Nyanza University Students Caucus has thrown its weight behind the broad-based government and President William Ruto’s bid for a second term in office.
Led by Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology student leader Joel Odidi, the students, drawn from various universities across the country, have backed the broad-based arrangement, which they say has not only united the country but has also made significant economic development in the country.
“For the first time in the history of this country, we are seeing affordable housing projects in all corners of this country. For the first time, roads and other infrastructure development are being done in the Nyanza region on a scale not witnessed before.
People from this region (Nyanza) have key portfolios in the government and university students are seeing a reduction in university fees through the new funding model. We are fully behind the broad-based government led by President William Ruto and ODM leader Oburu Oginga,” said Odidi.
Odidi stated that as university students from the region, they have vowed not to go back to the streets for demonstration, as has been suggested by a prominent politician from the region.
“Some of our politicians have been saying that the people are ready to go back to the streets. “I want to categorically state that we, the students, will not be used by such politicians to go back to the streets to demonstrate against the government, ” Odidi said.
The student leader observed that as students from the region, they respect the decision by the late former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, to work with President Ruto and will not accept to be swayed by leaders who are focused on supremacy battles for their own interests.
Odidi was accompanied by a fellow student leader, Clinton Obala, who said that the Nyanza region requires leaders who will play politics of economic development as opposed to kingpin politics.
Obala added that for the region to be in government or form the next government, ODM party leadership under Dr Oburu Odinga must work with President William Ruto, who has a proven track record of undertaking economic transformation in the region.
Obala hailed President Ruto’s new university funding model, saying that for the first time university students in band one are paying Sh6,000 as fee for a semester.
“I know that the model has been criticized because of its teething problems, but for the first time I have seen students in band one taking courses such as education paying Sh6,000 a semester. This is a huge reduction in fees for students from economically disadvantaged households. The only thing I would wish the government to do is to expedite the release of funds and ensure compliance by all universities, as some institutions have resorted to play games with the model,” said Obala.
He asked the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) to set registration bases next to universities to allow the students to register as voters in readiness for the 2027 polls. “We have written to the stakeholders, including IEBC and the Siaya County government, to support the initiative through mobilization and setting up bases next to tertiary institutions for more people to register as voters,” Obala said.
The students were speaking in Bondo, where they had gathered as a caucus to take a stand on the region’s political direction amid emerging propositions by a section of ODM leaders to abandon the broad-based arrangement ahead of the 2027 polls.
By Brian Ondeng
