SMOKE SCREEN SECURITY; A THREAT TO CITIZENS’ LIVES

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Kenyans have all the reasons to be proud of Kenya Defence Force especially after dedicating their lives to save the Westgate terrorism victims. To many the mission was a success given the large number of rescued hostages. One of the most disturbing issue is the flow of information between the security agencies. During the incidence the agencies gave contradicting information on what was going on in the mall especially after smoke was seen emerging from the mall. If the claims coming up that some people had informed the Kenyan intelligence agency on possible terrorist attack then it would be worth asking the precautionary measures that were put in place to prevent the attack. It would be unfortunate to say that Kenyan security agencies never learn from their previous mistakes but it is the reality to live by.

Westgate mall terror attack was not the first terrorist attack on this country especially in Nairobi. Does it mean that after the attacks the agencies usually get back to their normal routine? If it is so then there is need to change strategies on national security matters. The 7^th August 1998 bomb blast on the American Embassy was supposed to be an eye opener to the security agencies. In fact, Al-Shabaab had given Kenya a warning when KDF facilitated their downfall in Kismayu. Did we take their warning serious? Some people are probably sleeping on their jobs at the expense of the security of the citizens. At the beginning of the year we witnessed an unnecessary power struggle in the Police Service on who was superior? Then there were claims that the junior police officers were on a go slow which also threatened the country’s security.

The state of security that is always witnessed after a tragedy has struck the country is always encouraging. Something that our security agencies may not be aware of is that after striking the assailants always take a backstage view as the agencies spring into action. We tend to forget quite fast. The country has experienced massive insecurity instances for the past one year. Starting from the Church bombing in Mandera, MRC attacks, Tana River clashes, Bungoma and Busia attacks, it has been evident on the laxity of the security agencies in ensuring that the Kenyan citizens are safe. The routine of tightening security only after a tragedy is unwise and costly to the nation.

A country that once took pride in the peace its citizens enjoyed is turning out to be insecure as the days advance. It’s not easy to know when a tragedy may strike. The security agencies should take the initiative of ensuring that the citizens are guaranteed of safety wherever they are. There is need for the laws on arming private security officers to be reviewed. There is no security the private security officers would provide if they are only armed with metal detectors and batons, they will have nothing to do incase assailants strike with guns. The culture of beefing up security after an attack has been carried out and many citizens killed is of little significance in making citizens safe. Seemingly the assailants have also learnt this weakness in the country’s security and are really taking advantage of it. It is quite cheaper to put security measures in place before an attack than after. This will help in making both foreigners and Kenyans have trust in the country’s security detail. Hence investors would be retained rather than fleeing the country due to insecurity. Kenya is a great nation and those in charge of the country’s security should not give terrorists a chance to tear it asunder. A country built of hard work and colonial heroes and heroines should not be run like a village.

NEW CHANCELLOR AT LAST.

Many had speculated that H.E Uhuru Kenyatta would be the new chancellor of Moi University. These speculations however, never come to a reality as a new able female chancellor was unveiled yesterday in Moi University’s 29^th graduation ceremony. Prof. Miriam K. Were who was born in 1940 is the new chancellor of Moi University. Prof. Were takes up the office from the former chancellor prof. Bethwel Ogot.

Prof Miriam Were holds a degreein Natural Sciences fromWilliam Penn College, IOWAUSA, postgraduate Diploma in Education from Makerere University, MPH and Doctor of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University in the USA. She also qualified as a medical doctor from theUniversity of Nairobi in 1973.

Achievements

• She recently received the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize for medical services for her efforts of bringing basic medical services and health rights to women and children in East African villages.  
• She was cited as the overall best-graduating student in 1973 when she qualified as a medical doctor from the University of Nairobi.
• She was awarded the George P. Tolbert Health Award for outstanding contribution to InternationalHealth during her PhD studies in Johns Hopkins University in the USA.
• She initiated a Community-Based Health Care project in Kakamega where she was the Director between1976 and 1982. The project won the UNICEF Maurice Pate Award in 1978 becoming the first African institution to win the award.
• She became the Chief Health and Nutrition/Senior PHC Adviser, UNICEF Ethiopia in 1985
• 
  In 1990 she was appointed the Representative and Chief of Mission, World Health Organization to Ethiopia in Addis Ababa.
• In 1993 she was elevated to the post of the Director, United Nations Population Fund
  Country Support Team Addis Ababa (UNFPA/ CSTAA),
• 
  She has served inseveral local boards and international organizations such as UZIMA
  Foundation, AMREF, Kenya Anticorruption Commission (KACC), National AIDS Control Council (NACC), MAP International, Help – International, Global Health Workforce Alliance, and Action Africa, among others.
• Prof. Were comes to Moi University with a lot of experience in the academic sector which is expected to benefit the University a great deal in achieving its academic goals.

VOTERS’ REGISTER; MODALITY CHANGE REQUIRED

This year’s MUSO elections come with a lot of crazy developments as compared to the previous ones. It’s one election that was nullified by the dean of students even before the counting of the votes commenced. The decision was later over ruled by the dean of students prompting the counting of the votes a day after they were cast. Then come the power sharing issue. The main source of trouble was a list voters who were written on foolscaps after their names went missing from the voters’ register. Interestingly even some aspirants had their names missing from the voters’ register.  The voting process itself took the longest time ever since the establishment of this institution. Are there no other ways of solving the whole issue of the voters’ register and the time set aside for voting?

I had to seek some explanations on the voters’ register dilemma from a SEC commissioner. The commissioner who accepted to give some explanation however sought anonymity. He said this was a tricky issue that needed careful and wise actions so as to deal with. He sighted that the green book clearly states that bona-fide students are those whose names appears on the nominal roll. He however said that blocking those whose names missed on the register from voting would block out many legitimate students from voting. He said that since the nominal roll only contains names of those that have cleared their fees, it would not be in order to say that they are the only bona-fide students. There are many legitimate students who due to financial constraints usually pay school fees at the end of the semester. Would it be in order to block them from voting? I still had not been given a satisfactory explanation. As a man of wisdom he went ahead to give me examples of flows that came with this voters register. He said there may arise a situation where a number of students have left his/her student ID to a campus shylock as collateral for a loan. The shylock may use these IDs to vote by giving to other people for the purpose of voting in favour of those he/she had interest in.

“Interestingly even some aspirants had their names missing from the voters’ register.”

So what’s the solution? The commissioner stressed the need for decentralizing the election process to various schools. He said there has always been minimal cases of missing of names when various school associations are conducting elections. He said there was need for students to vote in their respective schools since it would save on time and allegations of students from other campuses being ferried to participate in elections meant for main campus. He said this could help in sorting out the problem. He also added that it would be advisable for students to check the availability of their names on the voters’ register a few days to the election date.

Moi University for Baringo County

A group of concerned comrades from Moi University Main Campus are planning to launch an initiative to collect sanitary pads to help girls in Baringo County. This Follows a news story run on Citizen T.V in which it was revealed that some girls from that county are using animal skin as sanitary pads when they experiencing their monthly periods. Though female politicians from that region have rubbished the story as propaganda, many Kenyans have condemned them for their irresponsible utterances instead of coming up with ways of helping.

The students from Moi University are planning a mega collection of sanitary pads which will go into helping the affected girls in Baringo County. The initiative is being launched next week where they are planning to set up different collection points in the whole campus. The group is hoping that the whole Moi University fraternity will embrace the initiative and change the lives of the girls. The initiative is planned to bring on board the University Administration, students, teaching and non-teaching staff and by extension well-wishers and other corporate bodies.

The initiative is planned to run on a semesterly basis. Those willing to be part of the initiative will be required to donate sanitary pads and for those unable to do so will be at liberty to give cash equivalent to the number of pads they would wish to donate. The move is being initiated by Moi University students who feel that the affected girls in Baringo have the right to acquire the sanitary pads despite their low financial capability. The pioneers of the initiative include Carren Ondwasi, Linda Ng’ang’a, Linah Muligo, Judith Nyango, Henry Orimbo, Shaddy Mweke, Domnic Mitiro, Clif Obwago among others.

The Legacy to host Tahidi High Crew

The Legacy Publication of Moi University Students plans to Host Tahidi High crew as from 23^rd September for a three day seminar. Speaking during an interview on the MU Drive on 103.9 MU FM, the publication’s editor-in-chief, Ms. Diana Rasugu, said they were making arrangements with the crew together with the publication’s patron, Mr.Juma Musakali to ensure the success of the seminar. The seminar is aimed at giving students a chance to interact with the crew and get the experience of what the field habours for them. Ms. Rasugu said all the interested students are at liberty to register for the same at the Legacy Publication registration desk which will be set at the Students’ C

Redeem MUSO's Sovereignity.

Campus is now live with MUSO politics. Soon the 26th SGC will be dissolved and that means the office will be void prompting need for new leaders. Many comrades have shown interest in various dockets in the incoming 27th SGC. Though the campaigns have not officially kicked off, it is known which comrades are aspiring for which dockets. Everybody has his or her own opinion on the performance of the outgoing 26th SGC. Most comrades believe that they failed the students while others think they did all they could for the students.

Those we remember Mr. Mwamburi Mwangombe will always recall his statement during the dissolution of the 25th SGC. When he said that the comrades will miss his leadership, a section of those present at the function booed him. Does the 26th SGC compare favourably with the 25th SGC in terms of performance? Has much changed positively? In the reign of the 25th SGC, flow of information from the Administration and the SGC was commendable. Weekly updates from MUSO were always posted on the main notice board at the students’ centre. There was The Illuminator which MUSO used to update students of its activities, but what remained of The Illuminator when the 26th SGC took office? After a heated disagreement among the directors the publication underwent a natural death.

Where could we have messed? Do the students have a hand in the failure of the outgoing SGC?

Solving students' problems is not all about attacking the University's Administration by mere words. That does no good to the students, instead coming up with ways of convincing the Administration to look into the affairs of the students would be the best way out. when students vote in MUSO directors, they always give them the mandate to make the University Administration aware of the needs of students and find solutions to those needs.

After witnessing the performance of the 26th SGC, campaigns by aspirants full of attacks on the administration without stating how they will make the administration understand and solve the students' problems will be of no importantance to the students. The outgoing SGC gave the comrades alot of hopes with their activist campaigns. Ironically it turned out that the same SGC made the comrades feel no need of having MUSO. Some comrades now believe they can survive in this campus without the now turned toothless students' governing body. When Technology students went on rampage in 2011, it took the efforts of Mwamburi and his team to convince the administration to let the students back from the indefinate vocation they had been given.

Those aspiring to serve in the incoming SGC should know that the student fraternity need solutions to their problems and this takes more than dog whistling politics to redeem students' trust in MUSO. It is a humble responsibility of the incoming SGC to redeem MUSO's Sovereignity.