UoN starts search for Babu Owino’s successor
The University of Nairobi (UoN) has started the search for the successor of Babu Owino who was elected Embakasi East MP in the August 8 elections.
A new constitution was adapted by the University’S Senate last month states that the election for the students’ leaders will be conducted on the first Friday of March next year.
The new constitution has also changed the name of students’ body from Students Organisation of Nairobi University (Sonu) to University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA).
On Monday, Deputy Vice-Chancellor-Students Affairs Prof Isaac Mbeche invited applications from students and staff who want to serve as commissioners in the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
The constitution stipulates that IEC should comprise of seven members; the chairman and three members of staff and three students.
MEET CRITERIA
“A student commissioner shall be appointed on application to Senate and must meet criteria as set out in the UNSA Constitution. The student applicants must be in final year of good academic standing and fulfill the requirements of Chapter six of the Constitution of Kenya 2010,” said Prof Mbeche in his circular to students and staff.
The elected UNSA leader will head the student’s council with consists of the vice-chairperson, treasurer and three other members to represent special interests of students such as the disabled and international students.
The new Constitution has also limited the terms of office to two terms of one year each in line with Universities (Amendment) Act 2016 assented by President Uhuru Kenyatta in January.
It stipulates that student student leader will only serve for a year and be legible for re-election just once.
The law that was sponsored by Majority Leader Aden Duale sought to bar Mr Owino who had been to the helm of Sonu since 2011 from contesting.
“A person who has held office as a member of Students Council of a University or constituent College in Kenya is ineligible to be elected as a member of Students Council,” states the new UNSA constitution.