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I joined Moi University Main Campus in 1989, after leaving the National Youth Service (NYS), which was a mandatory requirement back then for anybody who got admission to campus. Being in university was completely a new and thrilling experience for me, considering that I came from a poor background in North Eastern Kenya.
It was a sort of culture shock at first having come from a conservative Muslim community, but I quickly caught up with life at the university which is located in Kesses area, in Uasin Gishu County. We were the first students to put up at Ngeria Hostels, which I now understand hosts engineering students.
I was popular with most comrades and displayed leadership skills from first year, where other students elected me as the chairman of the university Muslim students. My colleagues later elected me as their representative in the student's council.
Being a student leader had its fare share of challenges, but the most memorable event which I will never forget in my life happened in February 1992, following the murder of prominent politician Dr Robert Ouko.
I led the students in a peaceful demonstration to Eldoret town to protest the murder of the Foreign Affairs minister then, who I had a lot of admiration for during that time and was even my role model.
Gone too soon
As expected police officers descended on us before we reached our destination. Live bullets were fired and unfortunately a close friend of mine, who was standing next to me, was actually shot dead. I survived death by a whisker. The untimely death of my friend shook me, and I resolved one day I should actualize my dream of being a leader and representing the voiceless. But since I was in my fourth year, I decided to concentrate in books.
Some of my former classmates at University include my colleague Adan Keynan, Rita Kavashe the General Manager, General Motors East Africa and former Wajir North MP Hussein Gab, among many others.
I was also at Moi University with Mugo Kibati the former Director-General of Kenya Vision's 2030 Delivery Board, who is now the CEO Pan Africa Insurance, though he took a different course. Aden Duale graduated from Moi University with a Bachelors of Education Degree in Economics in 1992.
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