OF THE MZUNGU INVESTOR AND TURKANA LEADERS

                Politicians are meant to "cry". Their job is to "shout" and "make noise" for the silent masses. That is their modus operandi. But wait, these "noises" aren't absolute. They are subject to checks and balances - by the masses or by any right thinking person. It is for this that I write this piece. 

                A concerned citizen in the name of Erastus Naboikut (https://www.facebook.com/erastus.naboikut) wrote to me expressing his concerns on the issue of the mzungu (white-foreign) investor in Lokichar (who plans to construct a tourist hotel and an airstrip). His concerns were clear: there is a breakdown of communication between the mzungu, the local leaders and the hoi polloi. The masses have been reduced to spectators in a matter that touches their veins and generations. 

                As a right thinking citizen I find it imperative to join this debate and "shout" my thoughts. Humans derive their progressive power from their interactive composition. Man is the only creature with a tool of communication - the mouth. He has the engine of knowledge- the brain. All these are not for cosmetic reasons. They are meant to serve man. To make him live peacefully with God's creation.

                And this begs the question - what is the motivation behind the wrangles on the mzungu issue? I have some theories to explain this.

                Theory number one : these are spillovers of boardroom fights. It is a product of a deal gone soar. It revolves around the sharing of "a piece of meat". The public has no share in this "meat". It is an exclusive "dish" for the sons and daughters of the soil. Those who cut deals on behalf of the hoi polloi. Those whose role is to "shout" for us. Those whom we've entrusted with the duty of speaking and acting on our behalf. They are in dilemma. They are looking for a way out to "save face". And the only way is to appeal to the emotions and ignorance of the masses.

                Theory number two : Ego fights and the need to be declared a diligent leader. A quick look of the current leadership shows that a good number of them are new on the job. They are still fresh in people’s memories. They shoulder heavy loads of expectations from the electorates. They are bound to deliver these promises. But you know what? When you have no means to turn these promises into concrete results, you turn against your colleagues and "sell" them badly to the public. 

                  Theory three: set the public against the investor by starving them of relevant information. I'm no propaganda theorist. But common knowledge dictates that once the populace is starved of information it is bound to use any available "tool" at their disposal to get this information. In some cases this may turn violent. It is simply a game destined to benefit a few (those on the scheming end of the stick). Thus, “a corrective measure" to right the boardroom squabbles.

                  Theory four: the investor must have outwitted our leaders .You know a divided house is no better than a dead one. They (leaders) went with their mouths fuming with hunger and anger thus handing the investor the atomic bomb to silence them. But elected chaps never accept defeat before their electorate. For them to do this is akin to committing political suicide. They would rather shout at each other in public to save their faces than engaging in a constructive dialogue to right their wrongs.

                 I'm no pessimist. But truth must be said - development in Turkana shall remain a mirage unless we put our house in order. We must think for the masses. We must embrace cooperation. No nation stands on its own. We are all embedded on one another. My survival is yours and yours is mine. DO SOMETHING NOW!