Tell Us about yourself
I am Sanju Ken Kajwang, MKUSA chair 2022-2023. I’m an adorable and adaptable man driven with passion and aspiration to pull levers to the success of students and Mount Kenya University, The Audacity of Hope. A man with unlocked infinite possibilities scaling heights of Mt Kenya. I have a dream of mapping my University’s dream of being a centre for research and inventions and academic success on the peak.
Which course are you pursuing?
I am pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Public Administration and Governance, currently in my 3rd year.
Who do you look up to?
Abraham Lincoln, the best US president in American history. He was known as the ‘Honest Abe’ For he was honest, believed in integrity and the highest moral compass of his office. He never took any dollar from public coffers other than his salary. This has inspired me especially in here in Kenya, saddled by corruption and integrity to rule of law.
What motivated you to vie and represent students?
The multi-faceted nature of the changing society that has seen teenage emotional turmoil dampen spirits of students. Characterised by jangling discords of influx in unemployment rates, mental torture, lack of tuition fees, promoting research, invention and innovation and promoting practicality of our education system. These are timely issues to canvass.
What are some of the roles that come with your office?
As enshrined in MKUSA Constitution Article 14, my duties include; – President over meetings of the Governing Council, be a co-signatory of all the negotiable instruments of the Governing Council, receive and follow up complaints or concerns from MKUSA members.
I also serve as the spokesperson of the Governing Council.
How do you juggle academics and leadership?
I organise myself as per my diary by taking advantage of inter class hours for liaison with different university stakeholders.
As the chairperson of the council, I delegate duties to the relevant council members. That makes supervision easy.
I read at night to enable me have time during the day to serve students.
To ease up on communication, I use the online platform since most if not all students are netizens.
I equally use emails to communicate with the administration. This saves consultation time hence adequate time for my academics.
What do you intend to achieve by the end of your term?
I intend to:
Advocate against mental health; together with Sports Secretary I’ll introduce “Mental Health Sports Tournament” and host Mental Health walks and Consultative Forums with survivors and students at large, for I believe a problem shared is half solved.
Introduce Research and Invention Summits: To improve inventions among students and equally map MKU as the ‘Leading Centre of Invention and innovation’
Introduce career Advisory Forums; So that our students know the expectations of their career in the job market besides available attachment, internship and attachment opportunities.
Introduce economic and agricultural forums: To equip learners with best self employment market niche and on how to leapfrog our dwindling agricultural which is the backbone of our country.
Promote the talents of students: For instance, by giving young artists an opportunity to perform during University functions, additionally build capacity of young authors through “MKU students magazine club” and eminent debators through “MKU debating clubs”. All of which are in the process of formation.
In your opinion, do students pay enough attention to Clubs & Associations? No
What can be done to increase their participation?
Raising students awareness about the clubs; Use of school forums, memos and media to inform the students on the importance of clubs and Associations to their success.
Making participation of clubs a requirement for the new students by including it in the application and registration forms
Through spearheading clubs activities; one Making participation of clubs a requirement for the new students by including it in the application and registration for
Enticing new membership through lowering of registration fees to market the club.
Away from leadership duties and academia, what do you do?
I’m a social advocate. As a young man born and tutored by elders of my Maasai culture, I have strived to rise from the archaic culture. Our culture doesn’t guarantee education for all especially for girls rather it mutilates their sexuality and eventually marries them off at puberty. That informs my advocacy against early marriages, Female Genital Mutilation and girl child school drop out. Through community outreach programs, I provide sanitary pads to them. They indeed are the Blossoms of the Savannah.
What would you tell students who have an interest in student leadership?
I strongly advise them to be at the forefront advocating for change; This era of errors must end. They must conduct civic education to the entire student fraternity. That students must never riot to be political kingpins. And that logic, reason and understanding triumphs. Student should rise to the occasion and take up leadership responsibilities.
Being an election year, what is the role of youth, in elections?
Youths are the majority. Therefore, their voices are at the forefront advocating for change. They’ll elect leaders based on ideologies of a candidate.
Youths must get out and register as voters. Voter apathy isn’t a sure ingredient of classical leadership. It’s tantamount to re- electing poor leaders. As the saying goes: – Bad leaders are elected by good people who don’t vote.
Youth are the pillars of the nation. They can either destroy it by genocide of electoral violence or make it by shunning hate speech and violence.
What are your plans on actively engaging students in promoting peace and unity through your Office? Especially this electioneering year
Important to note that, my office and fellow cabinet members will serve all students irrespective of their tribal, religious, racial and ideological inclinations.
Student Governing council will use University platforms to champion for peace especially during this electioneering period.
I will introduce Inter-faculty tournaments to cement unity of all students harnessing knowledge in the canopy of this blue institution, Mount Kenya University.
I will shun ethnic associations that have since imprinted a deceptive perception that – a particular ethnic group feels safe if and only if one of their own is in the Student Governing Council. Tribal animosity is a hostile ground for students leaders of integrity and intellect.
What’s your favourite dish?
Ugali and Fish. I always love milk and oranges; Fish is believed to be Oracle of knowledge while I take milk as a mild stimulant after leadership and academic drudgery. Oranges cushion me from the strains of Corona virus.
What are you reading currently?
Works by ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle, Socrates, Plato and William Shakespeare.
A message to the students?
Fellow students I’m your Biblical Moses, holding a rod that will pull levers towards your success. Yes, the Audacity of Hope.
The hope of needy students striving to raise tuition fees; Hope of innovative students pondering how to bootstrap their projects to international radar. This is a new dawn. We are on journey of climbing this Mount Kenya with our eyes fixed on the emblem atop it, ready to endure whatever raging storms and grinding winds that may come our way.
We have to sleep late, wake up early and strike oil as we scale these heights of success. Each time we fail we let our failures drag us into mental turmoil, our failures must teach us on what to do differently. I implore us all to be creative, utilise University facilities and personnel to unlock infinite possibilities.
Thank you. May God bless you.