PS urges university students to keep off crime
Principal Secretary University Education and Research, Simon Nabukwesi (left) and Egerton University Vice-chancellor Prof Rose Mwonya (right) follow the proceedings during the virtual orientation of First Year students at the Njoro campus on August 31, 2020.
What you need to know:
- Mr Nabukwesi urged university students to avoid alcoholism, drug trafficking and general crime.
Public universities are among critical institutions in the country where youths have been lured to join the ranks of al Shabaab militants.
Principal Secretary University Education and Research, Simon Nabukwesi has asked university students to shun radicalisation because it will ruin their academic lives.
At the same time, Mr Nabukwesi urged them to avoid alcoholism, drug trafficking and crime.
Mr Nabukwesi said radicalisation has destroyed the academic lives of many youths who are lured to violent extremism at the expense of their education and personal development.
Public universities are among critical institutions in the country where youths have been lured to join the ranks of al Shabaab militants in neighbouring Somalia.
"The students who embrace radicalisation and other crimes while at the university have a bleak future and will have themselves to blame because crime does not pay and the long arm of the law will finally catch up with them," said Mr Nabukwesi.
He was speaking during the orientation of Egerton University First Years orientation ceremony which was held virtually at the Njoro campus on Monday.
Productive activities
"With all freshness a great destiny lies ahead of you, there is great need to tap and channel the energy you possess to productive activities while at the university that will help you shun radicalisation," said Mr Nabukwesi.
He cautioned the students to choose their friends wisely while at the university and asked them to say no to the influence of bad peers who will lure them into criminal activities.
"If you chose wrong people you will specialise in defiance, skipping lectures and you will lose focus on what brought you at the university because the consequences are harsh and you may either be suspended or expelled."
He advised the students to start early by associating themselves w look up to their professors and lecturers as role models.
"Engaging yourselves in what brought you at the university will enhance your chances of succeeding in life after completing your studies and this will secure the future of our nation," said Mr Nabukwesi.
Acquire knowledge
He added: "You have started a journey of a thousand miles and I urge you to make this journey to become great by interacting with great people and submitting to the authority and leadership and by so doing, you will enjoy your stay as you acquire knowledge."
The PS underscored the importance of orientation saying it is a critical component to a successful life of students at the universities.
"Orientation is key as students start and maintain a good tempo and progress to the end. A good a student sees the end at the beginning and how much to achieve by doing periodic evaluation and this starts during such an important occasion like orientation," said the PS.
The PS singled out a student who was trying to follow the orientation virtually while at the hospital.
"I'm greatly impressed by that student who was trying to follow the orientation virtually from the hospital bed and this demonstrates how serious that student is and this is the kind of student who is eager to learn from day one under difficulty environment and I commend the student for such resilience," concluded Mr Nabukwesi.
