THE CAMPUS ECONOMY: ‘MJENGO’

Are Comrades Boycotting Classes or the Economy is Pushing them Out ?

By BRIAN KIBET 

Chuka University 2nd Year Media Student 

At sunrise in Chuka, students trickle into  lecture halls with notebooks tucked under their arms, exchanging sleepy greetings before lessons begin. A few streets away from the institutions’ gates, a minority group of ‘’comrades’ balance wheelbarrows of sand before grabbing a shovel to mix cement. As a good number climb scaffold, other’s hands are covered in dust as their backs bend under the weight of bricks. 

This is an emerging phenomenon across Kenyan campuses today; where students skip lectures to make quick cash from employers who demand long hours of physical labour. For most of them, the decision is survival rather than rebellion; a boycott against hunger if you will. 

The Price

Those from poor socioeconomic backgrounds often begin the dream of higher education with sacrifice. Their parents sell livestock, take loans or even combine family resources to raise tuition fees because the admission letter is a household victory. But once the degree journey kicks off, survival becomes less guaranteed. Rent, food, internet bundles, printing assignments, transport, and personal necessities quickly pile up. Within weeks, the small allowance most of them receive disappears.

Speaking to one Kevin, pursuing an Engineering career, he openly described how he occasionally works at nearby construction sites with quiet honesty. “Some times my parents manage to pay the fees,” he said. “But they cannot send money for everything else. If I don’t work, I don’t eat.”

Campus Life

University life carries social expectations that many students are unprepared for. Relationships, social status, and the desire to fit into the culture often come with financial costs. Most of them admit to feeling the pressure to pay for meals, transport, or small luxuries in their relationships. 

In some cases, these students find themselves supporting partners and even helping raise children. These burdens rarely appear in academic reports, but they shape how students spend their course period in school. 

The “Sherehe Economy”

Weekend parties, nightlife, and social gatherings promise an escape from academic stress at a cost. Most of my fellow young scholars fall into cycles of a drug habit that demand constant financial support at these events. To sustain these acquired tastes, they resort to ‘M​jengo’, a synonymous to hard labor. It pays immediately but at the cost of education during graduation,  where they barely pass as most of them drop out. For most of them, university is the first time they manage money independently. Few arrive equipped with the skills needed to budget, plan expenses and prioritize necessities. 

Practical Solutions

Today’s students have access to freelance writing, graphic design, coding, digital marketing, online tutoring, and content creation. With the right training and support, these platforms provide flexible income without forcing students to skip lectures. Nonetheless, the student president at KMTC Kilifi recently convinced the institution to install pool tables on campus, turning recreation into a sustainable revenue stream. The money generated now funds a welfare program that provides weekly meals to struggling nurses. Hence, this initiative shows that solutions only require creativity and empathy. Furthermore, most of our parents are ignorant to the broader financial demands of campus life. Therefore,  orientation programs and regular update will help them understand the true cost of student life and encourage closer follow-up on academic progress.

Dusty Dreams

The sight of a university student carrying bricks under the scorching sun is a story about dreams colliding with reality. Every student working at a ‘mjengo’ once walked into a lecture hall with hope of a degree, a career, and a future that would lift their families out of hardship. But when survival is uncertain, even the strongest dreams die. Still, beneath graveyards of these dreams at the construction sites, some of these intellectuals still believe in the power of education. The real question then becomes whether the school systems will enable them to remain in class long enough to wear the honorary hat.