Governor Nanok Must Tame His Thieving Inner Circle

Photo courtesy of  @TurkanaLand

Considering the long fingers of their ruling elite, men and women of this great nation will surely have to wait for generations to fully enjoy devolution largess. Pessimism aside. This is just a clear description of who we are.

The eating spree that has preoccupied the minds of our county honchos is something to worry about. Devolution, it seems, was premised on the narrow prism of lining the pockets of the who-is-who in our rural hamlets. This is a far cry from what the wretched of our counties hoped for.

Let's call a spade a spade: Corruption is theft. Those who bank on it are thieves. In fact, very dangerous thieves. 

The recent Auditor General's report on public funds absorption for the year 2013-2014 has made it clear to all that our public corridors are not manned by straight-minded, people-centered officials. They are policed by hunters of public funds. These chaps pilfer, pocket and cook figures at rates never seen before in Kenya. They are busy shortchanging our collective dream. 

They constitute a single enemy block that must be brought down for prosperity to reign.

Take the case of Turkana County. The report paints a picture of an officialdom that majors on endless junkets (within and without Kenya), and some imaginary ones in order to squeeze extra coins from the public purse. 

I hear marriage is now the in-thing in my land. You see, there's too much cash - of course from questionable sources - to splash to in-laws and to pick extra wives.

Again, there is this disease of under expenditure. Take for instance the budgetary allocation of the County Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning. These chaps got Ksh 172M to do their job but ended up spending 12.5% of this allocation! 

I know some people are preparing to tell us that procurement bottlenecks slowed funds absorption rate. The truth of the matter, in my view, is: What exists on paper is NOT what these people wanted to implement. It is a clever ploy to divert funds.

Look at it this way: when you discover that some sectors, say water sector, expended all monies and did a commendable job, is there any justification for a government that claims to be grounded in people's development to pump more millions to sectors that have shoddy records vis-a-vis implementation of projects?

It is simple: You take money where needs are.

People talk of organized crime. Down there, we have power teams. These are invisible (perhaps imaginary) men and women who will always scoop any contract - and painfully fail to deliver on their mandate. No, I don't cast aspersions on those who have legitimately won their pick.

Owing to their connections with the establishment, these power teams wield immense influence that not even the law can countenance. They know when and how to strike - and get their deal done.

People, this is the foremost enemy of development. Evidently, these power teams ride on the premise that people are clueless and overburdened by their daily challenges to question the steps of their sons and daughters in power. You see, they have a point.

This is why I believe a disruption agent is badly needed. I long to get a leader who will stand up against these power teams and liberate our people from the marauding greed of this faceless squad. For there is no justification to lament about marginalization when we - who wield power - are happily in bed with these power teams.

It is only a satanic mind that finds happiness in cornering what is destined to uplift a people subdued by many years of state-sponsored neglect. More so, it is a scandal of gigantic proportions when home-grown sons and daughters are the team leaders of these power teams. 

Governor Nanok was elected on a platform of renewal. He promised to tackle many things. One striking point was his resolve to ensure that crooked minds get off the rails of resources earmarked for the masses. He sought to restore dignity to our people. 

Now that deviations have popped up, isn't it hypocritical to believe in the promises he made prior to his election? Won't my people be justified to think otherwise?

Our one and only demand: Governor Josphat Nanok must dismantle - and decisively crush these thieving power teams. This is what every conscious being out there expects.

Lemukol Ng'asike is an architect. Email:  lemoseh89@gmail.com. Twitter:  @mlemukol.  

It Took Oil For Kenya To "Remember" My People

Photo courtesy of Turkana Tourism Team

The ping pong, secrecy and gate-keeping surrounding oil exploration in Turkana County has once again exposed the ugly underbelly that is Kenya's lopsided perception of northern Kenya. As time passes by, Kenya's officialdom is making it clear that any development move in northern Kenya must be powered by some "sweet stories" from the region. 

We all know this. For residents of northern Kenya to enjoy the largess of the national government there must be a "compelling economic reason" to warrant allocation of funds. 

Apart from the constitutionally-sanctioned devolution funds, the truth is that Kenya's top-level bureaucracy still banks on "productivity" and not regional balance to distribute national wealth. We have many folks atop our public structure who despite the visible inequalities in this nation still deny the existence of marginalisation.

This "productivity" cliché has been bandied for so long to justify this immoral distribution of development projects. Unfortunately even residents of the aforementioned region have been made to believe that their region is unproductive and so they are - economically speaking - not good to be "given" roads and other symbols of national development.

While some knowledgeable people claim this move is based on sound policy reasoning and that Kenya has scarce resources to pour to places with little economic activities, I find this logic faulty and unpatriotic. It is premised on a narrow economic thinking whose final objective is to create two Kenyas. One that is highly starved of wealth and another that swims in the lonely sea of abundance.

Kenya has gone through this painful experiment for fifty years. So, to state that margilisation is a mobilization tool of politicos is to deny history.

Look at it this way: The other day the media reported that the World Bank has agreed to advance a loan to the Kenyan Government to hasten the construction of roads leading to Turkana oil fields.

The catch word here was very clear. Had the Government of Kenya not discovered oil in Turkana it would have taken centuries for people over there to see a road. (By the way the road is still in boardroom stages. So it is premature to believe that it will indeed materialise.) 

Which comes down to this: Turkana "auto-financed" this development. My people have all the reasons to look inwards and (to) thank their God for hiding oil beneath their land. Kenya government must change its thinking to win the hearts and praises of my people.

I know some crooked minds will rush to  mashinani to use this road thing to cover their dirty tracks and to cash in from the public's poverty of information. We are aware of all these machinations. 

The situation up north can be summarised thus: They deny you what you badly need, (say roads, schools, hospitals etc). Then they discover you have something sweet. Then they rush in to "give" you what they denied you before. Then they pick your sweet things and leave you confused.

This is why we repeatedly say that no development can successfully reach the people if it is clouded in half-truths. I long for the time when my leaders will remember that endless "eating" devoid of community's blessings will take them nowhere.

I look forward to interacting with a population that is aware of its needs and one that can robustly engage in its affairs. A people that are fearless and mean what they say. This is what Turkana wants.

So, those who think they can use this or that to tilt public opinion in their favour should reread history. We are here to stand for community interests. Leaders must pressure Nairobi to come clean on this oil thing. 

We want a "Thika Superhighway" snaking up the north of this nation!

Lemukol Ng'asike is an architect. Email:  lemoseh89@gmail.com. Twitter:  @mlemukol.  

Thank You Mr. Governor, But People Need Toilets

You need not to belabour so much to determine a society's public health indexing. Toilets have much to tell about our seriousness. This is it: Those who see no reason to build toilets have no solid reason to protect lives.

Put it this way: We [should] simply "measure" the respect people (are accorded or) accord themselves by the quality - and perhaps the quantity - of places they set aside for defecation. 

I know for a fact that people are easily inclined to be closer to those who protect their dignity. For me, nothing else is closer to human dignity than an environment that promotes life and creates opportunities for those who live therein.

All our juicy plans will, I believe, amount to a zero-sum game if the simple things that touch our people are omitted. 

A toilet is a critical component of public health. A society that defecates in the open, in the bushes and/or along water paths is a society living a lie. A leadership that ignores this fact is also living a lie. Something must - urgently- be done. 

Straight to the point: Turkana County is facing a serious public health challenge. It is literally "toiletless". Open defecation is the norm. Many years of (internal) neglect have created a society grounded in low self-esteem. A society that values not the privacy of individuals.

Blame not Nairobi for this. The centre has got nothing to do with building toilets and ensuring a clean, secure environment for those at the peripheries of the nation. The few professionals - and leaders - dotting these lands must shoulder the blame. They have failed to transmit the message to the people. They are blind to the plight of those who are killed - daily - by cholera.

And so my beef is directed to the big man himself. (By the way this is an open note to Turkana Governor, Hon. Josphat Nanok). 

Sir, I know your government has purchased a good number of ambulances. Evidently, our mothers have little to worry about and labour period is no more a death sentence. I find this noble and worth praising!

Secondly, your administration has put up health facilities and posted health workers to (even) hitherto forgotten pockets of Turkana. We hereby commend you and your team for this good job.

Thirdly, the only referral health facility in the region is being spruced up to meet, and (to) respond to the needs of our people. I read - and hear from those on the ground - that services have greatly improved. Again, on behalf of our people, I say  hongera!

Meanwhile, we reserve the right to remind you something. You have marginalised public health sector. You have done little to harness the goodies attached to it. You have "forgotten" to live up to your promise. 

Public health is the foundation of a healthy community. It is the first step to a robust health-care system. It is here that maladies are detected and/or prevented. Public health determines the "sacrality" of our daily engagements – both as a community and as individuals.

Mark you; public health cannot just be tied to provision of toilets alone. Anyway, let's face it: A toilet is the starting point of a committed public health advocate. Look, who passes even a day without visiting these hallowed places?

This extraordinary thought is, without a doubt, what must guide our interventions vis-a-vis public health matters. It is, at least in its implementation, that the dream of our people will find a solid foundation.

I know it will work:

(a) We have many under-employed people wandering aimlessly in our midst. It is only justified to turn their energies to something meaningful if we really value them.

(b) Walk around our villages and you will discover one of our underexploited resources: We have many knowledgeable women and youth who can be roped in as stakeholders in this toilet issue. 

(c) We have limited water resources. We have no luxury to turn any available water point to a free-for-all public toilet. We are morally and legally obliged to protect them. 

Surely, it does not augur well to read that 1) a county blessed with vast oil wealth, huge tracts of land good for agriculture and real estate development is among Kenya's top counties whose residents defecate in the open; and 2) that 80% of its population is in dire need of help to avert a public health crisis.

Again, it is a sad reality when one comes to understand that a majority of people over there rely on shallow wells for their water needs yet no measures have been put in place to ensure underground water is safe for human consumption.

So, isn't it logical to ask some hard questions? What future do we build for our people? Do we care for those down our development pyramids?

Back to the top; Mr. Governor, you have a golden chance to ink your name in our hearts and minds. Just build toilets!

Lemukol Ng'asike is an architect. Email:  lemoseh89@gmail.com.  Twitter:   @mlemukol.

Lodwar Befits An International Nomadic Museum

People, if we sincerely aspire to see good results, efforts to reduce extreme poverty, to empower communities and to foster a climate of community-led governance must be build on solid steps. I am afraid we risk pumping oceans of cash into what we term as noble initiatives to lift up the poor but still end up with little or nothing at all to show. 

The war on poverty demands a new thinking. A thinking that allows communities to own the process.

One point remains indisputable: No matter the poverty level of a person, a community, or a nation, there is always something constructive (within them) to bank on. The fact that these people still live is a justification that they too can participate in the making of their own lives. This however demands (that) we own up our inadequacies.

Top-down lectures are time barred. You see, it is only fair to confront marginalisation by holistically targeting those at the lower levels of our (development) scales. Their success is ours too.

Which begs the question: What constitutes the wealth of a poor person, a community or a nation?

In a world whose measure of wealth is based on shiny skyscrapers, glittery airports, flowing foreign accent, well-pressed 'modern' outfits et al, I know it is extremely difficult for most of us to accept that our cultural heritage can pay handsomely.

My sojourn in Europe a few months ago opened me to a world of "immaterial materialisation." I came face to face with a world dotted with endless chains of museums, parks, culture preservation centers, culture-inspired incubation centers and of course the many eateries, shopping malls/points that accompany such places. 

Upon interrogation I realised that anything culture over there is the buzz word. Not only has the government played its part, the people have literally picked up the baton and ran away with it. They know very well that culture is not petrol. Its life is indefinite. Its largess is here to stay. 

But brains must be activated in order to reap big from what our forebears bequeathed us.

This brings me back to my people. Kenyan nomadic heritage is largely undocumented. My inquiries and searches at various Kenyan universities for any documentation about Kenyan nomads returned a negative verdict. 

It seems Kenyan intellectuals - plus the government - greatly downplay the cultural significance of our nomadic communities. This is despite government figures revealing that nomadic communities top Kenya's poverty index.

Surely, it is only an apathetic system that can let such a resource disappear without it having an economic impact on its owners.

I think we need to remind ourselves that civilisation of the nomads is equal to any other civilisation. It is neither inferior to, nor a brainchild of other people's ways of lives.  This is purely nomadic and must be jealously guarded as such.

I eagerly wait to see counties step up their efforts to protect, preserve and value cultural heritage. 

There are many ways to integrate people's culture into mainstream thinking without evoking any hitches. One, a mass community mobilisation and education is key. Two, we must institutionalise cultural bonanzas, designs, outfits etc. Three, put in place barefoot colleges at the village level. 

And for my home county, Turkana, I believe something big should be our target.  Devolution has given us the financial muscle to “reward” Lodwar town with an International Nomadic Museum. 

It is time nomads enjoyed the fruits of their heritage. Deeply, simply, it will be a big scandal to let nomads die in poverty yet they possess one of humanity's oldest civilisations.

I hope my Governor will find time to reflect on this.

Lemukol Ng'asike is an architect. Email:  lemoseh89@gmail.com.  Twitter: @mlemukol. 

Cattle Rustling Will Persist Despite 'Peace Caravans'

Peace campaigns spearheaded by the Interior ministry and politicians from pastoralist communities will not counter cattle rustling. This counter-banditry strategy is a relic of the colonial rule. It is a product of a tired security system whose commitment to fighting cattle rustling remains shaky. It has lost touch with citizens.

Unfortunately, politicians have hijacked it in order to hide their bloody tracks. Everybody knows this. Even those leading (or taking part in) these 'peace caravans' know that their mission is premised on hollow prospects. Killings, school-lessness and general breakdown of law and order will continue for as long as Nairobi's view of the development of pastoralists is clouded with short-mindedness and unhelpful paternalism.

Several reasons support this point of view. A combination of government apathy and political canvassing has elevated cattle rustlers to a powerful, lethal, bloodthirsty group capable of overrunning state security machinery stationed in banditry-prone zones. The number of police officers who have lost their lives in the hands of these monsters is enough evidence to push us into a serious national introspection. But who cares? The script is still the same.

It is not the first time to see these peace crusaders pitching tents among victims of banditry. They have deliberately chosen not to carry their peace messages with them to murderers' hideouts. I believe our able government knows where bandits reside and how they operate. Why its officials have failed to reach them raises many questions. 

Banditry victims want action. They are tired of this repetitive political rhetoric. 

The government of Kenya - it seems - has failed to decipher how boring its fruitless talk is to the ears of those who look up to it to escape the deadly blows of bandits and other malcontents operating in the north of the nation.

Another point: 'Peace caravans' are shrouded in dishonesty and mistrust. Largely 'untouched' by the challenges facing their constituents these 'peace crusaders' have (with all due respect) no moral standing to claim to be leaders. A region with no roads, schools and health facilities has no one to blame but the pampered political elite that claim to represent it. 

They should put aside their helicopters and brave through the tattered camel paths that their electorates call roads. This is the only way for them to show solidarity with their people. Mark you; this 'shame' is what Nairobi government wants to see in order to 'remember' that the north of this nation also needs better roads. We must reverse this trend of creating two Kenyas.

One thing remains incontestable: Government-led peace initiatives are reactive and shallow. They are full of pomp and showmanship. They are a means to an end for a tiny elite. Wananchi are just but an afterthought. 

You need to read reports from (independent) government agencies, faith-based organisations and some clear-minded NGOs to comprehend the gravity of this charade. 'Peace caravans' are full of unfulfilled (development) promises emanating from sensational appeal to an already desperate population. 

There is no better way of addressing banditry menace than rooting out the banditry in the minds and hearts of leaders. There is too much to deal with in the form of hate speech, cattle-rustling-for-cash, politics of poverty (plus poverty of good politics), old-school policing and official neglect of the north.

Whereas devolution can cure apart of this disease, the tumor is so huge to be left to one level of government. Some interventions are exclusively within the scope of the national government.

The Turkanas, Pokots, Samburus and all their neighbours know the value of peace. It is time we all joined hands and squeezed something sweet out of this consciousness. I believe Kenya's top-level authorities can still do something to make this real. 

Kenya is still one - I believe.

Lemukol Ng'asike is an architect. Email:  lemoseh89@gmail.com. Twitter:  @mlemukol.  

Mr President, Even Pastoralists Need Title Deeds

Turkana Traditional Dancers.

Something must be done to streamline community land matters. We hold that the one-fits-it-all community land laws, and which painfully still exist in our books, have contributed immensely to the economic marginalization of pastoralists.

The link between marginalization and community land policy is as clear as day and night. Marginalization is a child of lopsided community land policies.

Fifty-two years after independence, a huge portion of the Kenyan people still cannot access bank loans or participate in other economic ventures because of one obstacle: They have no papers to prove ownership of land. They live in a state of uncertainty owing to the fact that the Allotment Letters they hold do not guarantee them land ownership protections enjoyed by those with Title Deeds.

They can be removed from the plots they ‘own’ anytime and by anybody!

And when it comes to heavy investments, like the oil exploration carried out in Turkana County, the Wind Power plant in Marsabit County, the proposed Resort City in Isiolo and many others, community engagement mechanisms remain shaky and outdated. 

Only a few Nairobi-based honchos (and perhaps connected local politicos) know the contents of these deals.

Little do people in these lands know about the centrality of land laws in their lives. Maybe, this explains why Community Land Bill is far from being passed into law. 

Here come our questions: Is there a deliberate move to sideline nomadic communities from the management of their ancestral lands? What is the justification for this inordinate delay in enacting this crucial law? What legal framework guides the ongoing economic activities carried out on pastoral lands?

Personally I expected His Excellency the President to say something concerning community lands when he launched the Wind Power plant in Laisamis, Marsabit County the other day. 

Surprisingly, goodies attached to wind power filled the air. There was no mention of government's commitment in securing community land rights or at least recognizing that there exists a lacuna in laws regulating the same.

I know some issues are (politically) difficult to admit. But we are here to remind Kenya's Officialdom that the moment you deny pastoralists or other inhabitants of lands hitherto classified as community lands Titles Deeds (or any other instruments of land ownership), you technically subject them to economic oblivion.

And this is why marginalization will eternally taint our national progress. We must not allow this to happen in post-2010 Kenya. (You see, our beautiful 2010 Constitution provides clear answers).

There is, however, a window to change this condition - for good. One, discard that "official creed" that prescribes pastoralists as people who cannot hold individual land titles ‘for they know no value for land’.

We admit communal land usage is a key factor. But individual land rights are equally important. They must be anchored in law. Adopt hybrid land titling in relation to community land. Individual and communal/group land titles come in handy.

Two, pastoralists are part and parcel of Kenya’s economic thinking. Proper mapping of pastoral lands is badly needed to unlock the economic potential over there.

And concerning those who think they can sneak in and negotiate deals while excluding communities, we say one thing: Protect us from these malcontents. Seal all the loopholes they have capitalized on to sanitize their dirty deals. Reveal the contents of already signed deals.

Mr. President a robust citizen-minded Community Lands Act is what we want. Nothing else.

Lemukol Ng'asike is an architect. Email:  lemoseh89@gmail.com. Twitter:  @mlemukol.  

Those Who Badmouth Activists Deserve Mental Therapy

Activist Wanjeri Nderu. Photo Courtesy @Twitter.

Looking at how things unfold these days against activists in Kenya some of us may be forced to worry about the life of the progress we have made and how this can be secured and/or improved. 

The other day we heard of diatribe directed to anti-corruption activist Wanjeri Nderu, and which eventually culminated to blows. She was (allegedly) assaulted for speaking against corruption and pointing out the excesses of Kenya’s corrupt officials.

As I write this, she is nursing her wounds while the rest of us have all forgotten and moved on. This is what we have become thanks to our newfound think-for-yourself-philosophy.

A country that traces its development to activists' selflessness and benevolence of those who stand not for short-term (often individual-oriented) goals but for the public good should - ideally - be the first to defend these champions and to create a conducive environment for them to operate.

This fact - though a large segment of those wielding state power seem to deny - will eternally be inked in Kenya's history books. Kenya is where it is thanks to the resolve and efforts of activists. 

Indeed, one of the enduring legacies of activism in Kenya is our beautiful Constitution. 

Which makes one wonder: Why do we badmouth activists? Why do activists have to hide to express themselves or to escape the wrath of a hollow-minded mob? Who will stand for those who stand for others?

Does this tell of how we are? That we are a thankless lot that should be left to wander alone?

I think this cancer is two-faced. One, we have failed to internalise the true meaning of activism. Two, we are simply too cheap and crooked mass of people that rejoices in thoughtless expression of raw power.

Activism is built on the very understanding that for a coherent society to exist an "independent eye" must also exist. It is simple. Mistrust is part and parcel of unchecked governance. And to root out all its excesses, somebody - ideally all Kenyans - should raise an alarm whenever those entrusted with power veer off the path of good governance.

Mark you; this is not a contest between members of the public and the government. It is simply a citizen-powered system of checks and balances. It seeks to bolster state-funded ‘accountability institutions’ – namely, Parliament, the Judiciary, Constitutional Commissions and the coterie of Independent Offices clogging our public landscape.

Activism is pro-active consciousness per se. It is neither a profession nor a gift bandied around by a few individuals. All conscious people are activists. Any nation that claims to be democratic has no choice but to acknowledge that activism is indispensable. 

To boast of democratic credentials while maligning the good work of activists smacks of twisted morals. We must pronounce ourselves correctly.

Now, we hear some muscle-dependent morons dot our streets to strike a blow on the face of any activist that 'crosses their way or those of their paymasters.' This - they believe - is the price activists should pay for 'opening their mouths'. 

These miscreants are unapologetic in their dealings. Their resolve is reminiscent of that proverbial blind dinosaur - banking on its physical might - thought it could 'tame the mountain by simply knocking it down and hence creating a way through it.' It failed spectacularly.

Like the dinosaur, these morons will have themselves to blame. Their knockings will shake not the mountain. Activism will reign for all to enjoy its fruits.

No amount of kicks, slaps, blows, insults, and all manifestations of the corrupt shall silence the power of activism. Activism is an integral aspect of our polity. 

Those who dispute this truism deserve nothing else but a serious mental therapy!

Lemukol Ng'asike is an architect. Email:  lemoseh89@gmail.com.  Twitter:  @mlemukol.