Politics: The Problem with Maseno: Part One

Caroline Mutoko, some time ago, in reference to our beloved Maseno University, said that it was a “Bush Campus.” There was public outcry from comrades in reaction to her sentiments, some even hurling insults quid pro quo.

On Facebook, Maseno students have on several occasions been shamelessly called “washamba”, just as if to confirm Mutoko’s word. But I am yet to hear, let alone see any concrete action being taken, so as to correct the circumstances leading to these occurrences.

Worse still, despite being a proud student of the school, I do not foresee any changes to such “matusi” any time soon. In fact, the situation is even more likely to deteriorate – what with the high rate of enlightenment into social networking and the conservativeness of Maseno University folk?! 

Call me a pessimist or a prophet of doom if you will, but I have reasons as to why. I seek to explain myself.

Within the school, barely does any sensible conversation go beyond the exchange of a few niceties, before someone comments on the inefficiency of the administration (read Makawiti, Olela & Co.) or the students’ governing body, SOMU. Yes, I wholeheartedly accept that Maseno has some intrinsic problems facing it and the students consequently. Much as “kina Maka” have their role to play in the predicament, however, the students have not made it any easier for the amelioration of the status quo as it stands now.

Truth be told nonetheless…and the truth is that, we, the students contribute immensely to the problems facing the school. And it all lies in our politics as students; how we do our things and carry ourselves in school. For any keen observer in Maseno affairs, one thing is evident: that we, as an institution, have lost our self-respect and dignity too. Hence, feeding the public ‘verbal freewheelers’, i.e. the Caroline Mutokos of Kenya, on such spiced meals which they later ‘diarrhea’ with such statements as, “Maseno is a bush campus with washambas in it”.

As I have previously stated on this platform, politics is as much a “perception” as it is “who” gets “what”, “when” and “how”. With this in mind let us dissect Maseno politics and probably see where the rain beats us. 

To begin with, tribalism is the chronic cancer ailing our politics. It becomes most evident when campaigns reach fever pitch, like now. Tribal groupings are occasionally assembled to strategize how to consolidate votes by the aspirants. And we follow our ‘’tribal king’’ aka “mtu wetu” with the belief that we stand to gain in future if we propel him or her to power. 

This is when one discovers that we, the students, suffer from “herd instinct”. We act like a herd of goats, or a school of fish. In crisis, a herd or a school will follow its instincts.

It will do it blindly, ferociously and uncritically. And if its direction is wrong, it will not correct. Instead, it will increase its speed in the direction of the wrong.

But wait… this is not even like goats. We are more like sheep. Let me explain. A scientist put a herd of sheep in line. He then placed a stick in front of them, two feet from the ground. The first sheep came and jumped over the stick. The second did the same. After the third sheep, he removed the stick.

To his surprise, when the fourth sheep came, it jumped over an imaginary stick. Every sheep there after jumped over this imaginary stick. Their minds were fixed on a stick; they never realized it had been removed. Now let me explain the imprudence in this by demystifying this myth called “tribe”. 

I borrow from the premise that politics is a “perception”. Just like the sheep in the analogy, we revolve our thoughts and beliefs around an imaginary stick: the perception that ‘the tribe is a beneficiary of politics’. Hence we end up lying to ourselves. Some sweet but very foolish lies, because this assertion is just but one huge and fat lie. 

If at all it were the opposite, please explain how come some previous SOMU officials have severally hurt their very own tribesmen via their astonishingly high levels of inefficiency and corruption. On the same note, let anyone correct me when I say that some other leaders were more of service to their “madoadoa” (read non-tribesmen), than “watu wao” (their very own tribesmen).

To blindly follow our “tribal king”, thus, is to be greatly unwise. It has, more often than not, bred disgruntlement and disillusionment to many a student in Maseno. Suffice it to say that it is ironically tantamount to sowing seeds of discord amongst ourselves. Obliviously though. Leading to factions within our so called tribal groups. 

Guess who is the outright winner of our infightings? The leader(s) we chose is/are, since they get the chance to pilfer our ‘hard earned cash’ without “us” sensing a thing. We are too busy fighting each other after all. Call it the art of opportunism occasioned and buoyed by “vita vya panzi”.

My good people, we have become animals. No dignity, no pride, just ‘‘herd instinct’’. Yet we aint in crisis. Very soon we will be eating grass.

Further, a tribe is simply about a shared history; a common heritage, but a big material lie. This is how:

When voting in the leaders, what one is seeking is their individual area of benefit, as ‘promised’ by the aspirant. Not minding much about the rest of the “mrende.” At the ballot box, since we Maseno-arians purport to be a democratic institution, there will only be voting cards for “individual voters” and none for any specific “tribal grouping”. Not a single one!! This only confirms that democracy is more about individuality. In other words, the individual is more important than the group.

If anyone doubts this, then let them explain: why there are so many students with fees problems; yet they have their fellow tribesmen all over the school; why several students sleep hungry; yet their fellow tribesmen are all over the school; why some have outstanding hospital/medical bills; yet they swear allegiance and staunch members of a certain tribal amalgamation in the school; why comrades in Tsunami will not care much when one of their fellow tribesmen is attacked by some crazy Wanyore “ndomu” smokers at Mabung’o; why a comrade will steal property (be it clothes, laptops, phones inter alia) from a fellow tribesman without the slightest sense of guilt, let alone shame; why a comrade will destroy a fellow tribesman’s dental formula and mandibular configuration following a senseless brawl at Jack’s pub??

In light of the above, it is evident that the tribe just gives one a false sense of belonging, but rarely feeds anyone, let alone saving them from any problem or challenge of life!! This is why I call it a material lie. Thence, if, you do not get anything (read any substantial benefit) from such politics, (going by the second definition of politics as I have put them in this article), you have no business doing anything about it. Quit and seek something better to do! 

To help understand how our mediocre “madoadoa politics” are our main undoing, consider this thought:

A boy was walking on the beach with his father when they saw a man fishing. Getting closer, the boy noticed a bucket full of live crabs. To his surprise, the bucket was not covered. And so he asked his father, “Why hasn’t the man covered the bucket? Won’t the crabs escape? ” 

“You see, my son,” the father explained, “if you have only one crab in the bucket, it will crawl out so fast you will not catch it. But when the crabs are many, if one tries to escape, the others will pull it down to the bottom of the bucket. This way, they all share in the misery and in the ultimate fate."

We, the compact majority of Maseno students, are all in a bucket called tribe. And the fisherman is the ‘‘tribal king’’. So long as we are together in the bucket, we are enslaved. But if we are put in the bucket as individuals, we will escape with speed. The bottom line is, ukabila ni ujinga na utumwa!!

Bearing this in mind, a retreat from our vicious “mob psychology” to our “persona” is of the essence. And it will involve sobering up and rejecting ‘tribe’ as our unifying factor and organizing ideology, and acting in self-interest. Not only will this shift help to redeem our public image for good, but will also prompt Mutoko and Co. to look for better fabrications and vulgarities to vomit. Trust me.

Part Two coming soon…