Babu Owino to spend Sh15M in SONU elections

SONU Chair Babu Awino

Babu Owino, the current Chairman of the Students Organization of Nairobi University (SONU), is planning to spend Sh15 million in the next student elections slated for April 2015. Ndenge Sirkal, Babu’s campaign manager, posted the itemized budget on the comrades Facebook page with the current chairman confirming the figures to Capital Campus.
The budget includes publicity material; wristbands, banners, posters, fliers, T-Shirts. Babu will make record by being the only student to vie for the Chairman’s position for three times. The incumbent first run and captured the seat when he was an undergraduate student at Chiromo Campus, UoN. He vied for the position last year when he joined Parklands Law school.
“The students asked me to vie for the position again so I can’t turn down the opportunity,” Babu says.
Babu told us the money is being fundraised through the support of students, supporters and well wishers.
“They have already raised Sh3 million through various fundraising activities.”
In addition to the communication and publicity costs, the budget includes items for ‘personnel’. 20 security boys per campus will be hired for 50 days which will cost the Babu Awino team Sh2.2 million.

A similar amount has been set aside for ’20 warembo na Babu’ team in all the 11 campuses. Logistics include flights to Mombasa and Kisumu campuses at Sh250,000 and hiring security chase cars for 30 days.
Babu says he has mobilized students over the past one year to provide free medical and legal services to prisoners around the country.
“I was at the forefront of fighting against the proposed fees hike by the government,” Babu adds.
Earlier this year, we revealed a campaign budget for a student leader at the Mombasa Technical University which included hiring goons, weapons, and propaganda.

Source: capital