Is Parliament Part Of A Scheme To Dispossess Communities Of Their Land?

In his numerous talks as a community leader, my father Mzee Daudi Lemukol, a man who never had the privilege of getting an education but has proven to be resourceful, brave, focused and witty in the way he says and chooses his words, once uttered these words: "Land is an integral part in the life of a community. It starts and ends with them. It is their refuge and mother. It is where they were born; it is where they live; and it is where they will be buried... To dispossess them of this resource is to dispossess them of their livelihood, an act they won't take lightly."

Fast-forward to 2014 and the hitherto marginalized lands of Kenya are up in Nairobi's economic radar. A month hardly passes without news of mineral discoveries and/or exploration. Thanks to this newfound wealth, Northern Kenya is for the first time in the history of this nation positively associated with its national economic renewal and progress.

Surprisingly, even those who dismissed these lands - and its people - as a liability and a deadly tumor in the body of the Kenyan State have formatted their minds, erased their past jaundiced memories and jumped on the queue on the Great March on N-Kenya. 

But this story won't be complete without highlighting some key workings making inroads vis-à-vis exploitation of these resources and the place of the local communities in shaping up the road-map to inclusive development.

On top of the list is the flow of information from the relevant authorities in Nairobi, investors and local elites on one hand, to the local communities and their leaders, on the other. Information flow to host communities has proven to be the dividing line between those with intentions to 'eat' and dispossess the people of their wealth and the public interests. 

There is a deliberate move to keep the people in the dark and out of reach of what they ought to know contrary to the Constitutional provisions on the right of citizens to unhindered access to public information.

Community Land Bill comes to mind. The National Assembly has been playing around with this crucial piece of legislation for the last ten months without any clear explanation. Mark you; it is the only piece of law on land matters that has not received parliamentary approval.

As we speak, land dealings continue unhindered without any straight-forward legal framework to protect indigenous communities’ rights and interests. Oil exploration companies are in frenzy sealing deals to beat the system and lock out any community involvement.

Local politicians have maintained a long heady silence. They are totally withdrawn from public awareness campaigns, lawmaking, agitation and follow-up for swift passage of this important law.

Remember, the region has more than sixty Members of Parliament. The Speaker of the Senate is himself a pastoralist and a child an oil-rich county! 

The situation begs so many questions. Is there a deliberate move to delay the passage of Community Land Bill to pave way for land grabbing and strategic profiteering of the elite in order to push the poor illiterate gullible mass of Northern Kenya to the filthy economic corner?

Is this a conspiracy to cover-up any possible symbiotic friendship between government top functionaries and mining/oil companies operating in the region?

Or is this a replay of the last fifty years of economic and political isolation which rendered communities from this resource-rich region an appendage – and not true members - of the wider Kenyan society?

It is for the benefit of all that we ask these questions and look for ways to reconcile any conflicting thoughts and/or actions. 

Any intervention to this corner of Kenya must appreciate the uniqueness of its people. There is no other way of understanding this other than listening and accommodating the views of the people. 

To foist foreign, repulsive ideas on a population that is ready to share its views with regards to land use and exploitation is to reduce its members to a bunch of woolly-headed dummies. It is akin to disregarding their age-old wisdom and place in their ancestral land.

It smacks of entrenched elitism that runs counter the interests of the populace. 

The point is clear: This won't go down well with the people. It is time we restructured our thoughts and saved the situation.

Let's learn from history. Strong and wise leaders are those who rise up to offer guidance before the situation gets out of hand. Demagogues are those that take part in the loot or maintain silence when highly needed but resurface when everything has come a cropper.

The writings are out there for everybody to see. Now is the time for those who claim they were marginalized for fifty years to rise up and unite and push for the enactment of Community Land Bill as a matter of priority. Now is the time to shake off the dust of subjugation.

But how is this possible? It is by sidelining our ego and drink from the cup of the collective-good. It is by marginalizing the beliefs that keep us glued to those unbended philosophies of greed and self-aggrandizement that have kept people lagging behind and in constant nagging and lamentations.

We must confront this monster now or else history will judge us harshly. Pass a strong pro-people Community Land Bill and free northern Kenya communities from the marauding greed of profiteers!

The writer is an Architect. Twitter:  @mlemukol.  Email:  lemoseh89@gmail.com. 

'ENDELEZA VIJANAA' INITIATIVE A GREAT STEP FORWARD

There are two probable grounds on which indignity can crop up and take control of and over people, a community, individuals or groups. The first ground is inborn. It comes about as a result of people's apathy towards self-uplifting moves. This apathy may be due to hopelessness, lack of critical and vital information or the general feeling that progress must come from 'outside'; from authorities, leaders or highly-placed individuals.

The second ground - and which seems to be deeply entrenched in our thinking and actions - seeks to connect progress - social, political or economical - as exclusively the work of external forces and with the target groups/communities (as beneficiaries) at the very end of the chain.

In this case, the masses play no significant role in determining what drops on their table. Theirs is simple; receive, receive and receive without toiling. 

It is a dangerous move. It subjugates. It enslaves and kills the moral pedestal of a people. It must be cracked and smashed.

Buoyed by the need to effect meaningful change and restore some degree of trust and hope in individual capabilities to turn things around, a people-led initiative dubbed 'Endeleza Vijanaa' is up and running. The idea is a brain-child of Turkland Entertainment Group (a collection of young visionary local artists in Turkana) under the leadership of Turkana dance-floor kingpins Akidah and Dahil.

The initiative is principally a youth-movement that seeks to reach the masses through songs and/or cultural events. This, according to insiders, is founded on the understanding that illiteracy still reigns supreme and innovative measures must come in handy in order to communicate with and reach out to the people. Theirs is a departure from the norm. It wants to connect with the populace in a simple, less-costly and integrative manner.

As we speak, the group has lined up meet-the-people tours covering three towns (Lokichar, Kakuma and Kalokol) with the grand party planned to blow up the skies of Lodwar town. 

This is a just a piece of a bigger cake. There are other countless women's, youth's initiatives out there craving for attention and support. They all share one spirit: To chart a new way to uplift the masses and make them self-reliant.

Which brings us to the center of our discussion: What does a community pushed to the wall for so long need other than an energized, focused and issue-oriented populace? Isn't it high time we looked into the welfare of those at the periphery who are making great strides, albeit monstrous challenges, to improve the center? 

History has given us some powerful lessons on this matter. To lift the people up the economic, political and social ladder is not an exclusive role of leaders. The people must first – as a matter of principle – internalize and own up the process for any meaningful change to materialize. Any move that ignores this is doomed to fail.

Could there be a nexus between this and ‘Endeleza Vijanaa’? The point is clear. The younger generation has shown – despite financial constraints - that it can organize earth-shaking events geared at educating and empowering the people. It has reached out to the neglected by listening to them and voicing their concerns. Through their talents, they have proved to be a useful tool to showcase the greatness of a community that has suffered from the virus of bad and ‘catchy’ news.

Through such groups as Turkland Entertainment, they have broadened the platform to accommodate other gifted sons and daughters of the soil.

With such shiny record, doesn't it prick our minds to reflect on ways of improving the welfare of our artists and the ‘not-so-schooled’ but talented segment of our population?

Back to where we began. The future of the economically-weak lies in their collective energies. These energies can only be meaningfully (and productively be) harnessed if the people are roped in and made aware of the great things they embody. And ‘Endeleza Vijanaa’ initiative of Turkana County is not an exception. It is one of the many great ways espoused out there.

Talent/incubation centers, group-loans targeting women and youth, exposure and creating links with established firms or individuals, can be a game-changer. My people, try this!

The writer is an Architect. Twitter: @mlemukol.  Email: lemoseh89@gmail.com

STOP IT! MARGINALIZATION IS A TOOL OF MASS CONTROL

I must admit this. For long I have been a big believer - and trumpeter-in-chief of marginalization talk. I have always stood by those who mentioned marginalization as the chief culprit and central reason for the inequality and development disparities in Kenya as embodied in the sad state of affairs in northern Kenya.

Over time I learned to train my mind to accept that poverty up there must have been caused by some external forces, both in Kenya and outside Kenya. The locals, politicos and the elite, through this perspective, had no fault.

From this angle, I saw them as victims of 'marginalization as espoused and implemented by people from outside the region with motives to enrich themselves and run away to their mother lands'.

While it is difficult to dispute this, I find it hard to cling to it for one simple reason. All this talk is mere escapism. It is a tool of mass control. It is meant to keep the locals - majority of whom are illiterate - glued and pointing fingers to Nairobi (National Government) as their sons and daughters eat and dance and spit on the hungry, poor mass.

It is a one-sided philosophy for the propertied, the powerful, the moneyed, and the schooled. It is wholly founded on oppression and plunder. Nothing more. Let's look at it.

A March 2014 report on the Audit of U.S. African Development Activities (USADF) in Turkana County lays bare the complex web of looting and thievery in the corridors of Non Governmental Organizations (N.G.Os) operating in northern Kenya.

The report lists several loopholes through which donor funds are fleeced and/or lost: 1) projects made limited progress towards targets, 2) poor follow-up of development policies, 3) inaccurate reporting and unreliable performance results, 4) under-performing projects, 5) lack of measures to vet and manage contractors adequately, and 6) failure to capitalize on host communities' strong economic points.  

N.G.Os cannot - at least to the best of my knowledge - be wholly faulted for this. The monster eating my people is down there roaming and laughing and dancing. It is not the donors whose only link to the crying mass is the images of emaciated and dying children they see on televisions. 

Wait; let me show you how this one comes about. Humanitarian Enterprise - not aid - comes in three layers. Placed at the top are donors (foreign governments, individuals, organizations, agencies). The second in line is a bunch of grantees. Their role is to identify projects, draw working plans and establish links with local communities or target groups, and source for funds. At the bottom of the eating chain is a team of local elites, sub-contracted agents, and all those pot-bellied chaps you see being chauffeured in fuel-guzzlers.

The deciding power in this three-layered pyramid is embodied in the workings of those we refer to as sons and daughters of the land. They determine who gets what and when. In the eyes of the gullible, ill-informed communities, they are symbols of hope. In the hearts and minds of grantees, they are just but comrades-in-eating. It is simple; they are complicit in all malaise you see out there.

Regrettably, some of them now call the shots and move around town masquerading as leaders. They keep on shaping public discourse on matters development. Theirs is a classic case of robbers-at-home speaking the language of a Pope.

Which makes one wonder; if those at home can’t get it right, who will uplift the people? Are my people cursed?

A quick look: Not all talk about marginalization is legitimate. Not all disease, hunger, anger, school drop-outs should be blamed on some external spirits. The role of restoring the dignity of this hitherto locked population rests with those from the region.

This is not to claim that the government of Kenya is as clean as cotton. It has its own faults. But we cannot stick to this mindset forever. We must think outside the box.

The bitter truth is: we cannot dwell on blame-shifting, looting, underhand maneuvers and short-changing the people for fifty years and expect progressive change. We must first conquer – and discard for good - marginalization of the mind for tangible results to trickle down and be felt by all.

The writer is an Architect. Twitter: @mlemukol.  Email: lemoseh89@gmail.com . 

GAGGING BLOGGERS IS AKIN TO THOUGHT-POLICING.

In recent days, so many questions have been raised concerning blogging in general and bloggers or the blogging community in particular; its place in effecting the basic tenets of peoples' interaction, information sharing and communication; whether government intervention is needed to regulate it and whether the State must hunt, uproot – and punish - the bad guys hiding under its wings.

This debate deserves attention. It has come at a time when Internet connectivity is making inroads and more and more people are finding refuge in it to vent their thoughts and to share and make their contributions towards national development (and/or destruction).

However, the case is not uniform across the board. There are those who feel the blogging community has gone too far, 'trespassing into individual freedoms', propagating hatred and animosity, arrogating to itself the role of a care-free citizen who goes around shouting and poking his fingers into people’s eyes.

For this group, blogging is a dangerous tool and hence the calls for the State to deploy - as a matter of urgency - all its machinery to contain it before it runs amok and cause more harm than good. 

On the other hand, there are those who believe there is more to lose if wholesale condemnation of the blogging community will take root and be the modus operandi of authorities and government functionaries.

Looking at both ends, one may not fail to note some mind-piercing observations which, unfortunately, have taken center-stage and continue shaping the trajectory of this debate.

One; there is a clear misunderstanding of the true meaning of blogging, its genesis, development, evolution and why it is part and parcel of us – first, as human beings and secondly, as members of the much hyped international democratic community.

Two; if blogging is part of mainstream journalism or the other way round. Or, if they are one and the same. And if journalists have their regulatory mechanisms, should the same apply to bloggers?

Three; if regulation is key to stemming the 'waywardness of blogging' and how this will be effected. 

Let’s delve into these myths in order to understand where we came from and where we are headed to.

Blogging simply means speaking. It is no different from village talks, kamukunjis, street gossips, matatu debates, after-church meditations et al. It has been with us since time immemorial. The only deviation - and which I think is the cause of the confusion we witness - is that it is no longer propagated by word of mouth. Its reach is beyond the village, street or church. It goes far and wide.

In fact, it has assumed a different look. It is faceless in that the 'only' link between 'speakers' is not their physical looks or closeness but the shared interests they have. The line in between is the Internet. Nothing else.

The problem, for those calling for an all-out-war against blogging is nothing else other than the fear of numbers that characterises the blogging community. This invisible power is a threat to their influence, control and manipulation.

Another blackspot: blogging is not journalism and journalism is not blogging. They are never - and will never - be the same. A blogger is a free-thinker. He is a member of an ‘invisible’ crowd.

A blogger is inseparable from the 'debater' on the street. He is just a street debater with a gadget in the pocket. A blogger does not essentially need journalistic skills to operate. All one needs is the power to think and to express his mind.

A journalist has no mind of his own. He is a link between 1) the source of the information he is sent to look for and gather and 2) his employer. He must undergo some formal training to be regarded as such.

Journalism is premised on imparting verifiable facts to the general audience through mass medium. Blogging on the other hand, focuses on narrow subject matter of interest to a select but circumscribed niche.

This, clearly, puts them in two different worlds. So to subject the two to the same regulations smacks of total ignorance.

Blogging has obviously broadened the marketplace of ideas by making it possible for more peoples' voices to enter the (public) discourse. Politically speaking, blogging is a step along the road to becoming a true democracy. To employ some heavy-handed approach to it is to negate democracy and the centrality of peoples' participation. It runs deep to the roots of a just and open society. It is not only a threat to the blogging community, but to the cheering squad too. It must be condemned and stopped by all.

This brings us to the heart of our discussion. The soundest foundation of peace and prosperity for any nation is not the calmness and silence of its citizens. It is the ability of the masses to share their thoughts, feelings and experiences without fear of victimization or government heavy-handedness (that word again!).

The shortest route to kill the soul of a nation is to police the thoughts of its citizens. And blogging is an antithesis of this. It is a platform for citizen to citizen dialogue and/or citizen to government exchanges.

For the spoilt apples masquerading as bloggers, it is time they ought to learn to police themselves. Look, there is no absolute freedom. Remember there are bad guys on the other side too. They are just looking for that small crack to justify their slaps and boots.

Be careful. Blogging is here to stay – and progress.

The writer is an Architect. Twitter: @mlemukol. Email: lemoseh89@gmail.com .

EBOLA: I WON'T WORSHIP A BLOOD-THIRSTY GOD

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and particularly in the Republics of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria, has to a greater scale cemented the hitherto ignored power of religion and the influence religious leaders wield vis-à-vis matters politics, social and even economy in Africa.

For a long time (and even up to now) religious institutions have played a pivotal role in shepherding the African continent - and its people. We have seen schools, health facilities, rescue centers for the aged, the vulnerable, the physically challenged, the homeless being built and supported by these men and women of God.

You see, this approach is commendable. They deserve respect and recognition. Theirs is a step worth emulating.

All these goodies aside. The centrality of religion - and especially the Christian religion - calls for a rethink and re-evaluation. I think, in my honest opinion and with due respect to the founding tenets of Christianity, that invoking the name of God to justify the sufferance of the people is escapist and self-defeating.

Let me explain: I have closely followed the Ebola issue especially in The Republic of Liberia. People have died and continue dying, whole villages are in total lock-downs, fear is reigning and the whole nation is mourning.

Wait, it will be pointless to bypass one vital lead in this Ebola equation: The Church, (read the Liberian Church Council), in its quest to promote (and "sell to the masses") the supremacy of God has failed to reason and speak for the victims of this deadly disease. 

The council in its wisdom asserts that "God has unleashed the deadly Ebola virus as a plague upon the country to punish “immoral acts” taking place there, such as homosexuality..." 

Tellingly, this is a departure from the cardinal role the Church ought to play: to speak for the victims and to demand that authorities respond accordingly. Not to pass the blame to poor villagers.

Listen to these sweet words from Pope Francis: “Among us, who is above must be in service of the others. This does not mean we have to wash each other's feet every day, but we must help one another."

It is rightly within their precincts to demand their followers to pray and seek forgiveness from God. But it is equally important to remind these chaps that a prayer devoid of action is a farce.

It is akin to teaching the populace to respect authorities because it is a "divine call" and (at the same time) fail to point out the shortcomings of those in power.

To claim that a deadly virus is a creation of God is to claim that God is a vengeful blood-thirsty monster mercilessly reigning terror on its victims. It negates the all-lovingness, all-goodness... of this Super-natural Being.

A belief premised on selective condemnations and whose legacy is to escape from the moral scrutiny of its faults is not a pro-people, pro-life belief. It is an extension of Man's malaise dressed in religious jargon. 

It pontificates for its own selfish grandeur. Not God's. It must be pinned down and suppressed before it runs amok.

If this is what they say God is, let me be clear, I won't worship this blood-thirsty god.

The writer is an Architect. Twitter:  @mlemukol.  Email:  lemoseh89@gmail.com.  

MR GOVERNOR, 'SMART LODWAR' IS NOT JUST ABOUT ROADS

What is the source of urban growth and of sustainable urban development? This question has received continuous attention from leaders and citizens alike. We have witnessed an upward shift in planning, budgeting, investments which tend to cement the growing trend that 'urban development' equals infrastructure. 

Many of us have fallen captive to this undertaking. We have failed (for lack of a better word) to decipher that problems associated with urban agglomerations have usually been solved by means of creativity, human capital, cooperation (sometimes bargaining) among relevant stakeholders, and 'contextualized' understanding of our problems vis-à-vis local solutions and input.

Put it differently: In the mind of our policy makers and implementers, urban growth is all about roads, roads and roads. Anything else, apart from roads, does not qualify the tag ‘development’.

Notwithstanding the benefits accruing from such ventures, it is logical to point out that any intervention for urban growth which negates the participation and involvement of the people in powering urban economic, social and political engine is a lie. It is doomed to fall.

The crux of this urban development one-sided determinism is solidified by Turkana Governor 'Smart Lodwar' plan. The county envisions upgrading all access roads in the town to bitumen standards. As we speak, Caterpillars are already on the ground and the whole town is just oomph, dusty! 

But what passes unnoticed is the 'little' unasked question of the small traders and vendors dotting the town with no permanent place to call a market. For long, they have endured the pain of displaying their merchandise along dusty streets with no assurance of any lasting solution. You see, the resilience of these folks stands tall amidst all these manmade barricades. 

Their story evokes several questions: When will plans to set up modern markets for them materialize? Are they part of 'Smart Lodwar' initiative or they will just pass as another bunch of 'unwanted and unfruitful' investors?

It must be remembered that urban growth, as explained by Rodriguez Bolivar and Albert Meijer, is as a result of three elements, namely; a technical strand (smart technologies), a human resource strand (smart people) and a governance strand (smart collaborations).

A technical strand gives more emphasis to expansion, development and/or creation of infrastructures (such as roads, airports and so on) as a catalyst for urban growth.

A human resource strand on the other hand underlines the centrality of the people in making any development plans a reality. It is here that we realize the critical role that the lowest of the low - those we traditionally lock out of urban plans - play in creating a more inclusive and livable place. 

It is in this that talents of the urban poor are harnessed and put into meaningful use which in turn lead to prosperity for all.

Governance strand plays a duty of an intermediary. It describes the role of authorities in relation to initiating the face-to-face interactions between the different stakeholders living in the urban area.

Back to 'Smart Lodwar': For how long shall Lodwar 'marketless' traders wait for them to be included in the town's ambitious growth plans?

As a matter of fact, the raging poverty in Lodwar must be contained. There is need for a Marshall Plan to respond to the immediate needs of the people.

Water, trading amenities, small-trader support loans, are in my view, the way to go if we really have the interests of the masses at heart.

Prosperity for the ballooning lower class is prosperity for everybody. It is a win-win game. 'Smart Lodwar' is not just about roads. It must - and should - be about uplifting the weakest of all.

Places like Napetet, Kanamkemer, California and Nakwamekui need special attention. Their success will automatically define the general trajectory of Lodwar town.

The writer is an Architect. Twitter:    @mlemukol.   Email:   lemoseh89@gmail.com.