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KENDO: Students preferred pieces of ‘mitura’ over bursary!

Democracy is a legitimised sham in polities where vested interests reign.

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by The Star

Columnists16 April 2024 - 11:49
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In Summary


  • The students went for the easy way: the selfish way of democracy.
  • The bursary option would have secured the education of some vulnerable students, which were easy to identify at the university.

Two incidents — one secular, the other spiritual — illustrate the folly of public participation — another name for real-time democracy. The two incidents — one contemporary and the other pre-Christianity — expose the weird side majoritarianism.

One incident took place at a public university in Nyeri county. The other incident was reported from Jerusalem, a city in West Asia, on the eve of the crucifixion of Jesus Messiah.

Let’s consider the incident at the august institution in the Mount Kenya region: A windfall of Sh1,000,000 landed upon the youthful congregation of Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, on March 26.

The university resorted to public participation to decide how the money would be spent. That way, the minority would have their say, as the majority had their way.

The Directorate of Student Welfare conducted a public participation among students through a Google form between April 2 and 4, giving optional use of the money. The outcome was expected to showcase democracy at the institution of higher learning.

About 51 per cent of the students wanted the money shared equally among registered learners in session during the windfall. About 36.4 per cent of the voters preferred the money be used to organise a luncheon for the nutrition-challenged students. Another 35.5 per cent of the respondents wanted the money allocated to students’ bursary.

The majority decided the money should be shared equally among registered students, who were in session at the time of the harvest. Each student would receive Sh180. The money would be collected on production of a student identity card, and a national ID. 

The Directorate of Student Welfare worked out the mathematics of payment to avoid a riot. Getting change, say, in denominations of Sh100 and Sh50 notes, and Sh10 and Sh20 coins was a necessary challenge to avoid a riot of the comrades over Sh180.

Now consider the biblical incident: Jesus Barabbas of the New Testament accounts was a gang leader. He terrorised the innocent across the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea.

Barabbas’ notoriety was worse than the Haitian crime lord, Barbecue. The crowd chose the prisoner for royal pardon over Jesus Messiah. It was traditional at that time of the year to give amnesty to one prisoner. 

Jesus was a prisoner of conscience — one who preached love, forgiveness, and reconciliation — a saviour who sacrificed his soul for the sake of others. Barabbas was an accomplished bandit. He was known for visiting oppressive violence upon the hapless.

‘Who should I release?’

The fifth governor of the Roman province of Judea Pontius Pilate put out the question for public participation at the Passover festival. The governor, then serving under Emperor Tiberius, asked the decisive question after listening to pleadings during the trial of Jesus Messiah.

 Jesus Messiah was accused of inciting the people against payment of taxes to Caesar, while referring to himself as the Messiah — a king. The gospels say Pilate summoned chief priests, the rulers and the people. 

He said to them:  “You brought this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to revolt. I have conducted my investigation in your presence and have not found this man guilty of the charges you have brought against him.”

The mass verdict, given three times of Pilate asking, sought amnesty for Barabbas, as they shouted ‘Crucify him! Crucify him! 

Pilate, finally, gave in to the voice of the majority against his informed will of the innocence of Jesus Messiah. Public participation killed an innocent man.

The majority of students at the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology preferred Sh180 worth of two pieces of mitura, a bottle of coke and a kabambe airtime over student bursary.

The luncheon for 5,556 students would have come with challenges of crowd control around nyama choma bandas or boiling drums of soup. The students went for the easy way: the selfish way of democracy.

The bursary option would have secured the education of some vulnerable students, which were easy to identify at the university.

The Jerusalem mob preferred a gangster over a saint. The Dedan Kimathi University mob preferred mitura and smokies over bursary.

Democracy is a legitimised sham in polities where vested interests reign.

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