It's time we discarded such statements as, "the government has forsaken us, the government must do this and that to pastoralists..."
The bloody campaign pitting some members of the Turkana, Pokot and Samburu communities cannot be stopped by the apathetic Nairobi bureaucracies we know. They know little about these places. They see no "economic sense" to pacify this region. They are "busy" building other productive sections of this country - (whatever that means).
For your information, these places feature prominently on the lower scales of their priorities. History is very clear as far as this assertion is concerned. Pastoralists have the church, aid agencies and recently, devolved governments to thank for the little steps they have made.
To this end, I partly I agree with those who lampoon the national government for doing little to salvage the conditions over there. But a challenge must automatically follow these lamentations: Which plans do Turkana, Pokot and Samburu leaders have to pull their people out of this bloody game?
It's incumbent to note that the lethal blow hitting these communities is neither tribal wars nor availability of guns as many Kenyans seem to believe. And this is where I disagree with proponents of collective disarmament. No amount of gun mop-up will pacify this resource-rich but poor region unless the political philosophy of those masquerading as leaders is conquered and changed.
Let me deconstruct this deadly philosophy for you. You just need to interrogate leaders from this region to decipher what they mean by “leadership”. For them, playing victim and shifting blames are the two most important qualities any leader should have.
Now, they have even moved a step higher and coined a new term. They move around claiming that their people are victims of "two Kenyas syndrome". That they belong to a lesser Kenya. A neglected one devoid of schools, health facilities, roads and water.
But behind this doublespeak lies thieving political elite that values more talk than action. An elitist foundation built on bloodbath and tears. A disjointed leadership that profits from the tribal fissures of their poor subjects.
For the record, many linkages exist between these communities. Take the case of Turkana traders who buy agricultural products from Pokot farmers and the Samburus who have intermarried with Turkanas in Baragoi.
By the way, the fact that a significant proportion of the residents of Baragoi Division, Samburu County are Turkanas debunks that baseless myth that pastoralists can hardly coexist peacefully.
These four troubled counties (Turkana, West Pokot, Baringo and Samburu) have a combined budget of about Ksh 25 billions (according to 2014 county revenue disbursements).
They hold about 30% of Kenya's livestock population (2009 census figures).
Huge chunks of their territories remain uninhabited thanks to their small populations. A country like ours that banks on rapid urbanisation to spur its growth will readily find these counties the ideal places to run to.
The many rivers crisscrossing this region coupled with vast tracts of fertile land have never been exploited.
Beneath these battle fields are hidden countless quantities of natural wealth.
From Kapenguria to Lodwar to Maralal to Kabarnet, the story is the same: People want a slice of these goodies. They want a political philosophy that leverages on the collective advantages of these communities.
But the magic bullet is here with us: The future of this region lies in the hands of its leaders. To maintain that hardline positions and a misguided belief in the power of bullets and guns will liberate people from poverty is to deceive ourselves.
To believe that our individual success has nothing to do with the success of the majority out there is a very dangerous dose to swallow. Leaders must move beyond amassing wealth at the expense of their poor people's lives.
Devolution has paved the way to rewrite this painful story. Unite and empower the people!
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