We have a Student Council! James Muhia, Joan Metian Pertet, Esther Karimi Njeru, David Karanja Gichiri, Laban Cliff Onserio were elected Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Finance Representative, and Public Relations Representative positions respectively in the first ever Strathmore University Student Council elections held on Friday, 5th December.

Pauline Njeri Muriithi and Innocent Githua were elected Academic Representatives, and Beryl Ochieng and Ronald Wekesa were elected the Sports Representatives in the historic elections. The elections saw 17 candidates battle it out for 9 available offices. Most positions had two candidates. However, the Chairman’s position attracted a strong field of three candidates. The Secretary’s position attracted only one candidate. Still, electors had the choice to vote against her as one of the options on the ballot was ‘None of the above candidate(s)’.

The elections culminated four years of constitution making, and two months of registration and campaigns. Campaign speeches and debates were held every evening in the auditorium throughout the two week campaign period that started on 24th November and ended on 3rd December.

Candidates presented their agendas and manifestos during the speeches and debates and the audience mostly made of members of the Electoral College asked them questions. For some candidates, the going was tough especially the debate sessions where they had to face-off with fellow candidates vying for the same position.

The debates were moderated by members of the Interim Student Council. There were many light moments during the debates especially when a candidate rushed to answer a question s/he was not well versed with only to give a wrong answer. But with time the race got tighter and the candidates too got sharper as they dug deeper into their reserves.

The elections conducted via secret ballot were a great success with all candidates praising the integrity of the process. The Electoral College was composed of members of class parliament, sports team captains and student clubs’ chairpersons. Voting started at 10.30am with each class. More than 60% percent of the college had cast their ballot by 12.30pm.

Voting closed at 6.00pm paving way to the counting process which got underway at 6.10pm. Only the candidates and one of their representatives, the Elections Committee and the Interim Student Council members were allowed into the counting hall. The vote tallying process presided over by the Dean of Students, Mr Paul Ochieng who was also the Chairman of the elections committee and the chief Returning officer went on very smoothly at three vote counting centres. Two centres were headed by  by Interim Student Council members - Eric Ngwiri and Alvin Mokaya.

Over the next few weeks, the interim Council will start the handing over process that will culminate with the swearing-in and launch of the student council in January 2009. The interim Student Council is composed of Paul Ochieng, Terry Kiboi -BCOM4, Kirimi Achieng-BCOM 4, Alvin Mokaya- BBIT 4, Eric Ngwiri -BBIT 4, and Lynn Macharia -BBIT 4. It was formed to help plan and carry out the Student Council elections.

The elections were a testimony that university students can hold peaceful, free and fair elections worthy of an institution of higher learning.