Julius Kipngetich, the newly appointed Chief Operations Officer at Equity Bank and former KWS CEO, is clearly a star manager, judging by the posts he has held and the changes he has brought about in organizations. We stumbled upon an interview Starehe Boys published in March 2007 on Kipngetich’s worst and best decision. His best decision was joining Starehe Boys after high School at a time when his contemporaries preferred Iten High school. Surprisingly, he regretted how he left as the head of University of Nairobi’s Student Welfare Association.
“What I regret most are the student riots of February 2000, caused mainly by my decision to resign as head of the students’ welfare, University of Nairobi.
I had served the students for some time and had developed a good rapport with them. It was a job I liked doing. I was at the helm of the welfare department and had inspired the students and brought about many positive changes on campus.
During this time, the students had learnt that throwing stones was not the best way to air their grievances. Dialogue was the way out. But I did not know that my rapport with students was not being taken well by some top managers of the university.
They thought I was undermining them. I was also unhappy with the way the university was being run, especially on matters concerning students. I would come up with good ideas but they would be shot down.
When I could not take it any more, I threw in the towel and tendered my resignation. The news reached the students. They decided to vent their anger on motorists and the police. The street riots got so ugly that I felt I should not have quit.
The students even went to the then head of public service, Dr Richard Leakey, to demand that I take back my job. They pleaded with me but I had made my decision.
I don’t regret serving the students. I was happy doing so. But it is a pity that my decision to quit led to ugly incidents that hurt many people.
Johnny Blaze
May 31, 2012 at 7:29 am
Kenyans performing civic duties? You must be new here!
Nkkiprono
May 31, 2012 at 10:23 am
all what you are saying is good! but the issue of peace doesn’t mean that when we express our views and disagree with people it then becomes absence of peace.when people we do not like group themselves this should not be taken to mean they hate other kenyans.above all people or groups should not start telling other kenyans what peace is or how to live in peace. kenyans already know. dont tell me who is a bad person or a good person,let me see for myself thier actions and conclude and make own chioce when it come to elections.
the problem in kenya is when some people like schollars,professionals,politicians,ngo’s etc think that they can teach kenyans how to live in peace and unite—– far from it. let kenyans alone decide like the way people in uk or canada do….
Pratt
June 9, 2012 at 6:42 am
Kenyans are very good at escapist antics. We knew early enough in 2007 violence was going to errupt. That was simply because some of our politicians dont understand democratic culture. They think ordinary political competition is a matter of life and death. They then prime their kinsmen in to believing that they cant be defeated unless cheated. From there and knowing pretty well that their chances of winning are slim, they start preparing them for apparent defence of stolen election. Fingers are then pointed at presumed acts of intented theft of votes. Tribes are actually psyched to prepare for war! These fellows even enlist the services of sections of the media to push to fore imagined thieving conspirancies.
However, given the fact that the fellows coming up with these hostile activities are senior politicians, action is never taken against them. Meanwhile, tension is rising all over the country. These empty politicians are the first to declare their opponents enemies and traitors of the people. But when you look at it closely, you quickly realize that these are mere self-preservation antics with no basis at all. Every one opposed to these cheats quickly become unwanted item. His kinsmen are swiftly targeted as people without “mpango” or supporting “our” enemy! Every act of a single individual is openly seen as a communal act.
We all remember in run up to 2007, two politicians disagreed. The reasons for disagreement were quite clear. They went their seperate ways. However, one of them still held the view that the other owed him the key to state house. And instead of courting his opponent to come to his side, the fellow went full blast to bury the other. Only to complain later that, had this “traitor stuck” with us, we could have easily won comfortably! Neeedless to say, you never pin your hopes on a political enemy unless you are a mental patient! But that line of imagining you can carry the day on the back of your opponent still hols sway in some of these conmen, obviously, smarter than the ordinary conman!
we must be true to ourselves and clearly understand where the problem is. Initiating peace camopaigns while supporting or escaping the problem wont help. After all, Kenyans are peace
loving people! They only turn against each other once fed with overwhelming malicious propaganda. Pointed basely accusations are the driving force behind election violence. The electoral commission should be given express extreme powers to act against hate mongers. Vicious liars should be kept where thieves are kept. Police too should be mandated to arrest any individual spewing vile propaganda in the name of campaigns. Any person implying that another is an enemy instead of political competitor should be quickly disqualified from running for any office. Further, any individual inciting the public against the police should be quickly charged and too, disqualified from running for any office. That way, we wont even need any NGO to run peace missions.