Ethnicity rife at KU, Report Finds.

The parliamentary committee investigating the KU strike has just given its recommendations and however shocking some of the findings are,the bitter truth is:there needs to be concerted efforts directed towards bringing a meteoric shift from the tribal cabals that characterize life in KU to embracing our diversity in KU.One of the committee´s recommendations is the unconditional readmission of all employees and students who were suspended and expelled after the March strikes.

The Committee on Education, Research and Technology wants all, including officials of the student association (Kusa), readmitted, except those who have sued the institution and whose cases are pending in court according to a nation report.
The committee also learnt that there is a lot Ethnicity rife at KU,and that the KU strikes were fuelled by tribalism, politics.

The findings, now awaiting debate in Parliament, report a deep entrenchment of what it describes as negative ethnicity and a politicized student fraternity both threatening to shake the institution’s stability. One has to be in KU during the students election to truly comprehed this.With councils of elders from each community approving who vies for what post from its various tribesmen who contend,ethnicity as an aspect of KU politics is simply a reflection of the National conscience with regard to the same that resulted into a trend of tribal differences and political divisions that threaten to tear down the institution. The MPs also report poor management at the institution.

In its disciplinary action against students and workers suspected to have engagaed actively in the strike, some members of staff were also suspendedtwenty five students were cautioned and warned, three were suspended for one year, six for two years and five for three years, and 11 were expelled by the university’s Special Senate Investigations Committee.

According to the team, all staff suspected of involvement in the strikes should be reinstated as the administration could not prove their involvement when they appeared before the committee.

In a report, the parliamentary committee chaired by Mosop MP David Koech faults the university management’s decision to suspend the 35 Kusa leaders on the premise that they played a role as individuals in the student rioting.

According to the committee, this was an error since they were acting on behalf of the students who elected them.

“Championing the cause of the students demands was within their mandate, and consequently meting out disciplinary measures to the union representatives was an inciting action by the administration hence leading to the severity of the students’ disturbances during the second strike,” the committee said. A parliamentary committee has recommended the unconditional readmission of all employees and students who were suspended and expelled after strikes at Kenyatta University early this year.
According to the team, all staff suspected of involvement in the strikes should be reinstated as the administration could not prove their involvement when they appeared before the committee.

Additonal info.Nation Daily,5th Dec. 2009