Empowered to Lead: How Three Student Leaders Are Tackling SGBV and Paving Paths to Politics
Purity Chebet, Meressa Akoth (Chogo), and Juliet Mokeira — student leaders at Eldoret National Polytechnic — speak out on campus struggles, SGBV, and their vision for a more just and inclusive future.
By Rahab Gati
At the heart of The Eldoret National Polytechnic, three powerful voices are rising — not just in student governance, but in a deeper fight for justice, awareness, and leadership that transcends campus walls.
In a candid sit-down interview, three student leaders — Purity Chebet, Meressa Akoth (known fondly as Chogo), and Juliet Mokeira — opened up about the realities facing students today, their personal struggles, and their visions for a better tomorrow.
Facing the Silence: Confronting SGBV on Campus
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) remains one of the most pressing yet under-discussed issues on campuses across Kenya. At Eldoret National Polytechnic, student leaders are determined to break that silence.
Meressa Akoth, the institution’s current Women Representative and a force of charisma and clarity, did not hold back in sharing her observations. “There’s a lot that goes unspoken — from SGBV to mental health struggles and the immense social pressure students face,” she said. But her perspective was balanced: “Yes, girls suffer. But boys suffer too. Their pain is often overlooked.”
Chogo, as she’s popularly known, is championing the creation of a guidance and counselling forum focused on SGBV. Her initiative aims to foster open, honest conversations in a safe space for both male and female students. “The talk will be a safe space where everyone can understand the reality of SGBV, ask questions, and know where to get help,” she shared.
Juliet Mokeira, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Accommodation, emphasized that institutional support is already taking shape. “We have a student clinic on campus that offers both medical and psychological support to students affected by SGBV regardless of gender,” she said, highlighting a crucial step toward creating a more inclusive and responsive campus environment.
Surviving Campus: Grit, Growth, and Guts
Beyond the policy work and advocacy, these student leaders are also living the daily struggles of ordinary students. Financial stress, housing problems, academic pressure — these aren’t just issues they manage in leadership meetings, but battles they fight themselves.
Purity Chebet, the CS for Finance, has a personal story of resilience. She previously served as the Disability Affairs Representative at the PWD level and has climbed her way up through persistence and passion. “Don’t give up before you try. Take the step first — that’s how you grow and succeed,” she advised.
Her words speak not just to her peers, but to any young person navigating a system that often feels indifferent to individual hardship. Her voice carries the quiet strength of someone who’s been there — and isn’t planning to stop pushing forward.
From Campus Corridors to County Politics
Despite their busy roles within the polytechnic, all three leaders dream of impacting society on a larger scale — through politics.
“If I ever join politics outside school,” Purity said, “I’d love to be a DW women’s representative at the county level.” Her vision is mirrored by Chogo, who shared a similar ambition: “If I ever get involved in politics out there, I’d want to be a county women representative.”
These aren’t just dreams; they are intentions, forged in student boardrooms and campus corridors, and backed by real-world experience in leadership, advocacy, and service.
A New Generation of Leaders
What emerged from these conversations is not just a story about student politics. It’s a story about courage — to speak out, to serve, and to step up when others are silent. Purity, Chogo, and Juliet are more than student leaders; they are changemakers, visionaries, and, perhaps, the future faces of county and national leadership.
Their work at Eldoret National Polytechnic is setting the tone for what young leadership in Kenya can look like: informed, inclusive, empathetic, and ambitious. As students look to their leaders for guidance, these three are proving that advocacy doesn’t wait for graduation — it starts now, and it starts with them.
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