Gender Politics: Is This The Way To Emancipate Women?

The idea of "Justice for Women" as argued about by proponents of gender-sensitive politics is not new. History is replete with many examples of women who moved to the extremes to make the collective voice of their fellows known, and acted upon. In this regard, the work of the late Nobel laureate Prof. Wangari Maathai sticks out.

While boosting women's numbers in decision-making bodies may embolden their advocacy, I am of the view that obsession with filling quotas has obscured the fundamental challenge facing women. Partly as a result of this quota-syndrome, women agenda has been reduced to how they (women) can be represented by their fellow womenfolk. Nothing less, nothing more.

I think this reasoning is faulty. A few nominations at top level positions will not lift all women up Kenya’s socio-econo-political ladder.

The Constitution of Kenya, 2010 clearly catapults the need to institutionalize gender balance. Beneath this undertaking lie two questions: Is justice (for women) just about raw representation? Is there any possibility of moving beyond this form of justice to a (more) robust, non-elitist justice?

Whereas I do not seek to negate this constitutional dictate, I think Kenyan women can do better if we borrow a leaf from the many initiatives the likes of Prof. Wangari Maathai left behind.

Resource scarcity is the biggest hurdle on the way of women empowerment. Forget about those who talk about cultural and/or religious -isms. Those -isms gain popularity where material - and perhaps immaterial - scarcity is chief. Folks out there are ready to pick any deep-pocketed chap as their leader - women included.  

Redraw Kenya's 2013 electoral map and get the drift. Money was/is everything.

Many reasons have conspired to aggravate this condition. One, we have paid lip service to issues that matter to women. Two, we falsely think all women are homogeneous hence deserve one and the same solution, namely, more nominations. Three, those spearheading women empowerment programs have - most of the time - resorted to paternalism as their philosophy of choice when interacting with women from lesser attractive backgrounds.

Women agenda is akin to a business growth plan; complete with an elaborate system founded on hierarchical strength. For the case of women, this hierarchical strength stems from access to information which in turn determines the heaviness of a person's pockets and more principally the capacity of this person to capture elective positions.

At the bottom of this chain rests a group of women whose  raison d'être is one thing: Existence. Their moves can be summarized thus: So long as they get their daily bread, they have nothing else to worry about... The Mama Mbogas you see dotting our markets and villages are life members of this club. Mark you; they have numbers and can tilt political scales – if they are well informed. But someone is to blame for this unexploited force.

Atop this Mama Mboga club rests a "survival-brigade". Its members are, to a larger extent, aware of what pertains of them but choose to play safe. They are pragmatists par excellence. They may choose to politic but not for the general good of their womenfolk. Their individual interests reign supreme. At times they choose to be noisy. But wait, a closer examination of the contents of their noises is what you need to uncover their sinister motives. 

Then comes a "success group". Those populating this squad are your usual "cool, objective, measured, schooled" friends. Though they collectively have a game-changing effect, they have chosen to maintain silence in order to "guard" their successes. Their unwritten creed reads something like this: Advocacy or anything connected to it must strictly be interpreted as a threat to individual successes (read jobs) hence the need to keep off (lest one attracts unwarranted attacks).

The "go-for-it group" is more assertive but lacks coordinative power and deep connections to materialize their sweet intentions. Those vocal Maendeleo ya Wanawake chairpersons and their ilk will definitely find their place here.

Finally, we have the "resourced sisters". These are go-getters who fear no one. They know the inner workings of the econo-political system. Their voice is presumed to be the voice of all - women, so to say. The lower level Wanjikus bank on them to access government largess. The obstacle here is that they are few and far apart thus diminishing their collective bargain.

Back to the top: Will raw representation emancipate Kenyan women? My answer: I don’t know. Should the lower level Wanjiku be brought on board? Yes, yes, yes!

My conclusion: The way to full women empowerment is through resource redistribution. Gender politics devoid of a resource-component is doomed to be fruitless. Money, not empty rhetoric, matters down there.

Lemukol Ng’asike is an architect. Twitter:  @mlemukol. 

Oil, Conservancy Land Deal A Travesty Of Justice

Aerial view of Ngamia 1 Oil Well, Lokichar. Photo Courtesy: TWITTER

The issue of oil discovery in Turkana is known to all. That Kenya is going to join the club of oil producing countries is no new fact. Some pundits have even projected that oil flow is set to commence in the next few years. As expected, many people are apprehensive of this new development. The hopes of communities living around Kenya’s oil wells are quite high. They see this as some sort of “oil miracle” that will catapult their fortunes.

Apart from this “oil miracle” brouhaha, one fundamental point remains unresolved. Unfortunately, some things don’t just add up. Here is the sticking point.

A scandal of historic proportions is unfolding in Turkana County. The impact of this man-made mistake will leave many people homeless and devoid of livelihoods. If unchallenged, this mistake will, undoubtedly, reduce many people to strangers in their ancestral lands.

This scandal is principally pushed by people whose determination is built on self-gain. They are fearless, and well-connected. They have set their eyes on one thing: They want a slice of the oil dollar. Worse still, local leaders are believed to have a stake in this plunder. Their silence sums it all.

Good people; the nomad in Turkana county stands to lose his land. He has been pushed to the peripheries of land management system. It must be noted that oil and gas exploration activity taking place in Turkana has left, and will leave many a nomadic people crisscrossing this vast county in pain. 

Let me redraw the map for you. About three-quarters of people living in Turkana depend on livestock. The southern part of the county is home to a huge proportion of herders. This is partly because the place has abundance of water and pastures. Besides, this part is where oil wells are located.

Now, you get the drift. Oil exploration poses a direct threat to the wellbeing of these herders. They know no alternatives. They cannot, and will never accept to be redirected to drier zones to pave way for oil exploration. Economic reasons spewed by pro-oil groups simply do not hold water. 

To be clear; this is not to dispute the benefits that come with oil discovery. It is a fact that many grey areas have not been cleaned.

Which beggars many questions: Who should enjoy unhindered access to this resource-rich sub-region? What parameters should be used to give a conclusive answer to this question? When were these parameters put in place?

And this is where the point of departure comes in. Local populations have scanty knowledge as far as land laws are concerned. Absence of a comprehensive Community Land Act has compounded the problem. How community land was allocated to oil companies remains a point of concern.

Animal watering points are under threat. Routes heading to these points have been barricaded and herders' movements restricted. 

To aggravate the matter, there is a well-crafted conspiracy, ostensibly popularized in the name of community conservancies, in order to dispossess people of their land. Some forces are busy selling this idea to the herders of Turkana South and East constituencies. They have organized a number of last-minute “awareness campaigns” to sanitize this one-sided deal.

Look, it is purely immoral for us to maintain silence in the face of this coup. The region’s high poverty level is emblematic of the politics of poverty predicated on shortchanging peoples’ collective dream.

The untold truth about this conservancy thing is out there for all to know. Its architects want to singlehandedly partition, consolidate and make a killing in name of compensation "just in case oil dollars start flowing."

This scramble must be stopped. Those behind it must face the truth. This deadly ping pong must not be allowed to stand.

Fundamentally, it must be understood that no one is against development. The people of Turkana know the centrality of development. On the same line, the people of this resource-rich county understand what meaningful development stands for. They have brains and feelings. They have interests to protect - and to be respected. They will never accept to be strangers in their own land.

The bottomline is solid: Existing oil and conservancies’ land deals must be streamlined to include the interests of the local community.

Lemukol Ng'asike is an architect. Twitter:  @mlemukol. 

What Anti-GMO Crusaders Should Do

The emergence and eventual market takeover pushed by biotechnological wave is imminent. One-sided-ism aside, Genetically Modified Organisms/products (GMOs) are not bad. They are not good either. They are convenient. They are here to stay - no matter how noisy our anti-GMO crusaders will shout. 

One painful truth is clear: No amount of government "bans" on GMOs will prevent these products from reaching us. Worse still, our open door market orientation will hasten this process. So, playing stiff won't keep GMOs off our tables. Compromise and clever gimmicks are inevitable.

Now, what is the way forward?

Personally, I find GMOs not such a bad thing to adopt. What worries me is the cloud behind them. Sincerely, I have no problem if this life-saving move was rolled out by government. By this I mean, government gets hold of research, design, adoption and eventual use of GMOs. Letting "private actors" (read market forces) determine what lands on our dinner tables is the problem – and which I think should also trouble our anti-GMO soldiers.

Let's move deeper.

Governments - yes, pro-people governments - are duty-bound to guard their food sovereignty. Food sovereignty is in essence the capacity of State actors to have control over the quality and circulation of products that have far-reaching consequences on the population. Mark you; this is not the same as market control. Far from it.

On this, I think, Kenya is on the right path. Our Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) is doing a good job.

Food sovereignty ceases to exist where "private actors" wield immense powers to influence policy and legislative agenda. Food sovereignty and "private actors" are strangers. One has to give way for the other to reign.

And this is when GMO rain starts to beat those with shaky quality control tradition.

The United States Vs Monsanto is a good example. (Go read for yourself and figure out how Monsanto tricked its way through US government’s regulatory bottlenecks).

The anti-GMO brouhaha we hear around is entirely premised on the untold mistrust between citizens (read anti-GMO lobbies) and governments. Kenya is no different. The centerpiece of this mistrust is solid: State institutions mandated to safeguard food and substance safety have failed spectacularly. They lack the spine to face GMO waves.

Perhaps, these institutions are either ill-equipped to protect us or they are in bed, as some people would say, with self-serving market forces.

Which provokes the question: Will lobbying for stiff Anti-GMO regulations keep the bad guys away?

A realistic view of our surroundings is, by all standards, pro-GMO. Kenya alone creates a million mouths every year. The country's rain-dependent agricultural sector is hemorrhaging partly due to climate change effects. Yields are low. The propensity of Kenyans to move to urban centers has also created an unprecedented demand of steady supply of products. We all agree we must respond - constructively - to these emerging demands.

The reasons raised by anti-GMO groups to justify their GMO-cancer-death theory are simply sensationalist. This theory is hollow and escapist. These people have failed to pin the blames where they belong. 

Quick fact: "Poisonous" GMO products thrive under the cover of troika of elements, namely, information control (by authorities and food multinationals), government complacency and appetite for quick returns.

So, unless these are dealt with, anti-GMO crusades will just be farcical. I believe these groups mean well for the people. But, they should just do one thing: They must confront apathetic quality control institutions and push them to play ball.

Trust me; this move will have a dual effect. We will end up feeding our hungry mouths and still be guaranteed of quality products.

Isn’t this a better way of demonstrating our democratic ideals? 

Methinks organized, information-loaded people can influence government decisions. More so, enlightened people can shape government policy.

It’s time our decisions are tinged with patriotism and deep reasoning.

Lemukol Ng'asike is an architect. Twitter:  @mlemukol.  

Stop Unfruitful Lectures, Give Nomads Water!

There are things that make me boil with rage. I simply cannot stomach a chap who finds pleasure in explaining - of course with that visible paternalistic feeling - what s/he knows nothing or little about. Ideally, the line between knowledge and its source must be clear. Likewise, the centrality of people's needs and how they think about the same must stand out for all to see.

But why is this different with respect to nomads? Why do some people, perhaps owing to the fact that they wield power and influence, find it hard to put people at the center of their development discourse?

Distant scholarly arrogance - whether originating from government, NGO or public circles - hurts. Those who think they mean well for the nomads must appreciate the centrality of their demands. Anything outside this is purely anti-people, anti-maendeleo. And we are going to bring it down.

This isn’t just a constitutional construct. It is a moral responsibility we are eternally called upon to carry.

One thing: People aren't so stupid to be relegated to the peripheries of their lives. To do this, I believe, is not only inhuman but also portrays how lopsided and misinformed we - who push this view - are. I think nomads are victims of this view.

There is an inherent belief that to interact with these people, one needs not consult them nor at least take a look at how they lead their lives. Let's first debunk this narrative by looking at some reminders:

One, nomadism is not an archaic way of life of some old-fashioned, 'unintelligent' people keeping cows and goats. It is a way of life like any other. It is neither inferior to, nor a copy-cut of others. It is a civilisation per se. To put it quite clearly, nomadism is a survival strategy to counter the vagaries of nature. It is no adventure-filled escapade.

Two, nomads have brains. They have dreams. They have needs like most of us. And more importantly, they know what these needs are and how they should be responded to.

Let's come down to the basics. Why do nomads move from place to place? What is their collective aspiration? Do they have positive points we can pick to enrich our engagement with them? How possible is our integration agenda?

This is a message to those dismissive NGO-types: Nomadic migratory patterns have more to offer to quicken our pursuits to provide them with water. These people understand well their terrain. Co-opting their knowledge in our plans won't hurt our moves. 

Again, those lecturing nomads on the sweetness of adopting a sedentary lifestyle ought to know that nomadic lifestyle is not the culprit. The culprit is our jingoism. Lectures on the goodness of 'immobile' lifestyle must be accompanied by the provision of water resources.

We have said it time and again; if you want to take schools, hospitals, government presence and all the trappings of 'excellence' bestowed upon the self-praising sedentary puritans to the nomads, water must be the conduit.  Excluding water from the menu of nomads is akin to convincing a visibly hungry and depressed congregation of heavenly happiness. 

Like all people, nomads' lives revolve around water resources. Once they get this, mobility will be a luxury of a few.

Why is it impossible to build dams for the nomads? Where are these politicos taking all the billions of shillings for water provision? Is somebody reducing us to imbeciles?

Hoodwinking the populations with one or two boreholes won't stop them from doubting government commitment.

Real leaders must go beyond boreholes. This water problem is so huge to be cured through piecemeal interventions. 

Pour money into dam construction!

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

Lodwar Has The Potential To Grow Only If...

I believe we should debunk the idea that economic progress only flows from the pockets of the who-is-who and that the unskilled, the underemployed, the uneducated, and their kin and kith operating "informal businesses" should just play a spectator role with regards to investments creation and/or promotion. I am of the view that the aforementioned groups hold the key to an inclusive and stable growth. This is why.

Kenya does have very industrious people. The many unregulated, unsupported business minds dotting our streets and neighbourhoods attest to this fundamental point. We are moving too far yet we have the right mix here in front of us. Our Mama Mbogas deserve recognition.

Allow me to turn your attention to Lodwar town. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, Lodwar is situated in the north-west of Kenya. The town wears many tags: it is both the administrative capital and the economic hub of Turkana County. If you may allow, the town embodies all the trappings of what can be termed as development linked to urbanisation.

That is one side of the story. The other side, and which features prominently as the identity of Lodwar is that, a huge proportion of the town's population remains at the peripheries of its growth. This stems from several things. One, apathy - both within and without - government circles. Two, poor connection between the town honchos and the large mass of small scale traders. Three, a mindset challenge: one that only sees traders as tax reservoirs and not partners in development. And four, little or no incentives to catapult the fortunes of Lodwar's small scale traders.

I know many of these challenges are systemic. They are old. And we will need considerable long periods of time and loads of energy to unpack them. Above all, I believe we must start from somewhere.

Urban Areas and Cities Act, 2011 empowers county governments to set up urban boards to oversee development of specific urban centers. It offers much greater latitude as pertains the management of urban areas as opposed to what used to happen during municipality days. Lodwar town of all places needs this board. It is a special case that should not be left in the hands of busy, often ill-informed bureaucrats. 

Two, creativity is a requirement leaders should always bank on. To lean on government budgetary cycles to develop our urban areas (and of course our rural hamlets) will take us decades to unlock the econo-intellectual potential of our people. 

Lodwar town needs a chain of satellite markets. By the way, this is not an expensive affair as most of us may believe. Satellite markets only need a roof, a water point and sanitation facilities. Aren't our leaders capable of implementing this in a matter of days? Is it late to think of municipal bonds?

Three, stop cornering our Mama Mbogas. County tax regimes must be tinged with realities on the ground. Governments should not over-reach our pockets in order to finance their functions. Protect and empower Mama Mbogas. Give them soft loans and skills.

Four, I know many enterprising youth and women operating without government support. Their rallying call has always been consistent: They do not need government largess. They are tired of hollow sympathy. 

All they want is this: Tendering procedures should be guided by the spirit of promoting local talents and skills. There is no reason to lament about youth unemployment when we underestimate their capabilities. It is time we walked the talk.

To conclude, all these initiatives will amount to nothing if members of the public aren't informed. Public awareness is the pillar of socio-economic development. This is premised on the fact that a huge chunk of residents of Lodwar - and by extension, the whole of Turkana County - have little formal education. It would yield much impact if we partnered with the many NGOs crisscrossing this region.

I believe these can be done.

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