By Anderson Ojwang
Most former University of Nairobi student leaders have never failed to rewrite their story despite whatever circumstances that have befallen them.
They have defied the odds to stand tall and have remained at the heart of Kenya’s socio-economic and political dispensation.
Between 1999 and 2000, some of the student union leaders at the University of Nairobi took the government to court over what they termed as the falling quality of education following the introduction of Module II in university education.
The lead applicants were George Omondi Okongo, then Secretary General of SONU, and Irungu Kangata, the Vice Chairman, among others.
Okongo is the current County Executive Committee member in charge of Finance at Kisumu County Government, while Kangata is the Murang’a Governor.
During that time, several university students were sent on suspension over strikes at the institutions, and the University of Nairobi was among them.
“People ask me, ‘George Omondi Okongo, when did you start politics?’ I started politics as a student leader at the University of Nairobi. In 1999, going into 2000, so many students were expelled from the university. I was one of them,” he said.
Okongo said the expelled students were asked to write an apology to the then Chancellor, who happened to be President Daniel Moi.
At the University of Nairobi, 63 students had been expelled and were asked to hand over a written apology to President Moi in order to be readmitted.
“We were all asked to apologize to the Chancellor. We were asked to apologize in writing to gain readmission. Sixty-one of our members wrote an apology to Chancellor Daniel Arap Moi. Two of us did not apologize, because we did not see our sin. That was me and Murang’a Governor, my friend Irungu Kangata,” he said.
Okongo said they did not see any mistake they had committed to apologize to the President in writing and decided against the offer.
“I was the Secretary General of the union and Kangata was the Vice Chair. We didn’t see the reason for apologizing. We were expelled for the struggle for education rights in Kenya. Everyone else was readmitted,” he said.
Okongo said the introduction of Module II was a welcome idea, but the government failed to address the quality of education, which they felt was being compromised by the open-door policies, even for restricted courses.
“That was the time the government introduced Module II. We were fighting for education rights in the country. The Module II programme was a good one; the problem was the government opened the door very widely to anybody, even to courses which were restricted. We felt the quality of education was being compromised. Our fight was about saying that there is nothing wrong with allowing more members of the public to access university education, but the quality must be maintained,” he said.
Okongo said they took the government to court and that he was the lead applicant while Irungu was helping him.
“We felt the quality of education at the university had gone down, and the government was not paying attention,” he said.
Okongo said the struggle cost them readmission, with Kangata going back to his rural village in Murang’a and becoming a councillor.
“Kangata went to the village and became a councillor. He was elected a councillor without a degree. He came back to complete his university degree programme later,” he said.
For Okongo, he crossed over to Tanzania, to the University of Dar es Salaam, where he gained admission in first year.
“I had done my first and second year at the University of Nairobi, but at the University of Dar, those two academic years accounted for Form 5 and 6 because in Kenya we didn’t have A levels. So I joined as a first-year student,” he said.
Okongo first worked in Tanzania with an organization before he returned to Kenya, and he has been the Finance CEC in Nyong’o’s administration for two terms.
Currently, Okongo is campaigning to unseat Seme MP Dr James Nyikal and has launched a high-profile campaign.
“I am optimistic that the people of Seme will grant me a chance to serve them as the Member of Parliament. I am committed to transforming the constituency,” he said.
Okongo has been engaged in various development programmes in the area, which are endearing him to the electorate.
Kangata is currently celebrated as one of the best-performing governors in the country and is credited for leading several development programmes in the county.
He recently declared that he would not defend his seat on President William Ruto’s party, the United Democratic Alliance, in the 2027 general elections.
“President Ruto has always told us that the people are supreme, and thank you for that statement. Therefore, my responsibility is to adhere to what the people have told me. And in light of that, and because I have tried my best to have these issues resolved internally, I have had a candid discussion with the President one on one, where we shared these ideas, but we did not reach what we call full convergence,” he said.
Kangata said he had conclusively decided to defend his seat on a different platform and not UDA.
“I have no doubt to say that after careful reflection, I wish to state that come 2027, I will not defend my seat on the current party ticket. I will later, at a certain stage, communicate the platform on which I will present myself to the electorate,” he said.
