MUNENE A MUTWIRI

FREE THINKER Am sited with my laptop on my lap on a chilly Tuesday evening  trying to confirm the opening dates for my 2016 academic year, this thought crosses my mind: do we really know the true meaning of the phrase “institution of higher learning?”. I check my universities website and alas it has the same phrase. Then I ask myself; do the people or rather the students know the true meaning or the power in the phrase “institution of higher learning”. Am writing this blog in a somber and sorrowful mood.  Not to shame, insult or critics anybody but to acknowledge the challenges institutions of higher learning are facing. An important idea in the definition of “institution of higher learning” is the notion of academic freedom. I will not indulge myself in the whole notion of defining academic freedom but again l ask does anyone really acknowledge what academic freedom translates to? I happen to love my motherland country Kenya at the same time I happen to love my school too...

l have listened and heard people air their views concerning the issue and use of Jamii Bora smart id's in the institution. l am not a partisan party in this debate. I'm neither pro or against use of these smart id's. After all we claim we are in a digital era starting with the government to our tv signals in our house holds. l recently heard an old 'mzee' refer to the younger generation as 'hawa watoto digital' so why even argue on the use of smart cards when we claim its the digital era. For those of us debating and shouting on top of their voices about these smart id's were you not the first mongrels who were lined up at the ICT department to pick up the id's? when the notice went out weren't you one of the first people to comment how fancy you thought they looked and started urging other comrades to go and get an upgrade as you thought they were in to upgrade the image of the school.   Did you for once think what it ment when you read the t...

        As the rotors of the Kenya Air force black hawk starts slowing down producing a sharp   whiling sound signaling the final decent of the military helicopter I cork my American made M-16 rifle and let myself drift away in the reality of being shot dead in the battle field. I am a member of the elite 20 th paratroopers of the Special Forces in the Kenyan military. My country is at war and I am one of the first military personnel to land in the battle field. Behind I leave a girl am madly in love with. The thought of leaving her behind is clouding up my mind but I have to do this for the safety of my mother land. I pray that she will believe in my words, “I will be back soon love” but all this will be put into test if I make it to come back home crippled or if I end up with a bullet lodged in my chest. We will be trying to make it work as we made the promise before the night I left but man deep in my heart I can feel these days...

  OIL -   THE BLESSED CURSE   The prospects of oil being discovered in Kenya were a termed as a blessing to the nation but do many of the citizens know of the dynamics of a country being an oil producing nation? It’s one of the most precious minerals in the world leading to growth and prosperity of major economies of the world. European nations have developed enormous economies due to exploitation of oil in someof the Asian and African nations, Whereas these European nations are prospering, the oil producing nations of Asia and Africa have been marred by either a failed government, civil war, stagnant economies or all. Hopefully Kenya will soon be a major producer of oil and it will face the test of time to the curse associated with producing oil in Africa.   Oil is a fundamental asset in boosting economic growth of any country. Commercial exploitation of this commodity will not only earn substantial amounts of revenue to the country but will also cause...

'you are on your own" the phrase we should all start being familiar with. read about my next post on why the idea of being "on your own" should be incorporated in your life.

Am sited looking at Maasai Mara University website and a unique statement strikes my attention ‘a world class university committed to academic excellence’ then I notice a fade smile curling on my face, immediately it fades away and shame and bitterness fills me.     I just remembered the horrible ordeal I had to deal with for being a student in my beloved university. I am a 3 rd year student to be come January 2016. Currently I am in my long holiday after a long 9 months in school, a communications student taking bachelor of communication and public relations. I love my school and am proud to be studying here, but my pride for this school is only limited to my inner self and a part of it is tuning into shame and bitterness and occasionally I feel denial for accepting I conduct my studies here.   we all have seen and read the various articles in the standard website highlighting a research which ranked the schools that employers will least seek to employ...

I will be posting my encounters and experiences of being in an university at the heart of maasai land in Kenya. my next article will be on why its a disgrace to claim the university is a 'world class university'.