By EVERLYN MUGURO
“The window of opportunity is never opened wide and once you
See one that’s slightly ajar, you have to squeeze your self through.
For if you delay, you only have yourself to blame.”
These words has since haunted me in the face of a harsh and unbearable environment ours in Kenya has become. But when a direct my beam to the trials and tribulations at Egerton University and analyze the optimistic faces of the ‘Egertorians’ albeit being caught between the devil and deep blue sea, I am compelled to change my mind. A filigree of hope gets my way.
In 2002 / 2003 academic year, Egerton University has received probably the highest number of graduate students since its inception. Cursory glance at the corridors of the graduate school in the department where masters courses are offered tells a keen eye one thing: the “gold rush” for knowledge has just began. The staff at the graduate school has probably presided over one of the it’s bustest regimes as it comes to terms with the fact that the seed of aggressive and consistent academic pursuits has been planted at Egerton University. Lord Egerton could not have been joking. This is why he brought the window of opportunity that writer Kenyu na Kenyu is chronicling about and luckily enough, the opportunity {read Egerton University} has burgeoned through the efforts of many who have dedicated to its service with an upright zeal. Our children will surely live to reap the sweetness of this institution that has even now contributed much to the corpus of our national basket.
But why are more and more students opting to undertake their masters at Egerton University.? Philip Ochieng once wrote that pursuing knowledge is the only thing that can free has from poverty and I am now sure many Kenyan’s never took that lightly. The hydra of poverty remains Kenyan’s tear- jerking tales stemming from the vagaries of this malady that has refused to get away. As the economic abyss gets deeper, there is no business to run at a profit except pursuing scholarship to the letter and hopefully churn out an anti-dote for our unfortunate position. Upon this realization, the graduates are streaming back to class for more knowledge and for better jobs. Competition is the order of the day as Kenyans rush for the ever-diminishing job opportunities. Being a microcosm of the larger world, Kenyan student must strive in letter and spirit to become citizens of the world and out there my friends, it is papers that speak for you.
Egerton University has also done Kenyans proud by introducing new and competitive master programmes as opposed to other university who are busy trying to find fit. The expansion of these programmes to the Town Campus widens the net for more Kenyans to be trapped in scholarship- the only growing industry in Kenya. Look at the statistics. This is due to physical accessibility of these programme.the parallel programme in town campus are busy transforming Nakuru residents into studious and more focused Kenyans who no longer have to be in Nairobi for them to stay afloat academically. Many resources have also been salvage because these students could have opted pursue heir degree outside. Talk of arresting brain drain.
Numbers are multiplying in the Egerton master classes because of the affordability of the programmes. This is one area the University authorities should be highly commended. The shackles of economic depravity have hit Kenyans to the bone and this gesture cannot be more welcome as it has provided a major fillip towards scholarship in this country. Sure, if Kenyans can afford to educate their sons and daughters abroad painstaking so, why not here.? In addition then, under aegis of the graduate school, Egerton University should provide information about bodies that offer financial assistance to graduate students around the world because I know they are there in number. The graduate school should dig out this information, especially from the internet and encourage the students to apply for these scholarships. I am saying this because internet services are still expensive especially for self-sponsored students who have to pay for their studies through the nose let alone putting a good meal on the table for themselves. This will certainly delete from these students that constant sense of waiting without having.
As Egerton University opens its doors for more masters students, it is my hope that more degree programme will be introduced and others improved in tandem with the world needs. The sun as actually shone Egerton and those who are undertaking undergraduate studies should be alive to the fact that their last academic bend is yet to come. We need to have an educated populace that can generate home-grown solution to their problems without effort. I want to believe that Egerton University Alumni and those who will joint it soon are doing a good job in nation building and as they prosecute this monumental task, I cannot fail to remind them what Dr. Albert Schweitzer, a German Physician and Nobel Prize laureate once said:
“I don’t know what your destiny will be. But one thing I do know. You will only find true happiness if you go out and seek to serve,”Now that we had an opportunity to be at Egerton, we will definitely go out there and serve our nation well. not only our nation but also East Africa and the whole continent at large. I would like to urge all the universities in Kenya and East Africa especially to view and take academic pursuit in the light of Egerton. All the east Africa universities should work towards making Education affordable with a variety of advertising programme ton enable citizen pursue Education with ease. This will raise the standard of life and bring solution to our problems. It’s only a learned society that can over come the challenges of the world today.