An ugly woman can walk around a neighbourhood and hardly attract men's interest. However, a pretty woman, even if all covered up, will make men sprain their necks as they look over their shoulders when she swaggers by.
And you can bet that such a woman will be accosted by wayward men who don’t have a clue how to approach a woman.
Here are some of the dumb pick up lines she is likely to hear.
. Safaricom announced that today is ‘exchange the number’ day; please give me your number.
. I dreamt about you last night, please make my dream come true and come to my house.
. Your daddy must have been a terrorist, ’cause your body is the bomb.
. The only smile I have seen today is a smile from my toothless grandmother; please smile to remind me how a real smile looks like.
. Your shadow is complaining. A fine lady like you doesn’t deserve to walk alone, let me give you company.
. Just shake my hand and extend my life by a day.
. Girl, you have set me on fire, kiss me and cool me down.
. Some women were born and others came from heaven, and you are one of them. Ask me how I know.
. I don’t know what you are looking for in this neighbourhood, but whatever it is you have found it. Here I am.
. You are a goddess; I just wanna get on my knees and start pleasing you.
. You got me speaking a foreign language but when we will go home, I will take you to a foreign country.
Your finger needs a wedding ring, come to my house ‘cause I got one that belonged to my great grandmother.
Girl, you are hot, let me take you to my bed and you warm it.
I got a dishwasher and a cook; the only thing missing is a missus.
The Bible says, ‘Ask and you shall receive’. Will you give me what mama gave you?
If you were to give me a chance, you won’t keep changing your last name.
Saturday 31 December 2011
THE REAL AFRICAN MEN
Recently, a Ugandan junior elder, also one of the region’s more cerebral journalists, published an article outlining 13 items that he believed define an East African man. I am still shocked that a man of his stature missed the mark so widely.
His list included an overcoat, a wallet, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, a white shirt, and sandals. Amazingly, he forgot the two things that an African man must have — a potbelly and a wife.
That is what happens when an elder attempts to whisper wisdom before fortifying his faculties with snuff and local brew.
In these parts, if you do not have a woman in the house, you are nothing. Don’t tell us about your three degrees from the University of London. If you don’t have a wife, shut up and get lost.
Yes, get a wife. Many wives are better. And kindly install a mistress in the lodgings behind the local bar, too.
But to get married around here, you must have access to something else that defines an African man: Livestock. If you don’t own a cow, your virility is zero. Museveni’s shamba boy owns one and so does the president. You get my drift?
Multiply
But assuming you own livestock and consequently put a woman in the house, it follows that she must multiply rapidly. Thus, you cannot purport to be a man when you have two tiny children. The more the merrier. It also enhances your maleness considerably if they are scattered across several mothers, clans, tribes, counties, races and countries.
Children are, however, tricky because they feed like termites. That’s why a true African man must own a piece of land. He can grab it, buy it, steal it — we don’t really care for the details, but he must own land and a burial spot. The more pieces of land he owns, even if they were hived off public toilets, the better.
Black suit
Incredibly, while the junior Ugandan elder, also a senior journalist, mentioned an overcoat and a white shirt as a must-have, he forgot a suit. Beats me how he intends to visit his father-in-law wearing nothing but an overcoat and sandals. My brother, even if your in-law lives in hot Mombasa, get there in a black suit.
Maddeningly, the journalist also mentioned a Swiss knife. Lord, how would any serious man defend his cow from cattle rustlers with a Swiss knife?
Somali sword
A man must have an arsenal beneath his bed, anything from nyahunyo (rubber whip), bows and arrows, Somali swords, knobkerries and, if he’s a total man, an AK47 rifle. Dogs are also vital. I’m sure you have seen men carrying leftover bones from dingy bars into their Rangerovers.
Finally, a true African owns a bungalow in the village in which rats live like kings while he lives like a rat in a rented hovel in the city.
For reading, he owns a Bible, which he never reads, and a gutter press newspaper, which he studies like the Bible.
Welcome to Africa!
His list included an overcoat, a wallet, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, a white shirt, and sandals. Amazingly, he forgot the two things that an African man must have — a potbelly and a wife.
That is what happens when an elder attempts to whisper wisdom before fortifying his faculties with snuff and local brew.
In these parts, if you do not have a woman in the house, you are nothing. Don’t tell us about your three degrees from the University of London. If you don’t have a wife, shut up and get lost.
Yes, get a wife. Many wives are better. And kindly install a mistress in the lodgings behind the local bar, too.
But to get married around here, you must have access to something else that defines an African man: Livestock. If you don’t own a cow, your virility is zero. Museveni’s shamba boy owns one and so does the president. You get my drift?
Multiply
But assuming you own livestock and consequently put a woman in the house, it follows that she must multiply rapidly. Thus, you cannot purport to be a man when you have two tiny children. The more the merrier. It also enhances your maleness considerably if they are scattered across several mothers, clans, tribes, counties, races and countries.
Children are, however, tricky because they feed like termites. That’s why a true African man must own a piece of land. He can grab it, buy it, steal it — we don’t really care for the details, but he must own land and a burial spot. The more pieces of land he owns, even if they were hived off public toilets, the better.
Black suit
Incredibly, while the junior Ugandan elder, also a senior journalist, mentioned an overcoat and a white shirt as a must-have, he forgot a suit. Beats me how he intends to visit his father-in-law wearing nothing but an overcoat and sandals. My brother, even if your in-law lives in hot Mombasa, get there in a black suit.
Maddeningly, the journalist also mentioned a Swiss knife. Lord, how would any serious man defend his cow from cattle rustlers with a Swiss knife?
Somali sword
A man must have an arsenal beneath his bed, anything from nyahunyo (rubber whip), bows and arrows, Somali swords, knobkerries and, if he’s a total man, an AK47 rifle. Dogs are also vital. I’m sure you have seen men carrying leftover bones from dingy bars into their Rangerovers.
Finally, a true African owns a bungalow in the village in which rats live like kings while he lives like a rat in a rented hovel in the city.
For reading, he owns a Bible, which he never reads, and a gutter press newspaper, which he studies like the Bible.
Welcome to Africa!
CRAZY STOROS 1
If you think scandal and drama only happen in remote villages and in Eastlands, you are mistaken. The dung also hits the fan in Kileleshwa and Lavington, too.
It is just that these loaded folks know how to keep their dirty linen firmly in the laundry basket, unlike the rest of us who wash and air it in the open.
Thanks to the gated homes that guarantee the owners maximum security and privacy, drama in the suburbs is high-tech but ultra secret, unless you are a watchmen or house girl in the know.
I am a full-blown Eastlander so you are wondering how I got wind of this juicy soap opera. I have a friend who is a "squatter" among the high and mighty. She lives in a pint-sized Sh15,000 servant quarters in Kileleshwa instead of putting up in filth and murk in a two-bedroomed house in Eastlands.
Verbal disputes
So it happens my friend’s landlord, who happens to live in the main house, recently busted her husband with his gay lover in their marital bed.
What really happened is the couple has been together for less than a year, but their matrimony has been far from holy going by the number of verbal disputes sorted out on the balcony of their expansive bedroom.
The marriage was not as blissful as the wedding, which is said to have cost a tidy sum and was as lavish as they come. But that is not surprising because, as they say, the more posh the wedding, the shorter it lasts.
Mr Okinyi was a businessman while Mrs Okinyi was a top honcho in a blue chip company, so she was always working late. The hubby, who operated from home, had a suspiciously flexible work schedule and a close confidant and business partner.
It seems this relationship went beyond business as the truth was the two were actually lovers.
Watchman
So one day, the wife came back home unusually early. My friend also happened to be around as she was on leave.
The watchman, being the man’s ally, tried to signal him that things were getting elephant, but Okinyi’s phone was off. As the woman made her way upstairs to freshen up, the watchman tried to distract her attention using flimsy excuses.
"Madam usiende juu, mzee ako busy sana na kazi. Alisema asisumbuliwe (Madam please your husband is working on a serious project and he said nobody should disturb him)," pleaded the watchman.
But Mrs Okinyi, a no-nonsense woman who calls the shots at work, pushed the watchman aside and made her way to the bedroom.
The door was ajar. What she saw made her regret the day she said ‘I do’. She left in a huff only to come after a few weeks to collect her stuff. Later on, she filed for divorce and the matter is still pending in the family court.
It is just that these loaded folks know how to keep their dirty linen firmly in the laundry basket, unlike the rest of us who wash and air it in the open.
Thanks to the gated homes that guarantee the owners maximum security and privacy, drama in the suburbs is high-tech but ultra secret, unless you are a watchmen or house girl in the know.
I am a full-blown Eastlander so you are wondering how I got wind of this juicy soap opera. I have a friend who is a "squatter" among the high and mighty. She lives in a pint-sized Sh15,000 servant quarters in Kileleshwa instead of putting up in filth and murk in a two-bedroomed house in Eastlands.
Verbal disputes
So it happens my friend’s landlord, who happens to live in the main house, recently busted her husband with his gay lover in their marital bed.
What really happened is the couple has been together for less than a year, but their matrimony has been far from holy going by the number of verbal disputes sorted out on the balcony of their expansive bedroom.
The marriage was not as blissful as the wedding, which is said to have cost a tidy sum and was as lavish as they come. But that is not surprising because, as they say, the more posh the wedding, the shorter it lasts.
Mr Okinyi was a businessman while Mrs Okinyi was a top honcho in a blue chip company, so she was always working late. The hubby, who operated from home, had a suspiciously flexible work schedule and a close confidant and business partner.
It seems this relationship went beyond business as the truth was the two were actually lovers.
Watchman
So one day, the wife came back home unusually early. My friend also happened to be around as she was on leave.
The watchman, being the man’s ally, tried to signal him that things were getting elephant, but Okinyi’s phone was off. As the woman made her way upstairs to freshen up, the watchman tried to distract her attention using flimsy excuses.
"Madam usiende juu, mzee ako busy sana na kazi. Alisema asisumbuliwe (Madam please your husband is working on a serious project and he said nobody should disturb him)," pleaded the watchman.
But Mrs Okinyi, a no-nonsense woman who calls the shots at work, pushed the watchman aside and made her way to the bedroom.
The door was ajar. What she saw made her regret the day she said ‘I do’. She left in a huff only to come after a few weeks to collect her stuff. Later on, she filed for divorce and the matter is still pending in the family court.
RISE AND FALL OF THE AFRICAN MEN
Folklore has the story of a long-suffering husband whose sly wife constantly beat him up in the cover of darkness while screaming, "Don’t kill me!"
His brothers never came to his aid because they assumed he was the one meting out manly ‘discipline’. Meanwhile, she retained the picture of victim to the sympathetic outside world while remaining in firm control of the goings-on in her home. The man could not come out in the open and express his tribulations. No one would believe him anyway.
Such is the agony that plagues many Kenyan men. As women push for affirmative action and the application of the two-thirds gender rule in all the public spheres of life, the reality is that many married men have long lost the battle on the home front.
Anyona, who has been married for a year, is one such tormented man. He is perturbed by his wife’s abrupt change in behaviour. When the two moved in together before they walked down the aisle, Silivia Atenya, Anyona’s wife, would insist on doing every house chore. She never wanted his help.
Duty roster
So one would understand his shock when he went to the fridge recently to get his preferred cold drink only to find a duty roster pinned on the door. At first, he thought it was a joke and dismissed it off-hand. He looked at it closely, went to fetch his spectacles and removed the printed duty roster from the fridge for a closer look. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
What bothered Anyona was he was never consulted. Besides, they were only the two of them in the house since they had no children. He decided to call his wife’s bluff. This, after all, was the festive season and people were in fun-poking mood, he thought. He was wrong.
"How do you expect me to come home tired from work, cook for you, wash the dirty utensils, mop the house, then go to bed tired and wake up to prepare breakfast and arrange your clothes, yet you only come home to re-read your newspapers?" scoffed his not-so-amused wife when he waved the offensive document in her face.
Anyona was so mad that he walked out to drown his fury in a few bottles of beer. It is while at the bar that the coup back home played itself out in his mind in excruciating detail, bit by bit as he sipped his favourite lager. He had long lost control and was living at the mercy of Silivia. Then it hit him that of late, his conjugal rights were rationed, on her terms.
If she wasn’t too tired, she had a severe headache. If she didn’t have a headache, she was on her periods, even when he was sure she wasn’t.
But that had never been the case before they got married. Then she never complained. In fact, whenever he offered to help with the chores, she would lovingly hug and ask him to rest.
Woman of the house
"I know you are tired, darling. Just rest and watch news. I can handle this!" she would say, adding that as the ‘woman of the house’ it was her duty to oversee such ‘small’ chores. And now, of all things, a duty roster?
Anyona is in good company. Yet for all their beef about coming from work tired, many men are saddled with wives who never spend a penny of their salary, not even on their medication. Such are the wives who send children to collect money from their fathers for the smallest of things. "Ask your father to give you Sh20," is a common statement in many households. Just where do these women take their money?
When you ask around, women say times have changed and they no longer live in the Stone Age where they were looked upon as cheap labour for men. They are first of all wives, not househelps, and that they deserve to be treated as such.
In the kind of doublespeak that would dumbfound a politician, the modern Kenyan woman — even as she swirls empowerment, equality, equal opportunity and all other high-sounding vowels on her tongue like fine wine — will remain firm about one thing: it is the unconditional duty of the man to provide food, clothing and shelter.
Apparently, the wedding vow of ‘two shall become one’ only applies to his wallet and never her designer handbag.
No matter the situation, wives will leave all the bills to the man, even in these harsh economic times, as Joash Oyoo attests.
"When I lost my job, I had to borrow loans from close friends to settle the house rent and pay all the house bills even though my wife still had her job. She would come back empty handed from work and demand for food," says Oyoo.
Independent woman
The ‘man is the head of the family’ phrase is often used by the self-same independent modern women only when it comes to financial obligations like school fees, her salon bills, the mortgage, buying her car, fuelling it and servicing it.
"His money is my money, but my money can never be ours. Why then would I need a man when I’m going to continue supporting myself?" wonders Fridah, a non-remorseful executive secretary who earns a six-digit salary.
To her, her husband’s money is basically her money and she has the right over it. She needs to know how he spends every penny but there is no way her husband is going to control her purse.
"No self-respecting man does that," she adds, unwittingly oblivious of the irony of her statement
Fridah says she walks home empty handed because her husband, as the head of the family, must provide for the family. When asked who pays the rent, she quickly says, "Of course him. That is his duty. He must provide food, shelter and clothing as the head of the family."
The paradox, however, is that while the man is expected to ‘man up’ to his traditional role as head of the house, today’s woman will deem it demeaning to expect her to do those menial tasks that her grandmother gladly undertook. Like to know where his shirt, washed by the house help whom he pays but can’t instruct, is.
Aunts
But across the border, the equally modern Ugandan woman is apparently taught by her aunts how to make her man happy and loving throughout the marriage, much the same way her mothers and grandmothers were taught.
"I cannot let my man come home and start doing house chores. That’s my duty," gloated one 20-something-year-old Ugandan woman who works for a local communications firm.
Instead of combat, ultimatums and duty rosters, these women are famously submissive and will do anything to keep the love flowing, which effectively charms the man into opening his wallet.
That must be Stone Age news from this ‘developed’ side of the border where the woman of the house will come home decidedly tired, put up her feet, grab the TV remote and flip to her favourite soap opera.
Skirmish
In many such households, a man cannot lend his best friend Sh1,000 without consulting his wife. So picture the skirmish that would ensure if he sold ‘his’ car and bought another without seeking her views.
Other men are so emasculated that every movement they make is tracked via mobile phone and they practically shiver if 9pm finds them away from home.
No one opens the door for them, and in worst-case scenarios, they sleep in the cold when they come late. Yes, the golden era when the African man bestrode his homestead like a colossus is dead and buried.
Instead, spineless fellows who fearfully refer to their wives as ‘madam’ have replaced the tough men of old. And the worst, as they say, is yet to come.
His brothers never came to his aid because they assumed he was the one meting out manly ‘discipline’. Meanwhile, she retained the picture of victim to the sympathetic outside world while remaining in firm control of the goings-on in her home. The man could not come out in the open and express his tribulations. No one would believe him anyway.
Such is the agony that plagues many Kenyan men. As women push for affirmative action and the application of the two-thirds gender rule in all the public spheres of life, the reality is that many married men have long lost the battle on the home front.
Anyona, who has been married for a year, is one such tormented man. He is perturbed by his wife’s abrupt change in behaviour. When the two moved in together before they walked down the aisle, Silivia Atenya, Anyona’s wife, would insist on doing every house chore. She never wanted his help.
Duty roster
So one would understand his shock when he went to the fridge recently to get his preferred cold drink only to find a duty roster pinned on the door. At first, he thought it was a joke and dismissed it off-hand. He looked at it closely, went to fetch his spectacles and removed the printed duty roster from the fridge for a closer look. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
What bothered Anyona was he was never consulted. Besides, they were only the two of them in the house since they had no children. He decided to call his wife’s bluff. This, after all, was the festive season and people were in fun-poking mood, he thought. He was wrong.
"How do you expect me to come home tired from work, cook for you, wash the dirty utensils, mop the house, then go to bed tired and wake up to prepare breakfast and arrange your clothes, yet you only come home to re-read your newspapers?" scoffed his not-so-amused wife when he waved the offensive document in her face.
Anyona was so mad that he walked out to drown his fury in a few bottles of beer. It is while at the bar that the coup back home played itself out in his mind in excruciating detail, bit by bit as he sipped his favourite lager. He had long lost control and was living at the mercy of Silivia. Then it hit him that of late, his conjugal rights were rationed, on her terms.
If she wasn’t too tired, she had a severe headache. If she didn’t have a headache, she was on her periods, even when he was sure she wasn’t.
But that had never been the case before they got married. Then she never complained. In fact, whenever he offered to help with the chores, she would lovingly hug and ask him to rest.
Woman of the house
"I know you are tired, darling. Just rest and watch news. I can handle this!" she would say, adding that as the ‘woman of the house’ it was her duty to oversee such ‘small’ chores. And now, of all things, a duty roster?
Anyona is in good company. Yet for all their beef about coming from work tired, many men are saddled with wives who never spend a penny of their salary, not even on their medication. Such are the wives who send children to collect money from their fathers for the smallest of things. "Ask your father to give you Sh20," is a common statement in many households. Just where do these women take their money?
When you ask around, women say times have changed and they no longer live in the Stone Age where they were looked upon as cheap labour for men. They are first of all wives, not househelps, and that they deserve to be treated as such.
In the kind of doublespeak that would dumbfound a politician, the modern Kenyan woman — even as she swirls empowerment, equality, equal opportunity and all other high-sounding vowels on her tongue like fine wine — will remain firm about one thing: it is the unconditional duty of the man to provide food, clothing and shelter.
Apparently, the wedding vow of ‘two shall become one’ only applies to his wallet and never her designer handbag.
No matter the situation, wives will leave all the bills to the man, even in these harsh economic times, as Joash Oyoo attests.
"When I lost my job, I had to borrow loans from close friends to settle the house rent and pay all the house bills even though my wife still had her job. She would come back empty handed from work and demand for food," says Oyoo.
Independent woman
The ‘man is the head of the family’ phrase is often used by the self-same independent modern women only when it comes to financial obligations like school fees, her salon bills, the mortgage, buying her car, fuelling it and servicing it.
"His money is my money, but my money can never be ours. Why then would I need a man when I’m going to continue supporting myself?" wonders Fridah, a non-remorseful executive secretary who earns a six-digit salary.
To her, her husband’s money is basically her money and she has the right over it. She needs to know how he spends every penny but there is no way her husband is going to control her purse.
"No self-respecting man does that," she adds, unwittingly oblivious of the irony of her statement
Fridah says she walks home empty handed because her husband, as the head of the family, must provide for the family. When asked who pays the rent, she quickly says, "Of course him. That is his duty. He must provide food, shelter and clothing as the head of the family."
The paradox, however, is that while the man is expected to ‘man up’ to his traditional role as head of the house, today’s woman will deem it demeaning to expect her to do those menial tasks that her grandmother gladly undertook. Like to know where his shirt, washed by the house help whom he pays but can’t instruct, is.
Aunts
But across the border, the equally modern Ugandan woman is apparently taught by her aunts how to make her man happy and loving throughout the marriage, much the same way her mothers and grandmothers were taught.
"I cannot let my man come home and start doing house chores. That’s my duty," gloated one 20-something-year-old Ugandan woman who works for a local communications firm.
Instead of combat, ultimatums and duty rosters, these women are famously submissive and will do anything to keep the love flowing, which effectively charms the man into opening his wallet.
That must be Stone Age news from this ‘developed’ side of the border where the woman of the house will come home decidedly tired, put up her feet, grab the TV remote and flip to her favourite soap opera.
Skirmish
In many such households, a man cannot lend his best friend Sh1,000 without consulting his wife. So picture the skirmish that would ensure if he sold ‘his’ car and bought another without seeking her views.
Other men are so emasculated that every movement they make is tracked via mobile phone and they practically shiver if 9pm finds them away from home.
No one opens the door for them, and in worst-case scenarios, they sleep in the cold when they come late. Yes, the golden era when the African man bestrode his homestead like a colossus is dead and buried.
Instead, spineless fellows who fearfully refer to their wives as ‘madam’ have replaced the tough men of old. And the worst, as they say, is yet to come.
Friday 30 December 2011
DEGREES THAT DONT
The nascent academic capitalism in Sub-Saharan Africa is becoming the ugly face of education, with universities side-stepping quality and effectively locking out students from developing rewarding careers.
According to Dr Carol Bidemi, an expert on higher education, aggressive marketing of university degrees has taken priority against quality teaching and research in order to harness finances to fuel university growth.
Bidemi argues market values have permeated at all levels of higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa, undermining traditional roles and missions of universities.
"None of this augurs well for a public good construction of higher education," says Bidemi, who has written extensively on marketing of higher education in East Africa.
In the context of diminished Government support for higher education, entrepreneurial strategies have been embraced but with drastic consequences of academic erosion in addition to attracting students of low academic achievement.
"Although the goal was to raise additional funds for the universities, the process has altered the behavior of individuals and groups within and outside the university," says Bidemi.
Amid efforts to attract students, universities started competing against each other and forgot their original mission, distorting their areas of academic excellence.
Almost all universities created new undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, even as they lacked capacity in terms of lecturers and physical facilities. To look attractive, degrees were re-branded and given new names.
For instance, secretarial, catering and hospitality courses were given a facelift and became degrees, while diploma courses traditionally offered in vocational colleges and medium-level business colleges found new homes and new status in universities.
However, the most tragic was in the field of engineering where some public universities in their quest to be attractive started courses without sufficient planning and without adequate human resources and facilities. The outcome has been costly to students, whom after five years of study, realise they cannot be considered for registration as engineers.
There are questions as to why some universities went ahead to admit students even after knowing degrees they offer could not be accredited by the Engineering Registration Board (ERB).
So far, there are 47 engineering degree programmes not accredited by ERB for various reasons. According to an ERB report on accreditation of the engineering degree courses, most programmes were rejected for inadequate curriculum.
Others were rejected for using non-engineers to teach engineering courses. For instance, one university offering a Bachelor of Science (Civil and Structural Engineering), has 11 lecturers but only one is a registered engineer. In that university, some engineering course units are taught by geologists, surveyors and home economists.
Another university offering a degree related to civil engineering has no engineer in a department of 10 lecturers.
"Since there is no civil engineering department, why is a programme in water and environment engineering being introduced before one in civil engineering?" poses ERB report.
According to ERB, the university in question should have established a fully-fledged department of civil engineering offering broad-based undergraduate degrees in civil engineering.
"Starting with a specialised discipline when the resources required for a less specialized one is not available, is not a prudent move," says ERB. Such are some of the problems confronting engineering students whose degrees have not been accredited by the board.
Accredited degreesSome Egerton University graduates have gone to court, seeking orders to compel ERB and the university to find ways of having their degrees accredited.
In the last few weeks, engineering students of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology have been on strike urging the university to meet ERB�s accreditation criteria.
But as students struggle to have their degrees accredited, universities are at pains to take responsibility and explain why they teach courses that do not meet set standards.
The crux of the matter is that whereas students desire to study for professional degrees, universities have a moral duty to explain career paths of the degrees they offer.
Elsewhere, universities place information on their websites as to whether a specific degree programme is accredited by the local professional authority.
Such is the case in Britain, US, Australia, Japan and South Africa, where universities are required to reveal accreditation status of their professional degrees.
Surprisingly, the Government has not acted fast. So far, the country has only 1,200 registered engineers despite a raft of engineering degree programmes offered in public universities.
Nola Dihel, a labor specialist at the World Bank, says density of engineering professionals has been on a downward trend as professional education is expensive.
Considering that the Government is the main sponsor of students in public universities who join through the Joint Admissions Board, there is need for audit of professional degree programmes in public universities.
Many agree it would be foolhardy to arm-twist ERB to accredit engineering programmes that cannot withstand scrutiny of quality.
According to Dr Carol Bidemi, an expert on higher education, aggressive marketing of university degrees has taken priority against quality teaching and research in order to harness finances to fuel university growth.
Bidemi argues market values have permeated at all levels of higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa, undermining traditional roles and missions of universities.
"None of this augurs well for a public good construction of higher education," says Bidemi, who has written extensively on marketing of higher education in East Africa.
In the context of diminished Government support for higher education, entrepreneurial strategies have been embraced but with drastic consequences of academic erosion in addition to attracting students of low academic achievement.
"Although the goal was to raise additional funds for the universities, the process has altered the behavior of individuals and groups within and outside the university," says Bidemi.
Amid efforts to attract students, universities started competing against each other and forgot their original mission, distorting their areas of academic excellence.
Almost all universities created new undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, even as they lacked capacity in terms of lecturers and physical facilities. To look attractive, degrees were re-branded and given new names.
For instance, secretarial, catering and hospitality courses were given a facelift and became degrees, while diploma courses traditionally offered in vocational colleges and medium-level business colleges found new homes and new status in universities.
However, the most tragic was in the field of engineering where some public universities in their quest to be attractive started courses without sufficient planning and without adequate human resources and facilities. The outcome has been costly to students, whom after five years of study, realise they cannot be considered for registration as engineers.
There are questions as to why some universities went ahead to admit students even after knowing degrees they offer could not be accredited by the Engineering Registration Board (ERB).
So far, there are 47 engineering degree programmes not accredited by ERB for various reasons. According to an ERB report on accreditation of the engineering degree courses, most programmes were rejected for inadequate curriculum.
Others were rejected for using non-engineers to teach engineering courses. For instance, one university offering a Bachelor of Science (Civil and Structural Engineering), has 11 lecturers but only one is a registered engineer. In that university, some engineering course units are taught by geologists, surveyors and home economists.
Another university offering a degree related to civil engineering has no engineer in a department of 10 lecturers.
"Since there is no civil engineering department, why is a programme in water and environment engineering being introduced before one in civil engineering?" poses ERB report.
According to ERB, the university in question should have established a fully-fledged department of civil engineering offering broad-based undergraduate degrees in civil engineering.
"Starting with a specialised discipline when the resources required for a less specialized one is not available, is not a prudent move," says ERB. Such are some of the problems confronting engineering students whose degrees have not been accredited by the board.
Accredited degreesSome Egerton University graduates have gone to court, seeking orders to compel ERB and the university to find ways of having their degrees accredited.
In the last few weeks, engineering students of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology have been on strike urging the university to meet ERB�s accreditation criteria.
But as students struggle to have their degrees accredited, universities are at pains to take responsibility and explain why they teach courses that do not meet set standards.
The crux of the matter is that whereas students desire to study for professional degrees, universities have a moral duty to explain career paths of the degrees they offer.
Elsewhere, universities place information on their websites as to whether a specific degree programme is accredited by the local professional authority.
Such is the case in Britain, US, Australia, Japan and South Africa, where universities are required to reveal accreditation status of their professional degrees.
Surprisingly, the Government has not acted fast. So far, the country has only 1,200 registered engineers despite a raft of engineering degree programmes offered in public universities.
Nola Dihel, a labor specialist at the World Bank, says density of engineering professionals has been on a downward trend as professional education is expensive.
Considering that the Government is the main sponsor of students in public universities who join through the Joint Admissions Board, there is need for audit of professional degree programmes in public universities.
Many agree it would be foolhardy to arm-twist ERB to accredit engineering programmes that cannot withstand scrutiny of quality.
CAMPUS POLITICS
Campus politics are a lot like the national politics. They are cutthroat, murky and marred with allegations of corruption, hooliganism and riots.
According to some of the University of Nairobi (UoN) student leaders interviewed, the process of electing student leaders is expensive and time consuming. To stand a chance of being elected at the UoN for example, one must campaign in all the campuses including Kabete, Kikuyu, among others.
There is also the need to ‘oil the wheels’ by throwing parties or buying food and drink for voters among other things. Not many women take up the challenge but a few do, meet Anastasia, Caroline and Nancy.
Anastasia Nabukenya MirimuAnastasia, 23, is a Third Year student from Mombasa, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Sociology at the UoN.
When did you get involved in campus politics?Leadership is my passion. I was elected into the Students Organisation of University of Nairobi (Sonu) as a congress lady in charge of the Stella Awinja hostel in First Year. In Second Year, I was elected into the executive organ of the body as the secretary of health, catering and accommodation.
Who are your mentors?My mother is my pillar and greatest encourager. She has a strong personality that I took after. Tabitha Njoroge, the CEO of Women in Law and Development in Africa (Wildaf) is my other mentor. She has helped me be outspoken, assertive and a go-getter. In her campus years, Tabitha was the chairlady of Women Students Welfare Association (Woswa). She helps me deal with the ups and downs of being a student leader.
Christine Kisaka, the relationship manager at Chase Bank Riverside branch helps me balance between politics and studies by reminding me that my books should come first.
What are some of the challenges you have faced in campus politics?The major challenge was overcoming the male chauvinistic attitude. I was the only woman vying in Second Year against four men. My winning proved that women could make it in anything they put their mind to. Since then, more women have been elected.
What did you want to achieve in campus leadership?I wanted to inspire my fellow female students and young girls and show them that they can succeed in whatever they determine to do, including being leaders. I wanted them to know that leadership is not meant for men only.
Also, being the secretary-general for the Forum for Coast University of Nairobi Students (Focus), I mentor high school students.
I am also involved in the Political Leadership and Training Programme (PLDP), a joint initiative of the Youth Agenda and Citizens Coalition for the Constitutional Culture (4cs) in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, which aims to create a new political leadership culture in Kenya. Kenyan youths with outstanding leadership qualities can participate in this training. Some of the alumni of the programme include MP Rachel Shebesh, Ann Njogu and Sophie Ngugi, the executive director of Young Women Leadership Institute (YWLI), of which I’m a member.
Caroline Akeyo Othim Caroline, 22, is a Fourth Year Political Science and Sociology student at UoN. She is also one of the few female student leaders.
What made you get interested in campus politics?Apart from my degree course, being a prefect in Shiners High School also shaped my interest in politics.
You are the representative of Woswa, have you held other leadership positions prior to this?I was congress lady in First Year and I vied for vice chair, academic affairs in Second Year. In April’s election, I vied for treasurer, a position I was sure to win were it not for the irregularities that led to riots and nullification of the exercise. I was later co-opted into the interim committee that took over the mandate of Sonu, but I declined the offer for personal reasons.
Who were your greatest mentors?Mrs Mary Okello, the founder and director of Makini Schools has been a mentor, a role model and a great source of support and encouragement. She has excelled in many fields and she is a woman of integrity and dignity.
My friends and family have also been there for me.
What does campus leadership involve?The main responsibility of student leaders is to bridge the gap between students and the administration. Through the student leaders, students can present their grievances to the administration.
What are the challenges you faced in campaigning and in office?Being a woman is a challenge because many men believe leadership is their preserve. One has to be strong and determined to rise above stereotypes and other obstacles.
Lack of money is another challenge. One needs a lot of money to campaign in all the campuses, print posters and compete with hooligans.
Ethnicity is also a challenge.
Do you intend to pursue politics after graduating from the university?Yes, but as a career diplomat. However, if I get a chance to go for a Parliamentary position, I know I can stand up to the challenge.
What are your biggest achievements so far?Together with a few students, we have formed an organisation called Centre for Education, Empowerment and Leadership (Ceel) to spearhead girl-child education in rural Kenya. The organisation also seeks to empower women economically and to train the youth in political leadership.
I am also among the founding members of Nyanza Educational Women Initiative (Newi), which aims to mentor and motivate high school students.
There is no greater achievement in student leadership than to help students go through school smoothly.
Nancy Achieng AbiraNancy, 23, is a Fifth Year Civil Engineering student at the UoN and also a student leader.
When did you start getting involved in campus politics?I got involved in actual politics when I joined campus.
What made you vie for student leadership?The person who first got me interested in politics is my dad. He liked politics and he would read many political papers and articles.
My other political mentor, when I joined campus, was Linda Ogweno, a student leader then. She taught me a lot in the art of politics.
What were your greatest challenges when you were a leader?Balancing between studies and leadership responsibilities has been very tough. At one point, I found myself the class representative, the school-based association official and also a member of the student council, and it was such a hectic period.
The other challenge is limited time. Sonu student leadership is only a one-year term, which is not enough to achieve much. There is discontinuity because campus politics, just like the national politics, is about the person rather than the functions.
What are the challenges you faced during the campaign period?The campaign period is very challenging, but also interesting. Making first appearances, selling policies and getting opinions was fun. The hard part comes when you have to deal with the lack of funds and the power of propaganda. It ceases to be about you and your policies.
What drove you participate in campus politics?My main goal was to work with other young women to create awareness on issues affecting the society and to be prepared for greater leadership responsibilities beyond campus.
What were your greatest achievements? As a gender affairs secretary, I was able to address many gender related problems. Being there for my fellow students, creating forums for information sharing and access to various organizations also top my success list.
What positions have you held to date?I have been class representative since 2006. In 2007 and 2008, I was at the secretariat in Sonu. In 2008 and 2009, I was Assistant Academic Secretary (ESA) and I have been Sonu gender affairs secretary since last year.
According to some of the University of Nairobi (UoN) student leaders interviewed, the process of electing student leaders is expensive and time consuming. To stand a chance of being elected at the UoN for example, one must campaign in all the campuses including Kabete, Kikuyu, among others.
There is also the need to ‘oil the wheels’ by throwing parties or buying food and drink for voters among other things. Not many women take up the challenge but a few do, meet Anastasia, Caroline and Nancy.
 |
| Anastasia Nabukenya Mirimu |
Anastasia Nabukenya MirimuAnastasia, 23, is a Third Year student from Mombasa, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Sociology at the UoN.
When did you get involved in campus politics?Leadership is my passion. I was elected into the Students Organisation of University of Nairobi (Sonu) as a congress lady in charge of the Stella Awinja hostel in First Year. In Second Year, I was elected into the executive organ of the body as the secretary of health, catering and accommodation.
Who are your mentors?My mother is my pillar and greatest encourager. She has a strong personality that I took after. Tabitha Njoroge, the CEO of Women in Law and Development in Africa (Wildaf) is my other mentor. She has helped me be outspoken, assertive and a go-getter. In her campus years, Tabitha was the chairlady of Women Students Welfare Association (Woswa). She helps me deal with the ups and downs of being a student leader.
Christine Kisaka, the relationship manager at Chase Bank Riverside branch helps me balance between politics and studies by reminding me that my books should come first.
What are some of the challenges you have faced in campus politics?The major challenge was overcoming the male chauvinistic attitude. I was the only woman vying in Second Year against four men. My winning proved that women could make it in anything they put their mind to. Since then, more women have been elected.
What did you want to achieve in campus leadership?I wanted to inspire my fellow female students and young girls and show them that they can succeed in whatever they determine to do, including being leaders. I wanted them to know that leadership is not meant for men only.
Also, being the secretary-general for the Forum for Coast University of Nairobi Students (Focus), I mentor high school students.
I am also involved in the Political Leadership and Training Programme (PLDP), a joint initiative of the Youth Agenda and Citizens Coalition for the Constitutional Culture (4cs) in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, which aims to create a new political leadership culture in Kenya. Kenyan youths with outstanding leadership qualities can participate in this training. Some of the alumni of the programme include MP Rachel Shebesh, Ann Njogu and Sophie Ngugi, the executive director of Young Women Leadership Institute (YWLI), of which I’m a member.
Caroline Akeyo Othim Caroline, 22, is a Fourth Year Political Science and Sociology student at UoN. She is also one of the few female student leaders.
What made you get interested in campus politics?Apart from my degree course, being a prefect in Shiners High School also shaped my interest in politics.
You are the representative of Woswa, have you held other leadership positions prior to this?I was congress lady in First Year and I vied for vice chair, academic affairs in Second Year. In April’s election, I vied for treasurer, a position I was sure to win were it not for the irregularities that led to riots and nullification of the exercise. I was later co-opted into the interim committee that took over the mandate of Sonu, but I declined the offer for personal reasons.
Who were your greatest mentors?Mrs Mary Okello, the founder and director of Makini Schools has been a mentor, a role model and a great source of support and encouragement. She has excelled in many fields and she is a woman of integrity and dignity.
My friends and family have also been there for me.
What does campus leadership involve?The main responsibility of student leaders is to bridge the gap between students and the administration. Through the student leaders, students can present their grievances to the administration.
What are the challenges you faced in campaigning and in office?Being a woman is a challenge because many men believe leadership is their preserve. One has to be strong and determined to rise above stereotypes and other obstacles.
Lack of money is another challenge. One needs a lot of money to campaign in all the campuses, print posters and compete with hooligans.
Ethnicity is also a challenge.
Do you intend to pursue politics after graduating from the university?Yes, but as a career diplomat. However, if I get a chance to go for a Parliamentary position, I know I can stand up to the challenge.
What are your biggest achievements so far?Together with a few students, we have formed an organisation called Centre for Education, Empowerment and Leadership (Ceel) to spearhead girl-child education in rural Kenya. The organisation also seeks to empower women economically and to train the youth in political leadership.
I am also among the founding members of Nyanza Educational Women Initiative (Newi), which aims to mentor and motivate high school students.
There is no greater achievement in student leadership than to help students go through school smoothly.
 |
Nancy Achieng AbiraNancy, 23, is a Fifth Year Civil Engineering student at the UoN and also a student leader.
When did you start getting involved in campus politics?I got involved in actual politics when I joined campus.
What made you vie for student leadership?The person who first got me interested in politics is my dad. He liked politics and he would read many political papers and articles.
My other political mentor, when I joined campus, was Linda Ogweno, a student leader then. She taught me a lot in the art of politics.
What were your greatest challenges when you were a leader?Balancing between studies and leadership responsibilities has been very tough. At one point, I found myself the class representative, the school-based association official and also a member of the student council, and it was such a hectic period.
The other challenge is limited time. Sonu student leadership is only a one-year term, which is not enough to achieve much. There is discontinuity because campus politics, just like the national politics, is about the person rather than the functions.
What are the challenges you faced during the campaign period?The campaign period is very challenging, but also interesting. Making first appearances, selling policies and getting opinions was fun. The hard part comes when you have to deal with the lack of funds and the power of propaganda. It ceases to be about you and your policies.
What drove you participate in campus politics?My main goal was to work with other young women to create awareness on issues affecting the society and to be prepared for greater leadership responsibilities beyond campus.
What were your greatest achievements? As a gender affairs secretary, I was able to address many gender related problems. Being there for my fellow students, creating forums for information sharing and access to various organizations also top my success list.
What positions have you held to date?I have been class representative since 2006. In 2007 and 2008, I was at the secretariat in Sonu. In 2008 and 2009, I was Assistant Academic Secretary (ESA) and I have been Sonu gender affairs secretary since last year.
Saturday 24 December 2011
CAMP MULLAH. HIGHLY OVERRATED
1. stop doing other peoples songs
2.Be versatile. The whole acoustic urban rap shit is getting really old
3.loose the guy with the specs. i don't get why he is in the group. yet he never sings. who is he anyway?
4. feed the chic. or don't put her in videos. looking at her makes me wanna throw an angry bird at her
5.Loose the fake accents. I feel like am listening to Shaka Zulu
Some of you might think that am just targeting Camp Mullah for my own personal reasons but am actually doing the opposite. You see, i can clearly see these guys have ambition. They wanna go far. They wanna be international artistes who are known worldwide. Thing is, they are going about it the wrong way. Pretending to be something you clearly are not wont give you recognition. And if it will, then maybe for the wrong reasons. Why put white chics in the video and black ones at the back? Talking with a voice that isnt yours and doing everything to dissociate yourselves from your people. Look at all the African artistes that have made it internationally. Just look at how well they represent their country. What kind of message is Camp Mullah sending out to the youth? That you have to be in a certain image in order to be accepted in the society? And what kind of image are they trying to endorse?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)