Nairobi: Senior National and County government officials converged at the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) on Wednesday to pay their last respects to a former student leader fondly known as ‘Beast’, whose death has plunged the campus community into mourning barely a year after he lost his father.
According to Kenya News Agency, Principal Secretary (PS) for Internal Security and National Administration, Dr. Raymond Omollo, led the tributes, describing the late leader as a symbol of the inclusive nation that the country is heading to. Dr. Omollo highlighted that although ‘Beast’ hailed from Kisumu County, he found a home in Mombasa, where he continued supporting government transformation programmes, particularly in education.
The PS linked the late leader’s story to the government’s expanded investment in higher education funding, noting that the sector’s budget had grown from Sh500 billion to nearly Sh800 billion in three years. He also mentioned a pending parliamentary Bill seeking to guarantee university placement regardless of a family’s ability to pay, emphasizing that education is the greatest equaliser.
Mombasa Governor, Abdulswamad Sharif Nassir, reflected on his engagements with the late student leader, which centred on identifying and compensating victims of political and election-related violence. This initiative was part of a broader healing agenda drawn from the ODM-UDA political pact. Nassir urged the youth to embrace unity across tribal, religious, and generational lines, stressing that division hinders national development.
Governor Nassir committed the county government to providing transport for students from TUM and other institutions to attend the burial. He also promised to engage the relevant Principal Secretaries to extend this support to other universities.
PS for Youth Affairs and the Creative Economy, Fikirini Jacobs, conveyed condolences on behalf of President Ruto, describing the late leader as a self-driven young man who transitioned from campus politics to establish his own outfit, Visionary Alliance for Ruto. Through this initiative, he mobilised young people to register as voters in Mombasa.
Jacobs revealed that the President had personally condoled with the family that morning and sent his most heartfelt condolences through him. He urged the TUM fraternity and the wider youth community to carry forward the late leader’s dedication to civic participation and national cohesion as preparations for his burial continue.
