Former Presidential Aspirant Mohamed Dida Stirs Debate Online After Calling Kenyan University Students 'Lazy'

Former presidential aspirant Mohammed Abduda Dida has caused a stir online after bashing Kenyan university students for being lazy.

Through Twitter, Dida scolded Kenyan university students for relying on their parents unlike their counterparts in the US who take up various jobs to sustain themselves.

“In the US, University students drive Uber, work in convenience stores, work as waiters and make enough money to sustain themselves. In Kenya, boys smoke weed and play FIFA 24/7 while girls just watch movies and wait for Juja’s bedsitter parties. Good luck amounting to anything,” Dida tweeted.

His tweet triggered a heated debate on social media, with many online users faulting Dida for comparing Kenya with the US while others agreed with him. 

@pingache said: “Stop lying to the Kenyan students. The US economy is 100 times bigger than the Kenyan economy. If a Kenyan student gets a job in Kenya they will be overworked and end up failing all their courses.”

@owuorgpo tweeted: “Extremely ignorant tweet that ignores the big economic differences. In the US, convenience stores are actively looking for workers while in 254, stores are retrenching and only offer full-time job schemes. In the US, temporary workers are paid per hr while it’s 8 to 5 in 254.”

@johnndaiga14 wrote: “Having studied abroad, I fully concur with 
@mwalimu_dida sentiments. I've toiled and moiled. I paid my school fees as well as my rent and other expenses. I was a jack of all trades. It really opened my mind. I agree Kenyan youth should step up.”
 
@AngelaWairimu7 said: “I studied in K.U and every weekend I had a hustle, either doing promotions for aerial , always etc. in the supermarket, I even marketed Eabl products in clubs to survive….I never went broke in campus!”
 

Responding to his critics, Dida added: “A KCSE D+ goes to a TVET institution, studies masonry, works as an apprentice fundi earning 1500 at mjengo sites. 6 months later, he is a fundi with his own team. Meanwhile, a university engineering student is still WAITING for opportunities. Ask the TVET student to employ you.”