Stressed Kenyan: Impeach CORD If It's Possible!!!

Photo courtesy of @KotPromotion (#Twitter)

First thing: Kenya is sinking. We are cruising straight to Hell - at an astronomical speed. We know what awaits us at the end of this spectacle but we've chosen to wear a brave face. Of course, as an expression of our usual false bravado. We know we are going to crush and be reduced to ashes. We understand the enormity of this pain. But still, our jogooness won't give way to soberness. We are cooked.

Second thing: We have a contest of egos in place of people-centered governance. We have a government of errors, an opposition of comedies and a citizenry that is inherently off-radar. A nation that happily walks in the valley of slavery; yeah self-imposed, tribal-inspired slavery. Again, add the religious  chama - yes, The Church and their other friends, and you get a delicious political soup for baby Wanjiku. The question is: Is Wanjiku "hungry" and in need of this life-giving "soup"?

Now, straight to my point. Isn't it time to impeach CORD? I know this is a constitutional impossibility. There’s zero kipengele for this in our katiba. So, let's deviate from the legalism of impeachment. All in all there's a solid reason why this question must trouble us - Kenyans. We are cornered and it is quite sensible for us to look for a way out. This is why: When I see CORD sinking, I say Hurray! When I see Jubilee stealing, I say Hurray! Reason? They have awakened Kenyans' collective conscience.

The membership of the two camps is visibly the same. Their guiding philosophy is one and the same. Kenyans are just but clowns in this game. The whole enterprise is owned and managed by a succession of names whose ancestry we all know. 

So, one more question: What is the essence of impeaching CORD?

I will explain. A goofy CORD is an enemy of Kenya. An Opposition grouping that fronts a national harambee in order to pay teachers' dues is emblematic of an extension of a lazy, apathetic government. Surely, how sustainable is this? Couldn't these people recycle other viable proposals to unlock this government-teachers' stalemate?

I think there's something good with this proposal. Its proponents have cleverly demonstrated their incapability to govern Kenya. You see, good move for Wanjiku! She needs not crack her mind peeling back the masks of this "shadow government". 

I tend to agree with Miguna Miguna of the "Peeling Back the Mask" fame. An Opposition that cannot oppose the urge to jump off a cliff is a dead opposition. It has zero oomph! It must be redeemed by all conscientious beings. 

Such an Opposition "indirectly" partakes in the thieving within the governing group. A political squad that breaks into a dance in order to bank on our collective hopelessness should never be entrusted with state power. Hell is under their feet. Worry not compatriots, now you know what you are supposed to know.

Hope you got the drift. If we fix the Opposition, in this case, CORD, we will end up fixing Kenya's cancer of useless jogooness.

Only a liberated, detribalized, "hungry and angry", courageous, conscientious, patriotic Wanjiku can effect this change. Paradise is in her bosom.

First, she must refuse to contribute to the #SolidarityHarambee fronted by CORD. Secondly, she must crucify big, protected, fat, national thieves the way she does to their village counterparts. After all, isn't this the fairness we've always been talking about?

Impeach CORD now!

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

Governor Nanok's 'Execution Team' Is Sound Asleep

The Turkana nation has this solid belief in boisterous, adventurous leaders. The strength of a leader was/is measured by how he "reddened" the battle field. That is, how many enemy supremos he felled, conquered and brought under his control. Titles - that social mark of success - were firmly rooted in this war-inspired philosophy. War heroes had their special places atop this social-political structure.

Folktales, poems, and moonlight dances derived their contents from these war spectacles. Miss it not. This drama is no mean joke. It inspired future leaders and strengthened the chain of command under existing leadership. It kept people together. Dramatization of success was a core element of leadership. 

Of course, this is a mark of all nomads. Turkanas just perfected it.

While this may sound rudimentary and a bit "uncivilized", there exists a number of bottom-lines that mirror the way we now gauge the performance of leaders. One, victory (read success) is a child of strategy. Two, team work is an indispensable asset. Three, the head calls the shots and carries the sins of his juniors. He equally bags all the gold during happy moments.

What am I up to? Allow me to lynch under-performers. Nothing to hide here; I stand for those who can't write, read and speak for themselves. Mark this: there are many of them in Turkana County. I shout on their behalf. He who fails to respond to their demands ought to be ridiculed and his face reddened - in public.

This is why.

Poverty in Turkana is just too much. Its damage unfathomable. Its victims countless. Quick action is not just an option. It is the only way forward.

Two scenarios pop up. Either you get a team that is connected with the reality and seeks measures to correct it or you get a squad of schemers who invent nothing else but ways to shortchange the aspirations of this development-thirsty populace. I call this second group a bunch of bloody profiteers.

I won't dwell much on what happened between 1963 and 2013. Marginalization is its landmark. Period. It was an era of bloody profiteers. Terrible. Empty anti-poverty rhetoric was its mark of progress. Time of "statistical development".

Now, 2013 and beyond. (You know what I mean. Those devolution billions and powers). This is the crux of my beef with Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok. A look into the Turkana County Integrated Development Plan gives me an image of a leader who understands the needs of his people. The plan evokes some sort of saviour spirits.

Move forward. Two and half years down the line and with billions of shillings flowing into the region. Is there any change? Yes. But too little to be noticed. Why? Two cases: Either the good governor has totally lost the implementation plot or his implementation team is taking us for a joke.

From the look of things, the governor comes out as a serious planner but a weak field general. Inability to "redden" the battle field demolishes his credentials and reduces him to a mere room thinker. He must straighten his hands and feel the heat. The field is leaderless. The "execution team" is tiptoeing towards enemy lines.

Again, I think his implementation team is still stuck in the muddy world of NGO "statistical development" of yesteryears. Their absence on the ground tells it all. Their love for swanky officialdom betrays their commitment. They are off the radar and must be kicked out. A leader of the poor must live with the poor. This is how you pull them out of matope.

I have a feeling that Turkana government is mouthless. Not that they don't possess one. But getting even the basic information on the county's undertakings is as hard a task as crossing sunbaked Lotikippi plains barefooted.

How does this affect execution of development plans? Even my cattle herders know the answer. Zero communication equals zero public support.

When your people notify you that their boreholes are dry, that your officers are nowhere to be seen, that billions of shillings earmarked for services still clog banking systems, what do you do? Keep quiet and run away?

When your opponents splash out your dirt and pick your unpicked medals, what do you do? Stick to your corner and believe nothing is happening?

When your adversaries strategize to retake your conquered territories due to an alleged misdirection on your part, what do you do? Fail to equip your “war boys”?

Turkana County needs to be “reddened” before it is too late. It is upon the general to reconfigure his war strategies. The moons are on their way coming.

Will my people get a slice of this cake?

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

In Support Of Kainuk Widows And Orphans

Photo credit: Loito Titus.

Peace campaigners should avoid engaging in endless, unfruitful talks. The silence of victims of banditry ought not to be taken for granted. Materialization of peace talks is what counts in the eyes of victims. Seminars, retreats, prayer rallies, peace caravans, et al only serve to diffuse the pain of these people for a short time. It does not respond to their long term aspirations.

The footprints of criminal attacks, popularized as banditry, are visible. The cry of those walking this path is growing louder and louder. Widows, orphans, and widowers are lonely and unsupported. Cemeteries are full and scars on survivors' bodies can even outcompete those inflicted on World War II fighters.

When will we acknowledge the presence of these human beings? Do they really matter?

The other day I read a note by a concerned friend of mine on what he describes as the unmitigated condition of orphans and widows of Turkana. Though he didn't explicitly point out why this condition remains unattended to, I felt that the general misinformation as regards victims of tribal wars, diseases and other causes has reduced my people to a level of being spectators in what should be a communal responsibility.

This misinformation stems from the feeling that since government has forsaken them, they have nowhere to run to but to confine to their individualistic instincts. That many years of collective advocacy have paid nothing hence the need to drop it and adopt a more "personal" way.

Evidently, every member of this community has felt the pinch of these ills – directly or indirectly. While this would ideally energize them to rise up and (to) collectively redefine their destiny, their response is quite discouraging. Desperation has taken over. Now, unlike before, it is everybody for himself.

Total mess. Orphans and widows are left to wonder aimlessly. Poor people. A pointless future.

As expected there is an upsurge in the number of street children. With this comes a bunch of exploitative beings who see in these poor children loyal, cheap labour and not human beings who ought to be in school and possibly enjoy the warmth of a good-hearted guardian. 

Meanwhile, the Church is busy playing a peripheral role. Condemning and praying with little hands-on-the-victims intervention.

On the other end, widows have resorted to "selling" their bodies to secure a few coins to put food on the table. Of course, this comes at a risk. Diseases, unwanted pregnancies and renewal of another cycle of poverty come to mind.

Yet with all these markings, our peace campaigners and "development partners" find it fit to expend more dollars and time in hotels to discuss peace and community development. When will we begin acting on the sidelines of these talks?

Here are some views I gathered from Kainuk widows. One, a Banditry Memorial Public Square/Park be put up in Kainuk township to put paid their tears and blood of their husbands. Two, widows be offered training and seed money to start businesses. (With this I think Bunker Roy's idea of "barefoot colleges" comes in handy. Check:  http://www.ted.com/talks/bunker_roy?language=en) 

Three, boarding primary schools be opened in all corners of Turkana County to absorb orphans. As a reminder, you need to know that food plays a greater role in retaining kids in class in this oil county. This is why I think these widows are really passionate about boarding schools.

Four, it costs nothing to protect orphans and abandoned children from exploitation. The following are some of the questions raised by these mothers: Where are authorities? Why do they seem indifferent to the plight of these children who dot hotels and bars in Kainuk, Lokichar, Lodwar and other towns in Turkana?

Are these demands too difficult for a well-oiled peace campaign machinery to implement? Time we transformed our talks to action.

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

Conscious Citizens Should Not Always Praise Government

I do not think any right-minded citizen should always praise her government. Don't get me wrong, please. I do not also expect any right-minded citizen to badmouth her government without providing solid reasons. Two points immediately pop up: One, governments are just but a crowd of hired, elected or appointed citizens bound (by law) to deliver on their mandate. Two, citizens must courageously police this elevated group so as it faithfully sticks to its call of duty. A balance must exist for the two to profit from one another.

One question: Do critics add any value to good governance? There exist two schools of thought to explain this. 

There are whispers across Africa about this small matter of image and progress. Quite a significant number of us believe that our downfall - and of course, Africa's zero progress - is as a result of endless condemnations. With this is another silent statement: That we have not progressed because praises haven't been forthcoming - from citizens and the world alike.

Wait, the issue here isn't about praises, per se. The matter is historical. Free speech, fact-based dialogue, emboldened citizenry, straight-to-the-point talk, etc are alien concepts. We just have to accept the truth - and improve. Let me explain.

From Egypt to South Africa, from Senegal's "slave island" of Gorée to Somalia's Mogadishu, history is replete with many useful lessons. Rulers, emperors, pharaohs, kings, queens, chiefs etc dominated all spheres of human life. These leaders were believed to be infallible and their actions - and sometimes, inaction - were beyond question. Praise singing was more than a "moral" obligation. Any deviation attracted severe and perhaps deadly consequences. 

Did progress materialize? History is pregnant with answers. Go and read.

Now, there is this voice that finds happiness in reminding those who question government's excesses of their "duty to positively sell their country". While there is some sweetness in this call, I think it is not wholly predicated on objective analysis of where we have come from, where we are and where we are headed to. We have to debunk its fallacies before we proceed.

Today unlike yesterday, information isn't the preserve of governments. Citizens posses and share it as they wish. No amount of government boots can stop this. Any lesson? Governments must strive to do their best so as to have, at least, a good record - and yes, good information - out there. Raw expression of officialdom won't change things.

"Africa Rise" and democracy are one. Democracy opened the gates for public participation which in turn led to exploitation of hitherto under-utilized energies and knowhow. Kenya is a living example. Post-'92 Kenya and pre-'92 Kenya cannot, and will never be the same. Doubting Thomases should just take a walk down history lane.

So, why would someone find solace in hollow praises at this age and time? I think I know why.

Old habits die hard. Remnants of the infallibility-syndrome of yore still roam around. They know time has changed but are determined to put a break to any meaningful change. My people, you only proceed by knowing that they exist and they need a special democratic intervention for them to see light. This is a duty of the conscious.

I know the troika of consciousness, patriotism and objectivity is a hard nut to crack. Can someone be conscious and fail to be patriotic? Can objectivity reign where consciousness finds no room?

Well, I believe conscious citizens will not throw praises all over before subjecting them to objectivity scales. And this is it: Conscious citizens do not praise their governments as a show of disrespect. No, they commend them for performing their duties. Equally, the import of their criticism is to remind governments of their obligations and not to malign the image of the country or its leaders. 

Critics are builders. It is time we realized this.

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

War Victims Have Been Sidelined By 'Peace Negotiators'

Photo courtesy: @TurkanaLand

I am quite distasteful of boardroom peace talks. Well, it is not that I think they do not work or that they are ineffective; I believe such peace efforts are divorced from the reality. They are too academic and hollow in substance. They are conducted far away from conflict hotspots. The villager in West Pokot who has lost her livestock to cattle rustlers can hardly connect with the deliberations of such peace meetings. 

For your information, I am more interested in our "inherited" small tribal wars. Those duels pitting Turkanas against Pokots, Samburus against Turkanas, Pokots against Tugen and so on.

The question I ask myself, and which I wish to throw to you is this: When will victims of war become an integral aspect of peace negotiations?

Put it another way: When will victims of tribal clashes, cattle rustling, politically-fueled ethnic cleansing, resource-linked bloodbath, etc materially benefit from peace building efforts? 

I understand there are some crooked minds who may be rejoicing any time a conflict occurs. It is no news that there exists "enterprises of war" cashing in from those endless peace meetings.

We also have to agree that this enterprise of war is a child of repetitive approaches supposedly engineered to resolve longstanding ethnic differences in northern Kenya. Creative peace building initiatives have never featured on the negotiation table.

I believe I know the reason. Creativity brings disturbance. Disturbance begets disruption. And disruption eventually cuts the flow of blood that powers these enterprises of war.

What do I mean by disruption? It is very simple. Bring the people - yes victims of war - on board. Respond to their immediate needs and cut off the animosity conditioning them to a life of periodic massacres.

Two critical observations: 1) Baringo north has few, far apart schools. No clean water. 2) Jump to Baragoi. Ethnic tension between Turkanas and Samburus has created an atmosphere where each community is cocooned where a majority of its members live hence straining the already few resources at their disposal.

Back to peace building stories. Will empty dialogue foster peaceful coexistence among these communities? Not even for a day. This is why. There is this fallacy controlling the minds of people leading boardroom peace talks. They think warring communities do not talk with each other.

Second thing, the level of laziness sticking out of these talk shows must scare us. I am of the view that a thorough background check must be conducted in order to draw a line between clichés and what could pass as real problems bedeviling warring communities. To the best of my knowledge, only a tiny percentage of all those bodies funding or participating in these peace talks will pass this test.

A number of initiatives will smoothen throats of war victims. One, a complete departure from closed-door, city-based, elite-dominated peace meetings is a must. Real peace makers should have the courage to be with those without limb and livelihood - down there in their caves.

Two, a comprehensive and honest listing of those killed by tribal militias should be conducted. It is quite disheartening that we have normalized bloodbath to a point where a hundred souls can be lost and we just forget and move on. Nadome, Kapedo and Baragoi massacres come to mind. I am afraid certain lives do not count in Kenya. 

But you know what? Those millions of shillings poured to boardroom talks would better be used to create memorial parks in all those conflict-prone areas complete with names, dates of birth and death, occupation, etc of all those who perished in each particular location.

Where memory is lost, we must create one. Memory is peace.

I hear many agencies crisscrossing northern Kenya have special budgets for peace building. For a fact, little is visible on the ground. Much ground has not been covered and bandits and their financiers are still in control. Which ignites another question: Who benefits from these special budgets?

Well, this is what I would propose. A multi-agency response team will come in handy. Not a bureaucratic outfit though. An action-oriented body; an entity that will notice a shortcoming here and act accordingly, without delay, without fanfare and minus media extravaganza. 

An entity that will expend 85% of its budget on projects and 15% on salaries and allowances. Not the other way round.

Evidently, when you talk about wars and victims, it is fundamental to be mindful of who really these victims are. A significant proportion of these are women. So, and this may pose a challenge to some quarters; how possible is it to carry these women along? 

Quick responses: Pour money where women are. Open barefoot colleges even in the remotest of those places. The ingenuity of these people is beyond measure. Make good use of that.

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

Sadly, Turkana MPs Are Champions Of Politics Of Poverty

Former PM Raila Odinga and Turkana Governor Nanok being crowned as Turkana Elders

Politics, wealth and poverty are no strangers. For that very simple reason, political contests are materially premised on gaining more and more for oneself, and/or for a group of people being represented – locally and/or nationally. The crux of this matter boils down to one question: Who gains what, how and why?

This redirects my mind to another sister-point: That dry politics does not sell. Voters do not swallow rhetoric. They buy politics that can be transformed to something tangible. Something visible. Not roadside brouhaha. 

And this is why devolution - that post-2010 development experiment - is proving to be a darling of Kenya's wretched of the earth, to use that old expression.

Devolution has taken hospitals, schools, roads, water and above all, management of public monies to the village. Now, unlike before, the villager is king and queen. Her signature spells doom to hitherto elitist thievery. It is proving to be the greatest disruption mechanism ever invented by Kenyans.

Perhaps, only a supernatural force can fathom to stand on the way of this wave.

Let's move along. That is just one side of the coin. Flip it and get the sad reality - at least to "eaters" of yore.

Those whose political careers depended on the advancement of poverty are finding it hard to stay afloat. Like that proverbial enlightened fool, the hitherto submissive villager is ready to elbow her way through the messy path of political mobilization powered by poverty. 

Champions of relief food and other symbols of yesteryears' distribution-ism are a frustrated lot. People want solid, long-term solutions. 

Nowhere is this visible than in Turkana County. You need to read this synopsis first. Prior to 2013, political prowess in this oil-rich county was measured by how one could convince the district food honchos to release food rations to hunger-ravaged locals. Pro-people empowerment groups were vilified and pushed to the sidelines. NGOs that refused to tow the line had to pack and go.

Hoisted on this poisonous mantra was one cleverly crafted bottom-line: A poor people constitute a loyal grouping. Numbers, not people, mattered.

Evidently, when history will be written, the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar will feature prominently as the true friend of the people of Turkana. Take a walk to this vast territory and count the many landmarks attributed to the Church.

Across the road, two words pop up on the politicos’ corner: Destruction and obstruction - subterfuge at its best.

Cases of politicians and their hollow-minded sidekicks attacking teachers for being "too disrespectful of leadership" (whatever that means) are well known. Folks, Turkana's underdevelopment is not wholly as a result of externally-induced marginalization. 

Truth must be our guiding star. The enemy is domiciled within us. And we must ready our guns for a bruising battle.

Sadly, these forces of darkness have resurfaced. Their boldness speaks loudly. Their number one enemy is devolution, specifically, the County Government of Turkana. The next in line is anyone standing for inclusive progress. Number three is that poor woman and man who has seen some light.

Their end game? Crush all. Strengthen the institution of poverty and resuscitate demons of marginalization. Then take over the reigns of power.

Their modus operandi? Badmouth any development initiative. Hoodwink the population. Frustrate, torment and dampen the spirit of those spearheading such initiatives. Create conspiracies where none exist.

But one point is as clear as the skyline over Lake Turkana: Beneficiaries of politics of destruction are determined to protect their pot.

Why? A look into their constituencies' CDF accounts returns a damning verdict. How development (if any) is rolled out in their constituencies is an exclusive mandate of these faultless village cockerels. Well, you know where millions of taxpayers' shillings go to.

A weekend minus harambee is not a weekend. Who bankrolls these fundraisers? You already know the answer.

How do they perform in Parliament? The Hansard has the answer. I need not expend my minutes on this. These people have totally missed the way. 

As I write this, Community Land Bill, Petroleum Bill, and many other pieces of legislation that have a direct bearing on the lives of their constituents are before the National Assembly and the Senate.

Have they carried out community sensitization meetings? A big no. Are they at the forefront to defend the concerns of that herder roaming aimlessly around Lotikipi plains? No way. They are nowhere near Bunge.

And then you expect me to announce to you that we have leaders! These are joyriders. 

A sweetener is here: Information is our refuge. Devolution wave is our pillar. Development champions are our allies. Lodwar is our battlefield and 2017 is the D-day.

Promotion of poverty must disappear with oldies who have refused to evolve. #TeamWananchi is ready to act.

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