KENYA : The Ministry of Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has addressed cases of university students being lured sexual acts by university lecturers or other members of staff.
CS Murkomen, speaking on Thursday, February 13, during the launch of the report on the status of drugs and substances in Kenyan universities by the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse Authority (NACADA) called out lecturers demanding Sexual Favors in return for Marks.
Murkomen, insisted that Tutors and other members of staff who are being part of drug trafficking in institutions and demanding Sexual Favors should be dealt with in accordance to the law.
“It is true that our staff in our universities including lecturers, present or former, contribute immensely to the distribution of drugs. In fact, it is true that lecturers intentionally invite students to go out and buy alcohol intentionally, ” he said.
“One of the most prevalent, and I would like NACADA even if it is not confined on your mandate, another study should be done about sexual abuse in the university where young girls are being taken advantage of by those who are supposed to take care of them, sex for marks and such kind of things." Murkomen added.
The Interior Cs, while highlighting prevalence in such cases said that such “evil” things have been left unaddressed for a long time and that the government in participation with stakeholders will face them head-on.
“Let’s not hide it under the carpet, I know Professors who used to harass students, and some did not even graduate because they never fell into their trap and when they reported, the lecturers always got their way out from facing disciplinary action. There is a problem in our universities. We must start running universities as proper institutions that can respond to these challenges.,” he added.
Murkomen, also instructed the inspector general of police Douglas Kanja to consider integrating a multi-agency team within universities.
According to the interior Cs, to curb the drug problem, the Police IG needs to strengthen all the police stations that are operating near the universities with inter-agency efforts.
“In the past, we were told that some of these students are not actually students; they are police officers. Why don’t we go back there IG and make sure that we are having intelligence officers working within the universities and with students to get proper intelligence and interventions in dealing with drugs and substance abuse in these universities.” said Murkomen.
The Interior Cs, equally put on notice career students who he said could be behind the selling of drugs and substances to students while pretending to be actively pursuing their courses.
According to Murkomen, there are Students who have been in 'Varsities forever' but never graduate. He made a reference to University of Nairobi, noting that they hold leadership positions.
“We know students who have been in the university forever. At the University of Nairobi, they have been the previously notorious students who never finish school, are very rich yet they are doing no business, extremely influential and are in the student leadership,” Murkomen noted.
“We must be able to investigate why a student is not leaving school, pretending to finish one course and move to another or delay studies. We must take measures to deal with such students because of the business they are doing around.” he added.
The NACADA Status of Drugs and Substance Use Among University Students in Kenya report revealed that nearly half of all university students have used a drug or a substance in their lifetime.
