- A University of Nairobi student president revealed on TikTok that his campus election campaign cost him over KSh 7 million
- He claimed that while other institutions can be contested for as little as KSh 50,000, UoN campaigns require far larger budgets
- The admission sparked heated debate online, with many questioning where a student gets that kind of money and whether the figure was exaggerated
A University of Nairobi student president has set social media ablaze after openly disclosing that his road to the top student leadership seat cost him upwards of KSh 7 million.
Source: TikTok
In a candid TikTok video filmed on what appears to be the UoN campus, the student stood beneath a tree and spoke directly to the camera about the staggering financial demands of winning the university's top student office.
What It Costs to Lead at UoN
"Spent 7 million Kenya shillings to be elected as the president of the University of Nairobi," he said plainly, showing no sign of embarrassment about the sum. He went further, drawing a sharp contrast with student elections at smaller institutions, where he claimed campaigns can be run on as little as KSh 50,000.
"It's only at the University of Nairobi where you need 7 million shillings and above to campaign for the position of president," he added.
His remarks immediately drew scepticism from viewers who dismissed the figure as exaggerated, but the student held firm, insisting the number reflects reality at one of Kenya's most prominent public universities.
Bigger Dreams Beyond the Campus
The student also offered some context for why such a costly race was worth it to him. Winning the UoN presidency, he explained, is not the destination but rather the first step toward something far larger.
"My dream is to be a leader in Kenya. I want to be in national politics," he said, framing the campus seat as a springboard for a future in mainstream Kenyan politics.
Watch the video where he breaks down the cost of his campus campaign:
Kenyans React
The video quickly attracted sharp reactions online, with many Kenyans questioning both the source of the funds and the logic of spending that much for a student leadership role.
@Amy posed the most direct question many were thinking: "Question... where does this 7 million shillings come from?"
Gabiro pushed back on the financial reasoning altogether:
"Why would you need to spend 7 million to earn a salary of 40k per month? You could start a business that earns you more than that every month."
Demabior, apparently writing from a different institution, offered a dismissive comparison: "7M? How cheap. That is for Congress here at Egerton University."
Whether the KSh 7 million figure is precise or approximate, the video has reignited a conversation about the commercialisation of student politics in Kenya and what it signals about the state of university governance when entry-level leadership requires resources that most students and their families could never access.
UoN Students Stage Protests Over Lecturers' Strike
In other news, TUKO also highlighted facts about University of Nairobi students’ protests, as they blocked sections of Waiyaki Way and called for Education CS Julius Ogamba to resign over the ongoing lecturers’ strike.
The nationwide strike began on October 2 over a dispute about implementing the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Student leaders warned they would continue protesting as disrupted lectures and examinations left some learners unsure when they would graduate.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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