Governors Should Prioritize Polytechnics, Barefoot Colleges

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua. PHOTO: Internet sources.

The 'African Economic Outlook 2015' progress report recently released by the African Development Bank (AfDB) opens up the inner workings of African economies. The report under the banner of 'unlocking the potential of local economies for inclusive growth' gives a glimpse of the many opportunities dotting the African continent - and which, sadly, remain unexploited. 

The report seems to suggest that Africa’s development imprints must be seen and felt far away from the cities. Progress must reach where it matters most – rural and slum communities.

It makes a case for reclassification of priorities and fostering responsive development steps with a view to fighting rural poverty.

Of great importance is the fact that under-exploitation of these opportunities is partly to blame on governments' apathy vis-a-vis information dissemination coupled with official preference of urban settlements as the test zones for development initiatives.

Consequently, this has led to uncontrolled, unsustainable urban sprawl and poor, marginalized countryside. 

End result is two-pronged: 1) you get a huge dependency ratio between countryside folks and their kin residing in urban areas. 2) Economic gain becomes insignificant hence augmenting poverty levels.

 

PHOTO credit: African Development Bank.

The report further makes some three key observations (which will form the basis of this article): 1) (that) we must diversify rural economies and develop modern agriculture and green growth; 2) Authorities must link up cities and countryside through trade, infrastructure and financing; and 3) We must build skills among young women and men.

On a country to country basis, we can afford to say that Kenya is slowly catching up though we still have much to do to attain that coveted "inclusive economic growth" status.

The Constitution of Kenya, 2010 lays a robust legal foundation over which some of the above observations will easily be built - and materialized. The central plunk here is the issue of education and training and how rural communities should be roped in. 

Considering that this role falls squarely in the field of county governments, it makes much sense to point out to Governors that time has come for them to make this constitutionally sanctioned process real to rural communities.

Take for instance the matter of youth unemployment and surging crime incidents bedeviling this nation. I tend to dispute the notion that we are experiencing job scarcity. I'm of the view that our scope has been reduced because we run away from thinking. 

This has something to do with our perception of polytechnics.

We put much premium on sugar-coating youth empowerment interventions which have brought forth minimal (or no) benefits to the target groups. We embark on short-term distributionism under the guise of empowering populations. 

It must dawn on policy makers, development partners and citizens alike, that traditionalism that alienates the process of imparting knowledge on populations will never lift them up economic scales. 

Confining young women and men to conference halls to receive tired narratives on economic growth as opposed to taking life skills down to the village and slums - where a majority of them are found - borders on escapism.

The magic bullet is the village polytechnic!

How many plumbers, gardeners, jua kali artisans, agricultural equipment operators, carpenters, cooks, tour guides, drivers, low-cost house builders (fundis), etc have we trained and uplifted?

No! Money is not the problem. We have much more funds to expend on unnecessary “official” junkets but zero shilling to set up even a single village polytechnic!

Financing Vocational Training in Sub-Saharan Africa : a study conducted by Adrian Ziderman, formerly a senior economist for human resources at the World Bank, underlines the necessity of governments to look beyond the public purse when sourcing for funds to run vocational training institutions. 

This shift from the norm is necessary to assure the continuity of training and growth of these institutions, and (to) rope in private sector into the training of their potential workforce.

County governments can also enlist retired officials and/or skilled but “paperless” village folks as trainers in village polytechnics as part of cost-cutting measures.

The internationally renowned India’s 'Barefoot Colleges' founded by Sanjit "Bunker" Roy – an Indian social activist and educator – have achieved much with little funds. All they do is simple: They encourage "paperless" village trainers to train their fellows.

They have simplified training manuals in order to cover only the essentials and to facilitate learning. They have incorporated part time learning to reach out to "busy" members of the society who face time constraints.

In Kenya we have the capacity to achieve a lot. Devolution fruits are here with us. It’s time we squeezed juice from them.

I believe our Governors are up to task.

Lemukol Ng’asike is an Architect. Email: lemoseh89@gmail.com . Twitter: @mlemukol.

Good People, Please Help Us Build This School

They live in the harshest of Turkana terrains. To describe this part as 'independent' is to underestimate the challenges bedeviling the people calling it home.

Government goodies here are just but dreams. No schools. No roads. No dispensaries. They are literally on their own!

This is Kootoro village, commonly referred to as Nakaalei, located in Kalapata, Lokichar Division of Turkana County. (check story:   http://lemukolwords.blogspot.com/2015/02/of-kootoro-school-and-community.html)   

Lack of schools aside, Kootoro villagers radiate hope. From their looks you immediately get a picture of a people with solid dreams but shaky foundations. They know the value of education though the only 'symbol' of education is their children learning under trees.

Their only school - Kootoro Mixed Primary - is 'housed' under trees. But wait, this condition hasn't stopped them from aiming higher. Demonstrably, they want to change things.

Women here lead the way. They are solidly behind their children's ambitions. For your information, the temporary classrooms (see photos) are the handiwork of these women.

Ably led by the only government teacher - Mr. Thomas Lotiki - these villagers have what may pass as a 'professional roadmap' on school building. 

They espouse what Booker T. Washington - that black American educationist and giant of community empowerment - would describe thus: 'the road to full emancipation is education. That any demonstration of goodwill by a people for their own development must never be ignored. And that development conscious men and women must make it their obligation to materialise these dreams. '

This is what this community is built on. They want a school. They want to be stakeholders in education promotion. They know good people out there are ready to heed their voices. And they have instructed us to pass this message to you.

Now, this is what they want from you: 

Key facts about Kootoro Mixed Primary School

• Kootoro Mixed Primary School was founded in 2009.
• It has pre-primary and primary section.
• Pre-primary section has 115 boys and 98 girls totalling to 213 pupils
• The primary section is comprised of 153 boys and 112 girls totalling to 265 pupils
• The nearest educational centres and libraries are in Lodwar town (Turkana County headquarters), over 120 km away.
• Books will be kept and well secured in school library, where pupils and teachers will access them freely.
• A policy will be in place that guides borrowing of books to minimise loss and theft of books in the library.

Intended Outcomes for the Library  

• To provide a source of information.
• To provide materials containing a wide range of views on issues so that pupils may develop the practice of critical reading and thinking.
• To help in timely implementation of the curriculum development by both teachers and pupils.
• To provide material that stimulates pupils’ acquisition of factual knowledge, development of literacy appreciation, aesthetic values and ethical standards.
• The pupils will finally pass their exams for their better future.

Needs

The school library needs the following books and materials:

Languages:

• English -New progressive English (OUP) for std 1-8
• Kiswahili- Kiswahili Mufti na Walla bin Walla (Longhorn (K) Ltd) 1-8

Scientific subjects:

• Mathematics- primary mathematics (JKF) 1-8
• Science- primary science (KLB) 1-8

Arts and humanities:

• Social studies- our lives today (OUP) 1-8
• Christian Religious Education- primary CRE (Phoenix publishers Ltd) 1-8

Life skills:

• Guidance and Counseling/HIV/AIDS Education - responsible living (JKF)
• Mentor life skills (KLB)
• Success life skills (EAEP)

Other needs:

• Supplementary reading books in both English and Kiswahili.
• Dictionaries in English and Kamusi (Kiswahili).
• Geography related materials - wall maps and charts.

Project Outline (in Phases)

Phase 1 (complete): The local community coupled with well-wishers' contributions managed to put up 7 temporary classes, a school store, Head Teachers office, kitchen and a latrine. The structures are made of local materials.

Phase 2 (ongoing): Equipping the school with books, desks and uniforms can be the priority. 

Phase 3 (yet to commence): Upgrade the existing temporary structures to permanent ones. (See architectural impression of the school here:   http://lemukolwords.blogspot.com/2015/01/needed-stand-with-this-school-to-make.html)   

On behalf of Kootoro school community, we would like to thank all those who took part – materially or otherwise – in the achievement of the first phase. We highly value your efforts.

To support Kootoro Mixed Primary School, wellwishers' are adviced to contact the school's Head Teacher via his Cell phone: +254719246277 or send an email to    info@kootoroschool.com. 

We bank on your support to put a smile on the face of Kootoro Children. Be blessed.

By Lemukol Ng'asike, Mumbi Kaptere and Lotiki Thomas.

The Great Tick Invasion: The Ugly Underbelly of Pastoralists' Economy

Despite massive livestock numbers under their belts, Kenyan pastoralists still dominate the lower scales of sectoral economic ranking in Kenya. Figures from the Kenya National Bureau Statistics (KNBS) paint an image of a people saddled with unexploited wealth coupled with unchecked livestock disease invasion.

National poverty indexing is enough to reveal this sad reality. Pastoralists dominated counties host the largest proportion of poor Kenyans. Reasons ranging from illiteracy, tribal conflicts, underdeveloped livestock markets, harsh weather conditions, among others have been bandied around as a justification for this painful inequality.

Conspicuously absent in this list is the never-ending "tick invasions" that have left many a pastoralist communities counting huge losses. Mark you; this is not about ticks alone. The whole animal health service thing is in need of thorough shake-up if pastoralists of this nation are to reap good returns. 

Let's look at some numbers. Estimates from 2009 national census indicate that Turkana County alone has more than 1.5 million cattle, 3.5 million sheep, 6 million goats, 1 million camels and about 0.5 million donkeys. How these animals have benefited their owners has hardly preoccupied our minds.

We rarely ask ourselves why people with such immense wealth could still be classified as dirt poor and in need of food rations - every time!

The other day I read in a major online newspaper that ticks kill one cow every 30 seconds in Africa. With a mortality of about 1.1 million cattle every year, the paper reported, tick-borne diseases cost the industry as much as $168 million on the continent. (Check:  http://mgafrica.com/article/2015-05-07-ticks-africa#.VVBo-dkGr3s.twitter  )

Now, back to Kenyan pastoralists. Statistics indicating the economic costs of these diseases vis-à-vis our pastoralists' incomes accruing from livestock trade are hard to find.

However, a quick count of simple things like cattle dips or sprays and animal drug outlets in pastoralist counties could demonstrate that the story isn't that sweet with our people.

Herders here are forced to manually pull ticks off the hides of their animals. When it comes to supply of drugs, they survive at the mercies of middle-men. Diagnosis is still a pipe dream. And now you wonder why these "rich pastoralists are poor".

So, what is the way forward?

First, we must internalise the fact that we have a lethal enemy that must be conquered and vanquished. This enemy is to blame for the poor quality of animals our people keep. This enemy is also to blame for the low household returns of Kenyan pastoralists. To fight poverty, we must eliminate this enemy.

Secondly, no amount of "animal off-take programs" will cushion herders from large-scale livestock deaths. We must learn to attack the root-cause of these deaths. Dips and/or sprays, extension officers and high quality subsidized animal drugs come in handy.

Thirdly, what is the logic of boasting of large livestock numbers and yet do little to open up markets for the same? Herders will never be lifted up economic ladder by the endless outpouring of hollow praises about their livestock numbers. We must translate these numbers to something tangible. Value addition is inevitable.

Fourthly, until herders learn to do business together, they will always fall into the traps of shrewd middlemen. And this is where county governments must intervene. These herders need saccos to overcome the power of middlemen. They need skills on marketing. What if we roll out barefoot colleges?

Nomadism devoid of safe-landing strategies will take us nowhere. To overcome ticks, we must also overcome low school enrollment rates among pastoralists’ children. 

It's time my people ploughed back their livestock income into education.

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

Turkana, Pokot, Samburu Leaders Have Failed Their People

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!

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

Mr. Governor, Our Resources Must Be Managed Prudently!

Turkana County Ambulances. Photo Credit: SIMON IDEYA

I strongly admire the philosophy behind devolution. Devolution - I believe - is the magic bullet that will liberate this nation and finally put paid the struggles of the majority poor dotting all corners of this country.

A quick reading of the Constitution clearly paints a picture of a Kenya whose steps are marked with progress, prudence, and the centrality of Kenyans. To achieve these, the Constitution declares, a bright line must be drawn between laissez-faire managerialism and development tinged with a clear understanding that resources are finite.

What is laissez-faire managerialism? This is a managerial thinking based purely on non-intervention. To put it into perspective, this form of managerialism (as regards governments) engenders a culture of "do nothing, change nothing, and improve nothing as long as the flow of taxes remains uninterrupted."

Wait, it will be foolhardy to claim that this sin is committed by our county governments alone. This monster stalks our governance edifice from head to toes. We are all partners in this narrow-minded, one-sided managerialism. 

Which leads to some painful questions: Can't we deviate from this road to Hell and redraw our own path to success as envisioned in our beautiful Constitution? Or, are we determined to soil the good interventions of our supreme law for fear of thinking outside the box?

Just the other day my people celebrated the purchase of new ambulances in what proponents claimed was a step ahead in improving health care in my home county, Turkana.

Though a good move, I tend to think that its execution is ill-advised and is doomed to fail. 

You can't just dump ambulances at hospitals and shout all over town that we are headed to a brighter future. I refuse to stomach this fallacy! We must cure this resource-dumping disease before we embark on washing clean our tarred health-care system!

Many lessons abound. Effective emergency services - ambulances, fire departments, cleaning services ad infinitum - must be detached from "the parent consumers" of their services.

Let me explain what this means. Under this stand-alone concept, hospitals (for the case of ambulances) are left to carry out what is squarely their job - treatment. 

Doctors, who in our case, double as hospital administrators are spared the burden of thinking about conditions of ambulances under their control, the welfare of personnel attached to the ambulance services etc.

Consequently, doctors are left with what falls squarely in their domain - taking care of the sick.

The Kingdom of Morocco is an interesting case study on how to manage hospitals (as far as non-medical functions are concerned). This Kingdom boasts a highly professional emergency services entity whose sole mandate is to deal with what we have just cited above. 

Deployment of emergency response teams as well as management of resources attached thereto is centrally under its wings. The general public and hospitals are left with one simple duty: Call the agency when in need!

Services like provision of food stuffs to patients, cleaning services, and private security services among others do not belong to hospital boards. Hospital boards must be preoccupied with ensuring that our patients get timely treatment.

To achieve this, hospitals must be left alone. We must move an extra mile and outsource these non-medical functions to bodies that are better placed to perform them.

Clinging on every function within our reach borders on mediocrity of the highest degree.

I am very much aware of the urgency to reach to populations. What disturbs me is that we risk sidelining the need to set up robust structures and institutions.

I am not so blind as to oppose provision of ambulances just because one or two are grounded. We cannot just stand aside and watch. We shall not assume that leaders will rectify these wrongs on their own.

Turkana County has many challenges than the billions at its disposal. We have many poor people to uplift. We have endless streams of poor children to school. We have tattered roads to pave. We have a thirsty population looking up to us for answers.

When you have this load to shoulder, you clearly have to be prudent in your management of resources. It is time we set up a central agency to manage our emergency services.

Governor Nanok must move with speed and partner with the Turkana County Assembly and set up this badly needed agency to save our billions from waste. We are tired of patching and crowding services on over-stretched institutions.

Leave hospitals alone!

Lemukol Ng'asike is an architect. E-mail:  lemoseh89@gmail.com.  Twitter:  @mlemukol.