Campus elections: KUSO president loses seat to 'fresher' after five terms in office

Kenya University Students Association (KUSO) has a new leadership after its President Antony Manyara was removed from office on Thursday last week.

The new president is Sarun Jessie who is a first-year Bachelor of Commerce student at the University of Nairobi.

Jessie was elected by 76 student leaders from various universities across the country in a poll held at a Nairobi hotel.

The new KUSO president, who was flanked by at least 20 university student leaders, criticised Imanyara for imposing himself as a student leader yet he completed his university education six years ago.

"We cannot be led by an outsider who left university in 2016. Manyara should know that there is a new dawn in the leadership of the country and universities. He should stop acting and transacting business on behalf of students," said Jessie.

Manyara, however, dismissed his dismissal, saying he is still the Kuso president.

He said he was still a UoN student studying law at Parklands campus, Nairobi.

"I am still a bonafide leader of Kuso, serving my fifth term. Treat reports of my ouster as rumours from young people seeking political connection and attention," said Manyara.

Together with other student leaders, Jessie said they will work with all elected leaders and the government of the day to ensure issues touching on university students are addressed and catered for.

They called on the new government to improve security in universities to reduce cases of students being attacked and some being killed in university precincts.

He also called on the government to ensure the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funds are made available to all students on time.

"We will lobby for HELB funds to be transferred to students as a grant, not loan," said Jessie.