The recent hullabaloo involving the ‘fake’ academic papers of Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has been on the trending topics in Kenya for days now.

The allegations that Joho forged the papers forced a purported classmate identified as Juma Hamed to come to the defence of the County boss.

Hamed claimed that he schooled with Governor Joho from Form one to Form four, and sat for KCSE in 1993.

This act by Hamed set a stage for discussion on the importance of keeping close ties with your former classmates in various radio stations and social media.

According to experts, it is essential to maintain close ties with people you spent most of your time while training as ‘your net worth is determined by your network’.

Opportunities

Meeting with your classmate and having chit chats will allow you discover new opportunities.

It is easier to tell someone you are constantly in touch with of an available opportunity in your work place, other than someone you have not talked to in years.

Growth

Connecting with your classmates help you grow in your field as you get to learn how they work in their different organizations, hence, giving you tips on what you can improve on.

Gain Insight

Your classmates have a different experience, therefore, linking with them allows you to understand issues from different vantage points.

Support System

The work place can be very hectic and getting around to converse with people you kinda do the same thing, will help you get motivation to move on.

Shared Problems

Your classmates can assist you solve various problems at your work station. For instance if you are having problems on how to schedule work in your organization, talking with your friends could help you adopt a system they use to do the same work.

On a lighter note, if you are seeking to be a politician in Kenya your classmate could just be a witness when trying to prove that you actually went to school.