An ode to a first class academician

The graduation list came out yesterday evening. I was at work when someone posted something on our Facebook page. It said; “Congratulations Ndugu”. Immediately, I knew what he was talking about. Ndugu is what we called a dude in my campus. His name is Omoke Morara. He was fond of calling everyone ndugu. “Ndugu, hii siasa ya CORD unaionaje?” “Ndugu, ule msichana anatembea funny.” “Ndugu, si twende hapa Wambugus tukunywe kamoja tu?” and so forth.

 Hides and Skins

Ndugu is about to graduate with a first class honours. Perhaps it is not a big deal for those of you reading this from your hostel at Main Campus, because first class honours are common in the Bachelor of Hides and Skins. If you are reading this from your room at Catholic, Multimedia or Strathmore universities, you are probably wondering why I am making a fuss about this, because first class degrees come easy to you people. If you are in USIU, with your American slang, you are probably wondering what first class is. It is what you people call ‘summa cum laude’.

At the University of Nairobi, School of Law, graduating with a second class honours (like yours faithfully here, ahem!) permits you to walk in the clouds with a loud speaker, telling people that you are the man. Getting a first class makes you a demigod. Ndugu has become a demigod. The last time people heard of a first class at the UoN School of Law was around seven years ago.

Looking back, I see why Ndugu has made it. In second year, he demanded a remark to explain why he had gotten a C in a particular subject. At the time, he had gotten A’s and B’s in all the other subjects. That C was a weed. He got his remark, but I don’t know if he got his desired grade.

 A little green

I envy him his first class. Mostly because I am vain and feel a little green about all the attention he is getting on Facebook. All those congratulatory messages must really make him proud as he pushes papers at some top tier law firm in the city.

Secretly, we all wish we were like him. It is not like Ndugu used to spend his entire day reading. He had a meaningful relationship with a girl and he even tried his hand at politics -- he failed miserably. Our God is a fair God who gives and takes. He does not give you everything. For the failure in campus politics, he made good with a stellar transcript.

This column today is an ode to Omoke. Congratulations Ndugu. Footprints on the sands of time are not made by sitting down.