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| Eliye Springs on the shores of Lake Turkana. Photo CREDIT: @KResearcher (Twitter) |
Kenya's Budget season is here. Politicians, bureaucrats and citizens are busy cobbling figures and drawing up development plans. Unlike before, this process is now 'owned' by the people thanks to the dictates of our new Constitution.
Allow me not to go into the technicalities of budget making. Budget making in Kenya has - since independence - proven to be hollow and escapist.
The fact that a significant proportion of our population - more so those residing in rural areas - have little knowledge about budgets and the contents therein is enough to push us to review our public engagement frameworks and policies.
This is partly because the populace lacks the necessary intellectual tools to question the contents of these crucial policy documents. Again, there is an entrenched notion especially among public figures that budget process must look 'complex and modern'. That simplifying the whole thing - in order to reach men and women out there - robs it of its impact and pomposity.
In my understanding, those charged with duties of overseeing budget processes have not moved away from hitherto ritualistic touch that symbolized the political stranglehold on public purse. They are yet to internalize the fundamentals of our Constitution.
A policy document that is too complex for the common people - the real owners of budgets - to interrogate is not destined to benefit them.
I have gone through the Turkana County 2015/16 Budget Statement. From the face value, the document looks good and seems to be responding to the needs and aspirations of the people of Turkana County.
However, a closer look of its contents reveals the paucity of creativity and fear of trying unconventional ways that (continue to) bedevil our officialdoms - stretching from the center in Nairobi to the peripheries in the counties.
Personally, I have a problem with people who underestimate the economic potential of marginalized groups (the poor, women, youth, the aged, persons with disabilities etc).
These groups need no sympathy. They need recognition that given opportunities, they too can contribute immensely to the economy.
And this is where my county scores zero points. We miss the target the moment we base our budgeting on generalities. In my view the advent of devolution was meant to usher in a point-by-point way of dealing with public matters.
The false premise that only 'external investors' will power economy and improve the living standards of our people must be debunked. Even the fish mongers of Lake Turkana and the herders of Lokori are equally important.
Lodwar needs a modern market. A town whose traders spread their merchandise in roofless markets is the epitome of a leadership that is disconnected from the people.
Free goodies have never empowered man. There's a way we can tap the energies of the people of Turkana. They can be roped in as partners in environment conservation.
The millions of shillings put aside for tree planting would have a greater impact if say, persons with disabilities and women are advised to form 'conservation groups' and given the opportunity to lead the tree planting campaign.
An illiterate county such as Turkana (by the way two-thirds of folks here are classified as illiterate) would be expected to be more flexible in its undertakings and (also) ready to simplify matters.
Take the case of public education. There is a greater need to contextualize empowerment programs to suit the needs of the many illiterate people dotting our rural outposts. This explains why barefoot colleges come in handy. Turkana needs many of these.
Finally, the county government of Turkana must discard the belief that education is a national government function and so devolved units have no business meddling in it. Though this is anchored in law, we know very well the apathetic nature of our national government.
The truth is: Turkana schools will never be built by our Nairobi-based bureaucracy. Governor Nanok must seize the moment and prove that he is indeed grounded in the needs of the people of Turkana, national bureaucratic bottlenecks notwithstanding.
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Perhaps, it's time he started with roofless, classless Kootoro Primary School in Lokichar Division!
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