A Nairobi-based law firm has announced it will not offer pupilage or employment opportunities to University of Nairobi students. KN Associates LLP, through its Twitter account @KNAssociatesLLP, says it has taken the decision to freeze taking in any UoN student due to “hooliganism exhibited by UoN students.”
UoN’s Parklands Campus is one of the premier law schools in the region producing some of the best legal minds including the Managing Partner of KN Associates. Although the law firm is not a top tier commercial and corporate company, UoN law students may suffer damage if other firms follow suit.
The firm kicked up a storm on Twitter with that statement with KoT responding that it’s unfair to condemn all UoN law students based on the behavior of a few rowdy students.
“The Kenya Law Students Society has not condemned or distanced itself from the hooliganism of their comrades. We will review if/when they do,” responded KN Associates.
@KNAssociatesLLP why deny students an employment opportunity due to their association with the uni #discrimination
— Ruqayya Essajee (@RuqayyaEssajee) May 16, 2016
“@twistedryan The message that they need to protest without harming others and property must be passed loud and clear.”
Migai Akech @MigaiAkech, an Associate Prof of Administrative Law at UoN, agreed with the law firm on the need to safeguard property and life but wondered why all UoN students should be condemned on the actions of a few.
@KNAssociatesLLP so if my brother is caught stealing I should be punished for failing to tell him stealing is wrong?
Meanwhile, blogger and brand strategist Al Kags joined KN Associates in condemning UoN students en masse, citing recent and past incidences where UoN students have destroyed private property.
“I have a considerably lowered opinion of the university and its graduands. To that extent, at companies and organisations where I have influence, people from UON shall have to work harder to prove themselves than those from other more reputable universities,” said Kags in a FB post.
Kags’ opinion was echoed by Kevin Ombajo, the Chairman of the Events Manager’s Association of Kenya (EMAK), who said the members of the association have stopped any engagement with the University.
The association condemned Saturday’s vandalism of audio-visual equipment by UoN students. Ombajo said equipment worth Sh100M was destroyed after students stormed the venue during the US Embassy sponsored ‘Ni Show Power Concert’.
Additionally, EMAK said that the students also broke chairs and tables; stole drinks and catering equipment before lighting fire.
“We also urge the students of the school to pay close attention to what employers are saying about them because at this point, no one wants to hire a graduate from the University of Nairobi,” Ombajo said in conclusion.
