MY UPU EXPERIENCE By: Ireri Joseph Mureithi LLB finalist

Monday morning October 26th, 2009. My first day at the university, having just transferred credits from another university to UPU, I still don’t know anybody. The morning is chilly, the fog is thick and the dew is still on the grasses. I seem the odd one out because surprisingly everybody I meet is in an upbeat mood and cares the less about the weather.

I walk into the academic registrar’s office and I find Mr. Noel Twinomujuni the deputy academic registrar who warmly welcomes me to the University and after the registration process hand me my admission letters and my class time table. The service offered to me is fast and efficient and leaves me wondering if I just met a good person or everybody is like Noel. Immediately I leave the registrar’s office, I bump into a gentleman who introduces himself to me as Charles, I ask him where the LLB class is and instead of just giving me directions to the lecture room, he walks me there and hand me over to someone he referred to as Norman. What a good student! I tell myself.

In our conversation with Norman, I am made to understand Charles is an administrator here at the University and Norman himself is the lecturer who is taking me in Law of taxation.

My first lecture goes fine. The interaction was great and I realise something, the mode of teaching is different from what I had earlier experienced at my former school. It’s now mid day and the sky’s are open. No heavy cloud cover and the sun is bright enough. Just ahead of me is a pair of ladies deeply involved in a conversation as I near them I realise they are talking in kikuyu – my mother tongue, without hesitation i join their conversation.

The day passes so fast that i don’t realise darkness has fallen in, As i lay on my bed that night i convince myself that coming to UPU was the best decision i ever made. The staff are welcoming, no bureaucracies in the offices and the people are friendly, most of it all is the fact that i found my fellow kikuyus on the first day,

Never have I felt at home in foreign land.