacrificing and the greatest of all, it is a calling. Never try it if you are driven by your own selfish interests. They should also note that when going into leadership, you must be ready to lose most of your private space and be ready to meet blackmail, propaganda among others vices head-on.

15. Where do you see yourself five years from now?(While smiling) That will be 2018 and I will be most probably vying for the Moiben Constituency parliamentary seat, watch this space!

George Korir, SOMU Sec. General File photo

Le Secretary General


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Le Secretary GeneralFashion can be described as a popular

style or practice especially in clothing and accessories. In street talk, fashion is

commonly referred as to as swag. One needs not to be told what to wear and how to wear it. Appearance is the most important factor in our daily life. In the current society, a person’s appearance, dressing and clothing do matter a lot. Dressing sense is said to be the mirror im-age of a person’s personality as well as reflect-ing on the occasion for which the individual attends. The incumbent SOMU officials have outdone all the former SOMU leaders in terms of style; they are on point. For starters, take a good look at our main man-Mr. President. He has gone on record for having the best and coolest jackets around. The jackets do an awesome job in completing his outfit and complementing his looks. What he puts on beneath his jackets are simply classics! The guy probably takes more time in the mirror than in the shower. Did I mention his footwear? Well, it goes without saying; the dude’s got an eye for good stuff. He’s got taste.His able deputy-Mohammed is another big shot. From his well-matched shirts and pants to his classy, elegant, alluring, to his luxurious cologne which practically makes ladies turn heads whenever he passes. Yes, ladies love guys who smell nice. If you thought gentlemen only exist in Hollywood then you definitely haven’t crossed Moha’s path. Hollywood found its way to Maseno.

One piece of advice, wear your perfume!! It will help lift your spirits and double your courage.The SOMU office would be incomplete without her. When she passes by, one thing that flashes in your mind is a flower party. Colorful and smiling! Her contagious smile warms the coldest of hearts. Madam Finance Secretary surely knows how to rock her look. Pamela, who usually completes her outfit with heals is one lady that has a charming per-sonality. Her sleek style of dressing makes her one of the best dressed ladies in Maseno. She is a doll! The office of the Secretary General has two gentlemen who make a perfect match for the work. Simple and smart is what the office represents. Mr. Korir is always sharp in his spectacles, his titanium watch and official outfit. Who said that for you to be formal or cooperative you have to wear blazers? Kibet complements his look with sweaters which totally does justice to him. Currently sweaters and scarves are the in thing. Therefore a guy who pulls that look is definitely stylish. Smart, “straight” and stylish statistician would perfectly describe him. Our entertainment docket is safe with him for a simple fact that he is trendy. Mr. Real Recognize Real is true to his slogan. With the round caps as his brand and paired with matching T-shirts and jeans, Bright is indeed swaggarific. I can’t help but judge people by their gait. This dude takes very sure and calculated steps which tell us more about his character. He thinks about his actions before he engages in them. To change your life, change the way you walk! It may cost you a job. Amadi has done us proud with his physique which totally represents the position he holds. This

guy understands that a well formed chest goes a long way in ensuring peoples safety. When it comes to fashion he is informed and that’s why he goes for tight shirts that show off his biceps and slightly loose pants to complement his looks. With his loafers on the feet, he is way on top of the radar. If only I had plenty of space I would have gone on about the rest of the office. In summary I can say that the entire office got a sense of style. The clothing or the fashion we wear marks our status as well as our personality among those individuals that surround us. So before you leave your room, mind your image!!

Aries Kibet, one of the SOMU officials who has a sense of fashion Profile picture

Sense de la mode unveiled

“G0 to school and do your best. Read your books tire-lessly “I am sure that is what all parents told their children when they came to Maseno University. In

our everyday life here, given the freedom we have how many truly fol-low that advice? I bet some do and at the same time, some do not. The office of academics is however available to ensure comfort ability as we try to go about our core business in Maseno.The students’ academic interests are represented by the SOMU Direc-tor Academic Affairs-Lawrence Ruto.The office is mandated with ensuring students’ academic affairs are taken care of appropriately. We interviewed Mr.Ruto and he had this to say:“Since I took over the office, I have experienced mixed results as far as the implementation of the policies that formed the platform of our campaigns are concerned. I am proud and humble at the same time to report that some of them have been implemented while others are yet to see the light of the day. My office, through hard work and determination has been able to at-tain a couple of achievements as follows;• Advocating for Wi-Fi installation within the radius of the reach of all hostels. However this process is still underway.• Effective advocation for the release of examination results semesterly with effect from this semester. This is awaiting confirma-tion by March 2013.• Holding consultative meetings with all class representa-tives. This is a noble and unique idea as students’ academics issues are promptly addressed.• Campaigning for the construction of more lecture halls to address the biting shortage of lecture halls. The tender to this was recently advertised in the Standard Newspaper.

• Awarding of certificates to all class representatives in recog-nition of their noble and hard task.Challenges are inevitable and just like every other office; mine has experienced a couple of trials which I hope to deal with. The chal-lenges include;Lack of cooperation from the administrationThe administration has been an impediment to the good working relations. Despite numerous meetings the students body held with the administration to discuss the way forward concerning the several prob-lems students are facing including the acute shortage of lecture halls, the management never honoured the agreement and we had no other option but to call for a “kamukunji” to chart way forward with the stu-dents regarding the management’s non-cooperation. It was only then that the university management advertised the tender in the dailies.Another instance was when I went to see the procurement officer on 10th October, 2012 so as to discuss the issue of serious shortage of seats. The procurement officer told me that his office had placed an order for the supply of 860 seats from a supplier in Nairobi. He even took me through the order recorded in the procurement book. He assured me that the seats were to be delivered by the 29th of October 2012. This never came to pass.I decided to pursue the matter once more on 15th November 2012 together with the SOMU President and the Secretary General and we were appalled to hear that the supplier had produced poor quality seats and the mere 100 delivered were kept in the university storeEven with those constraints, my office is trying hard to remain afloat and push for academic comfort ability where possible.Comrades I therefore ask for your patience and high optimism as we look forward to a better academic milieu.”

Academics is our focal point


Page 8 The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit/shorten articles and determine what is to be published and when©[email protected]

The Sports director’s reportI first and foremost thank GOD ALMIGHTY for this far he has taken us. The success we have achieved so far as the sporting fraternity of Maseno University has come from hard work by all stakeholders in various units of the department.This year we have witnessed many changes of how sports has been run far much different and better from other years. This is the year the students themselves have been greatly involved in making of major decisions on sports issues affecting them.We have had countless meetings with all the teams captains from all campus teams which in my opinion have enabled a smooth running of our department . During this academic year we have participated in various tournaments and as it has been the norm we have proven to be the powerhouse in the western region. We have managed a good number of silverware and qualifications in the following categories.1.T he hockey men team and the Volleyball ladies have already qualified

for the KUSA National playoffs to be held in Mombasa.2.The hockey team have also continued their winning form by managing two other victories in open tournaments. We wish them well as they prepare for the national task ahead. Other school teams are on serious training sessions to emulate the hockey team. The other team that has faired well is the rugby team commonly known as the Nomads, the team through the leadership of the unstoppable captain Orroto Miller have done the school proud by representing the school in the western region league and

ending on a high note.The volleyball men team under captain Duncan Omondi (Omosh) are also the champions of the JKUAT open tournament. The other silent giants are the basketball men and ladies teams, The Soccer men team who are eagerly waiting for their competitions to come, I am assured they will do good.Just on the know1. One of our own comrade Ronald Omino Otieno “RONNY” will be featuring In the famous Kenya premier league next season being on duty for HOMEBOYZ FC the team he has greatly helped join the first division by being their top scorer.2. Our Sportsmen and ladies are the most disciplined in all public and private universitiesParting shortOn behalf of all school teams I wish to pass my special thanks to the following individuals.1: The Vice Chancellor Prof Dominic Makawiti for his concern and plans to upgrade sports in Maseno.2:The Director SWS Dr Erick Nyambedha for his fatherly and willing support to all school teams when things seem to be at the end of the road.3:T he SOMU President Mr. James Okumu for the love and support he has for sports in Maseno University.4: The Red Cross society for their first aid services on all our teamsTo all lovers of sports more events are coming and I promise you continued good results

The Sports Director, Bryan Mwenda poses with some of the trophies the varsity has scooped this year File photo

Contempt and criticisms charac-terize all kinds of political and elective positions anywhere in

the world. Some of these criticisms are warranted while others are mere pejora-tives of prejudiced minds. SOMU has had a fair share of criticisms and all who have served in SOMU have not been spared, they all have been demonized as incompe-tent ingrates only motivated to “kukulape-sazetu”. Some SOMU officials are evidently very uninspiring and deserve to be criticized. But it’s not justified to condemn and criticize just for the sake of criticism and condemnation as it is evident that many are hell-bent in portraying SOMU as unre-sponsive, unproductive and a near useless organization. This is the single story that most have of SOMU/SEC. Misallocation of student funds, under-performance, unfulfilled promises, and unresponsive members are some of the allegations making up this single story of SOMU.Some of these might be true but making it the definitive story of SOMU is not okay! This single story of SOMU demoralizes the truly committed leaders; this single

story will rob from some of them the credits and dignity theydeserve. Itmay deny many the opportunities to participate in SOMU activi-ties or even running for a given post. This single story will turn many blind to any kind of achievement by SOMU. How can SOMU be vocal in the national politics if it does not have the support of the students because of the contempt it holds? SOMU comprises of not only the Student ExecutiveCouncil(SEC), which everyone seems to criticize, but also affiliate bodies like MUABS, MUACU, RED CROSS and MUCSA among others thus the criticisms do not spare such organizations as well. SOMU’s duties include linking the stu-dents’ body and the administration, to be the mouth piece of the student body and air their grievances and to work for the students and with the administration. Their duties alsoencompassfollowing up in making enquiries and proposing new ideas and making the administration to be student friendly and responsive to their needs. SOMU ensures that all semester activities are con-ducted on time and successfully. The expectations that we have of SOMU is an unrealistic one, we expect SOMU to do things magically, to fix that blown inflorescent tube in your room almost immediately (and

you have not reported to anyone!), to make sure transcripts don’t have re-sits on them, to make the queues at the mess be shorter, to make sure that the library is fully stocked, to make sure that there is a television in every hostel among others. When they don’t meet these expectations,the “Robin hood” style, all you get is very cruel accusa-tions against it. The roles of Maseno university administration and that of SOMU are not the same; SOMU might not do some things because they are out of their mandate. We should all strive to recognize the cor-rect boundaries to prevent both the exaggerated dis-dain, contempt for and help restore the confidence that we should have in this organization. Some of the problems that affect their work include limited resources, lack of support from student’s body, the bottlenecks of bureaucracy in addressing student’s grievances and even raising funds for their activities. SOMU members on the other hand should strive to embrace ethics, integrity and serve with diligence. They should also rid themselves off tribal alliances and corruptionwhich greatly hinders their performance. If they all achieve these, there is no doubt that the criticism and mistrust will always be directed to their activities.

Adapted from Abraham Dalles’ blog post

Let us engage in healthy and informed criticism

SOMU NESLETTER.pdf

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