REAL COMRADE

Moi University Press Club, The 3rd Eye
November 23
CAMPUS PERSONALITIES
THE BRAINS BEHIND ‘THE REAL COMRADES’ PLATFORM

By Simon Gichimu

A down-to-earth Political Science finalist from the School of Arts, Maya Jacob is an exciting fellow to meet with. Soft spoken but firm describes who Jacob is. His political foundation is courtesy of a re-known blogger Dikembe Disembe whom they discussed politics in hostel M69 when Maya was a freshman in the year 2011.

One evening in February about 2 years ago, Maya realised there lacked a platform where comrades could share not only the campus politics but also the day to day affairs. This led to the foundation of ‘The Real Comrades of Moi University Main Campus’ which by the following morning had hit 500 likes! The group likes has grown to 7713 likes in the last two years.

Maya feels the platform has achieved its intended purpose since all comrades air their views without fear or favour about any issue on the platform. Leaders are praised, criticised, cajoled and guided.
The group founder and administrator, is the gatekeeper and regulator of the group. He’s the current administrator of the page that is arguably one of the most dominant facebook platforms among all campuses in the country.

He confirms he faces the challenge of reckless comments attacking personalities mostly in the guise of fake accounts. Maya says he blocks the accounts from the group permanently. He discusses the issue bitterly as he still feels the group is his brain child and his attachment to it is still so strong.

A believer in political liberalism, Maya asserts, “We are the intellects and we should be the determinants of national politics unlike the reverse. It is disappointing to see good leaders sacrificed in the tribal alter.”
Great pillars who have stood by him include the political analyst and a prominent figure in main campus Gitungo Wameere, Outgoing Chair of graduate students of Moi University Nyamweya Omari, Secretary General of the 26th SGC Seth Odongo alias Dikembe Disembe and a prominent online figure Totty Toto.

‘The Real Comrade’ as he is often called by his peers, has flapped his wings outside campus. His active participation in the last general election in the campaign trails of Kipaikka Musa of Kumpa Ward and Joseph Nkaiserry of Kajiado Central constituency saw them as MCA and MP respectively.

Maya was once threatened at the Security office and ordered to delete the group. A call he says he declined without second thought. It now is a secret group because of the heated arguments that provoked last year’s MUSO elections.
Summing up the interview he says, “All comrades are equal with common issues of interest, let us remain united and desist from tribalism menace. Comrades are free to like the group and engage in sober discussions.”