THE TSUNAMI OF THE POOR IS UNSTOPPABLE

              Believers of inventions and creativity affirm that necessity is the mother of all inventions. They seem to advance the philosophy of- challenges come before success. That thoughts of men - progressive thinkings - are anchored on the need to satisfy a certain need.

             On the other hand, the system - through its actions - is equating poverty to criminality. People tend to doubt the ability of a poor man to lift himself out of the dungeons of life's challenges. There is this belief that poor people are less humans and hence should be treated differently. Any progressive move advanced by them is viewed as a “threat to the well being of others". That keeping poor people at bay is the only guarantee of being secured. I find this hollow and devoid of substance. It is a move destined to failure. The tsunami of the poor will rise against the tides of opposers and oppressors. This is why.

             Recently a small click of clever people tacked in a slum in the coastal city of Mombasa came up with an innovative idea of "formalizing" their barter trade. They "invented" what they called bangla pesa as mode of exchange to help members exchange goods and services. This according to them was a "response" to lack of liquid money among members. 

            They discovered that albeit lack of money, members had commodities that everybody needed. A member here had hundred kilos of maize while another there had fifty kilos of beans. Their move was simply meant to bridge the needs of this kind of members. Theirs had nothing to do with creating a parallel currency to rival the national legal tender. It was simply a "bridge" - an innovation of a poor folk trying to lift themselves.

            But the "reward" they received from the government was brutal and painful. They were threatened, arrested and charged in a court of law. Their crime? “Their innovation was undermining the national legal tender”. Nobody thought it better to interrogate the genesis of this noble idea. Neither did the authorities propose an alternative solution to their challenges. They were left on their own to sort out their problems.

           This is a true demonstration of a system that thinks not for its people but rewards creativity through punishments. It is blinded by the darkness of power. It has forgotten that a tsunami of the poor is unstoppable. They have nursed their wounds and injuries for long. Inflicting additional wounds on them won't stop their move to Canaan. It is thus foolhardy to send them to prison for thinking outside the box. You win them by harboring their ideas and rewarding them not by brutality. That is what will stop the tsunami.

TURNING A VILLAGE INTO MELTING POT OF SUCCESS

                 The thinking world affirms that man's successes are determined by the amount of information he swallows. Some still believe successes are nothing but a manifestation of luck and divine intervention. Methinks the two school of thoughts stand. For now lets look at the first one.

                 Information is the mother of all creativity. It can also be the route to downfall. This is to mean that the choice of information is crucial and a-must-to-be-adhered-to-requirement. Let us therefore interrogate how information can lead to successes.

                 Information is the petrol that powers our thought engines. Information stimulates the urge to inquire. It creates that feeling of incompleteness within oneself that pushes a person into looking for what will make him "complete". It is therefore a pre-condition for thinking. And thinking grounded on this is destined to success. It is destined to achieving that sense of "completeness".

                  Knowledge is a product of information. A knowledgeable person is informed. The information he possesses acts as a barometer to measure the truthfulness of facts and scenarios he faces in the day-to-day life. Informed people are insulated from fallacies and exploitation. They are able to read between the lines. They can confidently confront a misleading chap and ask him hard questions. A society founded on this is also easy to govern. 

                  Fruitful innovations require relevant information. Such kind of information is not only found in books but most importantly in sharing of experiences. This is what others call knowledge-sharing. It entails bringing together two individuals doing the same thing but differently. This, I think, is the simplest way to educate the rural folk - the man and woman struggling to make ends meet. 

                  This could be the answer to rural poverty. It might be the "light" that is highly needed to lighten the minds of our youths and women with dreams of success. These guys have the will to do great things but lack the required information to make those dreams a reality. Making information available to them is thus the badly needed intervention.

                  Here are some ideas:  1) Make libraries available to the lowest of the lowest. 2) Organize intellectual contests involving students and graduates. This will inculcate the tradition of critical thinking and deepen their understanding of societal challenges. It is also the gate for them to share their knowledge and aspirations.3) Simplify information for easy understanding. 4) and finally encourage the spirit of sharing knowledge- the kufungua roho spirit.

THE BOY CHILD IS UNDER THREAT

                It is common to hear people talk about the rights of the girl child. There are these groups that champion for the rights of women. Others have programs dedicated to girl empowerment. They have organized activities all over the place pushing for recognition of women and girls. They have successfully educated women to a point that it is now self defeating to think that women are still in the dark.

                But does this pose a challenge to the boy child? The boy child has been left “naked”. The balance is now tilting further away in favor of the girl.

                Who is to blame for this? The blame lies squarely on men and the society. This imbalance has something to do with our thoughts, beliefs and actions.  We have always put man ahead and above other creatures. We find it hard to believe that boys need re-education and help. This social architecture has played negatively on the boy child.

                There is this thinking that "a man must not cry." That it is an abomination for a man to seek help even when he is justified to do so. That a man must undergo hardship even when there is an alternative way. The philosophy behind this is to make the boy "hard" when he climbs to manhood.

               The result of this hardness?  The emergence of a society ruled by fists and muscles and not brains.  The creation of a nation that thinks more of individual interests. And on the political front, creation of a rogue and thieving parliament that has nothing to do with you and me other than demonstrating how hard its upbringing was. This is what we get when we purport to harden boys in preparation for manhood.

                On the other hand, the boy child suffers neglect. His plight is rarely aired. The society has internalized the feeling that boys don't have challenges hence shouldn't expect any care.

               Take a look at the faces behind child protection programs and you will actually know where the boy child is heading to. Women are at the forefront advocating for the girl child. They have taken the fight out there. They have mastered the art of talking and demonstrating. Talk to any successful woman and you will hear her talk about helping a girl here or there. It seems they are looking forward to tilting the scales further in their favor.

               Look at their male counterparts and you see a disorganized group. Talk to any of them and you will hear tales of looting and destruction because this is the "hardness that the society imparted on them". And you will tell me that boys should learn from these chaps.

            The hope of the boy child is pegged on the changing behavior of men and society. It is time that men come out and prove that they are the true role models of boys.

TURKANA OWES THE CHURCH SPECIAL THANKS FOR ITS ROLE IN DEVELOPMENT

The story of the church in Turkana is that of generous friendship. It is a family story. It cuts across generations. Not a single soul from this vast territory can claim to have not benefited in one way or the other from the services of the church. We are all beneficiaries, directly or indirectly, of the work and generosity of the church.

The footsteps of the church are visible from Kainuk to Kibish, from Loima to Kerio,from Lomelo to Lokichoggio. For instance in Kainuk, a record five primary schools out of the existing six were built by the local churches and Mosque. This is just a drop in the ocean. The list is long. 

These men and women of God have changed lives. They have uplifted families. They have saved starving men and women from the pangs of hunger. They have literally lit the candle of life unto the souls and hearts of our people.

    
Through faith-sponsored children’s’ homes and orphanages, they have offered love to the neglected, the old, the sick and orphans. They have sheltered those in conflict zones. By constructing schools, they have opened the gates of success for the needy and bright. 

They have taught our illiterate men and women alternative ways of survival. They have offered scholarships to sons and daughters of the soil. 

They have positioned themselves as the true friends of Turkana. They are everywhere. They have assumed the role of the government. Their presence is felt across the plains and hills of Lokori as is felt along the shores of lake Turkana.

No one else can claim the bragging rights for changing the lives of the Turkana people. The Church is rightly placed to claim this. They deserve recognition. They deserve a special treatment. But how special can we treat these TRUE BROTHERS OF THE LAND?

An idea is here; Mr. Governor, create "A COUNTY THANKSGIVING DAY" to honour those who have contributed and stood with our people in the pursuit of development and societal change. This, I believe, will fortify our brotherhood with these champions of the masses. MAY THE BLESSINGS AND GRACE OF THE LORD BE UPON THEM.

WHY WOOING INVESTORS TO COUNTIES ISN’T A WALK IN THE PARK

Kenya is undergoing an economic transformation. County Governments are in place. The expectations are high. There is a buildup of internal competition across the republic. The challenges shouldered by these newly-created entities are countless. Their pockets are shallow though they have to deliver services to the people.

As a result, most of the counties have embarked on a hunting spree. Governors are wooing investors here and there. They are promising goodies. From free land to free everything.

I commend them for this wonderful job. This is a show of determination and visionary leadership. That of thinking outside the box. That of scratching beyond limits.

Nevertheless, some “bends” on this Way to Canaan must be “marked” before the journey starts. Bumps need be cleared. Pot-holes refilled.

Some of these bumps are known to all of us. Others are known to a few. Still others are unknown at all. But they must be "marked out". They must be made known.

 Let’s mark out the known bumps first. Poverty is an open secret. People are poor, hungry, thirsty and homeless. They have to see light. They have to be fed. But they can't be fed by hot air. They need food and water. Food and water are coined to coins. And coins come from investments. Investments are creations of investors. This is why investors must be here. They must be invited to power this locomotive heading to Canaan

Another known bump is leadership. They say wise leadership stretches beyond generations. It is a product of right conscience. It is anchored on the will to participate and act. It is built on the bedrock of cooperation and openness. It abhors abuses and selfishness. This must be fixed if we are serious about reaching Canaan.

Still on these known bumps. Development pushed by haste and hurry doesn't hold. Haraka haraka haina baraka (hurry hurry has no blessing). Keep these words of wisdom close to your souls. Go slow and reap big.

Then comes the other set of bumps. The ones known to a few. The ones that my mother and her colleagues don’t know. This is about the content of negotiations.

I know negotiations are normally conducted not by millions but by a selected few. Those we believe have brains. Those we believe can see Canaan while still in Egypt. These bumps need be inspected. They MUST be inspected. These chaps need wisdom. They must be long-sighted. They mustn’t be converted into mercenaries. Patriotism should be their DNA. These are “compulsory requirements” for this set of people.

Lastly, there are those unknown bumps. These are the intentions of the so called investors. These are inner motives of these chaps. They are declarations written in their hearts and souls. They include those of their local sales-men. Those who speak the language of the masses but believe in the spirits of  thievery. These bumps must be cleared. 

If not well examined, these bumps can transform to mountains thus stopping the smooth ride to Canaan. And this is my advice; all intentions must be penned down and communicated to the man and woman in the village and streets.

Twitter: @mlemukol