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Voiceless comrades and the dying culture of strikes on campuses

Living

The just-ended lecturers’ strike reeked of passive aggression and cowardice. Perhaps that is why it was given a blackout by the media. That is why today I want to talk about comradeship and the dying culture of strikes. While largely frowned upon, strikes have been the stuff that make semesters eventful and ensure that comrades get their way. Back when the economy was great and comrades fed on ugali as opposed to baby-food thus had all their systems functioning, a simple blackout was enough to send students to the streets.

University of Nairobi students have for years stopped traffic, and controlled Nairobi. All these incidents were not misguided. Comrades ‘owned’ their universities and stood up for their rights as opposed to today’s sad state of affairs. Comradeship is dead, that goes without saying. In the recent past, comrades have been dying left, right, centre, above and beyond. Their deaths have been met with deafening silence from the student community. This should mostly be blamed on administrations that are imposing something that is the love-child of tyranny and dictatorship on students. Comrades who dare to stand up are easily subjected to victimisation in the form of indefinite suspensions or even worse, expulsions.

This is why lecturers’ strikes happen and no one notices. Comrades would rather sit in their hostels, spend money on nothing of importance, idle around and fornicate the strike away. Doubtless, comrades have unbothered. Universities currently consist of weak children who would rather smoke shisha and post about ‘slayage’ on Instagram than stand up for what they are rightfully owed. When the disbursement of Helb (Higher Education Loans Board) loans are delayed, comrades would rather ask for money from their parents instead of heading over to Helb offices. Strikes have been reduced to child-play that does not warrant media attention. Demonstrations are more of solidarity songs with no agenda. Comradeship is dead and it is only a matter of time before the comrade is reduced to a completely voiceless puppet.

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