8 THINGS TO BE PROUD OF IN DKUT.

A lot of good things happen in Kimathi. Many times we are either oblivious of them or we downplay their significance. Today I decided to list some of the important things that we have in our campus and of which one should feel positively proud. Here they are, in no particular order:
1. Research, books and papers.
Behind the scenes, our lecturers and other academicians working in the university are busy conducting research in various fields. Significant breakthroughs are being made too. If you attended the Nyeri County Investors Forum, you might have seen samples of the biodiesel that was a product of Prof. Kioni’s research. In the same spirit, books authored by members of the academic staff have been published. There’s one on business ethics by Father Dr. Mathenge, the school chaplain. Others by people like Dr. Byiringiro are too advanced for me to fully comprehend what they are all about. If you are an engineering student who loves both ODE and fluid mechanics, go check out Dr. Marigi’s et. al. paper on using ODE to solve certain problems in fluid flow. Excerpts of these works or the full texts can be found on the school website.
2. Environmental and Animal Conservancy.
I do not know another university in Kenya with its own wildlife conservancy. Having a conservancy in itself is worth bragging about, but we don’t need to brag because ours is a real dedication to environmental conservation. Almost each semester there are planned tree planting drives, town cleaning, hiking or local tourism activities. We do not just conserve the environment, we also take time to enjoy it. If you have not gone for any hike or visited any of the national reserves within the county since you came to Kimathi, then I do not know what you have been doing. Even book worms take time off to enjoy at least one of the beautiful things in life.
3. Miss Tourism Nyeri County.
Speaking of beauty, the university does have its fair share of beautiful ladies. And I am not the only one who thinks so; the judges in the recently concluded Miss Tourism pageants at the county level were of a similar opinion. The title was won by a comrade, and just like that one of our own was suddenly Miss Tourism Nyeri County. I hear that we also have as a comrade a Miss Tourism from another county. To decide who wins such a title, the judges consider many qualities in the contestants. The judges concluded that two of our female comrades had the best of those qualities in their respective counties. We are officially the source of some beautiful, quality ladies.
4. University Buses.
Don’t bite my head off just yet. I know that transportation of students is the root of most complaints in the university, especially for comrades who live away from campus. But we have to give credit where it’s due. A new bus was bought after years of promise, and it eased the transportation problems a little. Perhaps with time the administration will let them start operating earlier than 4 p.m., and then we can finally get rid of that late evening congestion at the bus park.
5. Library, online resources and e-learning portal.
We have a small library for sure, even in comparison with some universities which are almost equally populated. However, the university has been keeping up with the times to complement the library. We now have courses that are being taken entirely online in the e-learning portal. Further, the university has availed to the students a wide range of online libraries. So all you need is to have a computer with internet connectivity and you can access more books than you can ever read. Those who do not know what I talking about should go to the library help desk and ask for information on online resources. Potentially, we can end all book shortages by using this approach. At this rate, the library might one day become a historical relic whose size and/or equipping no one cares about. After all, the whole world is going digital and we are hot on their heels following suit.
6. Comradeship and DeKUTSO.
The unity of students in the university is growing. This is self-evident from recent events. We are slowly adopting the musketeer’s motto: One for all, and all for one. It was humbling to see the number of students who turned up to protest against the cause of death of one of their own. This unity became more impressive when the students, in furtherance of their cause, stood up against the GSU policemen. Even in the aftermath, the DeKUTSO leadership has not failed us either. The chairperson made official his stand on the matter of students’ unrest through a notice to the students on Tuesday evening. It is not every day that students elect courageous leaders into office, so it was a proud moment reading that notice. DeKUTSO is finding its voice back, and by so doing the students will become more liberated.
7. The Titans and The Dedans.
You should know who these are. The Titans is our hockey team, and they are really good. They may not be national champions right now, but someday they’ll be. The Dedans, on the other hand, is the school’s rugby team. Just this semester, they won the Mt. Kenya Region championship. What a sweet moment that was for the players. We have a lot of sporting talent, in football, handball, netball and basketball too. Unfortunately, there seems to be a dearth of interest from the university towards developing these talents. The rugby team uses money from winnings and contribution from players to buy some of its training equipment. The players are given very meager allowances, whether they win or not. To say that most players are demoralized is an understatement; they are only in it for the love of the game. Hopefully, that love alone will be enough to make them want to win nationally. And we will be right there to cheer them.
8. The Student Mess.
I spoke to a freshman some time back and I was shocked to learn that he did not know anything about a ‘half-plate’. That might be because the students’ mess offers such fair prices for their food. Consequently, some of the freshaz cannot imagine anything much cheaper than that. But those of us who are not freshaz remember half-plates. It was that meal that you would probably never eat but was glad to see in the menu nevertheless. It was like a safety net that you could rely on to catch you when you became too broke. With only ten shillings, you could ease the hunger pangs with a plate of ugali and cabbages, a whole meal at only ten shillings. Even though those days are behind us now, we still have breakfast. At only twenty shillings, you get half a loaf and a cup of tea. If you add ten more shillings, you buy yourself an boiled egg and get to eat a more wholesome breakfast.
This is not an exhaustive list. For one, it does not mention the CU and those dedicated members who preach to us on the buses on our way to school in the mornings. There’s also more talent in campus than I can possibly give credit to in just one article. What’s the thing you feel most proud of in Kimathi? And if I left something that you feel should be in this list, you can always leave a comment or email me and it will be included next time.