On March 21, Kyambogo University students elected JOSEPH OCHIENG their guild president for the period 2017 – 2018. However, when Anthony Lam Ayebe met him last week, he came across a man struggling to get to grips with his office.
When I met him at Haniiz Grill Restaurant & Takeaway, last week, Ochieng was receiving various tips from Brian Arinaitwe, a friend. These include ideas on how to manage his incoming student cabinet; how to address student concerns and being a role model to the youth.
Ochieng formally replaced the former office bearer, Lawrence Lugalavu, last week, but says it remains a tough task, being guild president.
“Many students meet me but they still don’t believe that I’m their guild president … They have too many expectations,” Ochieng says.
Those students are also shocked that they can’t find Ochieng on social media (Facebook, Twitter). I ask him why he is not visible on social media.
“I deactivated my accounts prior to launching my guild presidential campaigns,” he explains. “I’m careful about what information someone may find about me and, as result, I decided to take a break from social media.”
After becoming guild president, Ochieng says, he worried about how he will be perceived, after realizing that some of the promises he made in his manifesto may not be fulfilled.
But he says he has temporary remedy for now. “Joining hands with the students to change the university … it is each and everyone’s duty to play a role in transforming the campus,” he says. His first step will be to call a student assembly to find out critical issues affecting the students.
BACKGROUND
Joseph Ochieng was born to Charles and Margaret Othieno, the last in a family of six children in Tororo. He describes himself as humble and down to earth. He started school at Tororo Army primary school from P1 to P6 before sitting for his PLE at Namugongo Mixed primary school.
He would join St Kizito high school Namugongo for both O and A-levels. It was here that his leadership skills were harnessed, when he became head prefect for O-level and chief judge in A-level.
He is presently a second-year student on the Bachelor of Arts in Education programme, where students refer to him as Ochieng Ochieng. He explains that he was motivated to run for the guild presidency after he noticed that the outgoing cabinet had serious weaknesses in fulfilling student expectations, especially on electronic registration and general welfare.
“This inspired me to start a new movement for a brand new form of leadership to answer and address the student’s concerns and cries,” he explains. However, he notes that leadership has a way of humbling even the most ambitious.
“I realize that [good] leadership is built on the common man’s understanding of collective efforts in order to transform Kyambogo,” he adds.
Ochieng adds that he draws a lot of inspiration from his family, as they are always open, free and positive to any ambitions he would like to go for. Ochieng is hopeful about the future.
“Uganda will having a great generation with leaders … I see myself engaging in leadership roles and offering inspirational talks to students, youth who might be in need of it,” he offers.
His message of hope to the students of Kyambogo is a call for them to get ready and prepare for a great struggle for change as leadership is action, not a position.
His major inspirational quote, which he says has stayed with him for years, is, ‘when you drink water, remember the source as the well and maintain it well’.
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