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.