Universties- Base to kick tribalism out of the country

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology has embarked on different anti-tribalism measures with an aim of eliminating the epidemic.

A committee and tailored cultural events were created to ensure that the western Kenya-based campus is tribalism-free.

"We have a Cohesion committee that plays the surveillance role by ensuring that staffs do not spread tribal related messages in different social media groups. We also hold a yearly cultural festival Tamasha which brings students and staffs together. The festival has different themes of enhancing cohesion among students,” Public Relations Officer Mrs. Winnie Malala said.

Varsity choir and dance groups are also keen to perform songs and dances that enhance unity and togetherness among students for a peaceful coexistence with the others despite them coming from different parts of the country.

"The ethnic groups that students belong to in the university cannot be terminated as we will be interfering with one’s ethnicity. We cannot run away from our ethnic background but we manage it,” Malala added.

MMUST is expected to hold this year's national music festival commencing from 10th to 22nd July 2017 with the theme being 'Enhancing National Unity, Cohesion and Integration'.

This even as other universities like Maasai Mara and Chuka witnessed mayhems during their previous students’ elections.

Chuka University students destroyed property of unknown value and even set the university bus ablaze all in the name of unfair elections as Harrison Maina won the Student Governing Council chair.

His competitor, Kenneth Waringa, was from a different community.

Pope Francis' speech when addressing youths at Safaricom Kasarani Stadium during his visit to Kenya last year touched on eliminating tribalism.

"We are all a nation, that’s how our hearts must be. Tribalism is a work we must carry out every day against this tendency," the Pope said.

National Cohesion and Integration Commission chairman, Francis Ole Kaparo, in a report warned the universities of breeding tribalism when offering employment opportunities.

"Most public universities have violated the Constitution by basing employment of staff on ethnicity. This must stop. Public institutions cannot be allowed to breed tribalism" Ole Kaparo said in last year's report.