Pastoralists’ leaders’ summit yielded hollow political declarations

President Uhuru arriving in Isiolo. Photo: Twitter

On March 11, 2016, political leaders from Kenya's pastoralist counties assembled in Isiolo town. In attendance were President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was the chief guest, and his deputy Mr. William Ruto.

Under discussion was how to materialize such policy frameworks as Equalization Fund in order to scale up the fortunes of pastoralists and other victims of historical socio-economic injustices.

But first, let’s agree on one thing: The pastoralists’ leaders’ summit betrayed pastoralists.

From the many speeches delivered during the event, one could easily be misled to believe that with loads of funds now available, needs of pastoralist communities will be dealt with minus hesitation.

And secondly, that as far as development is concerned, leaders, development partners, government and non-governmental agencies, and even the general public have been efficient, and that their efforts have been blocked only by lack of funds.

Meaning, Equalization Fund is the magic key that will unlock pastoralists’ potential. 

In my view, the whole issue about marginalization has not been – strictly speaking – a money matter. It will still not be a money matter. No, shortage of cash has not been the main problem of pastoralists. We have rivers of cash flowing through pastoralist counties but the human power over there is either unable or unwilling to divert them to good use.

Instead of pooh-poohing about the abundance of affirmative action policies in government, I expected the summit attendees to honestly interrogate the extent to which past interventions have reached and table a new approach that will put that thirsty herder in Chalbi desert at the center of all actions – not just talks.

For I believe it is only by auditing our past that we can confidently walk into the future with solid hopes.

Have we ever done a social audit of the NGO billions, for instance, being pumped into pastoralists’ lands in the name of fighting poverty?

Bluntly put, this thing called affirmative action hardly reaches its intended targets.

Prof Thomas Sowell’s Affirmative Action Around The World gives a summary of case studies around the world where very attractive policies (and huge budgets) meant to uplift (or in our case “to equalize”) certain sections of the demographics under review ended up benefiting minorities within majorities.

Well, we all acknowledge the lethal nature of elite power especially when it operates unchallenged. What Prof Thomas Sowell seems to point out in his analysis is that goodies such as Kenya’s Equalization Fund may get pocketed by a tiny, often politically connected members of the target (marginalized) communities thus augmenting the very same socio-economic imbalance that the policy intervention sought to eliminate.

Put differently; say you lower university entry grades for pastoralist children when majority of them are stack in primary schools for lack of enough and affordable secondary schools to absorb them. Logically, those “affirmative” university slots will never benefit kids from poor pastoralist families whose immediate need hasn’t been solved.

Yet with all these visible shortcomings, policy pundits and political leaders still find it easy to rally populations behind these so-called pro-poor policies. This is wholly nonsensical!

Perhaps someone thinks the poor will be blind forever. A time will come when pastoralists, like all poor people around the world, will demand to be told why their children hardly transition to high school and then to university then to those big government offices yet they are told funds like Equalization Fund and many others exist to make their life better.

Pastoralists will also want to know why a huge chunk of affirmative action funds oil the pockets of officials under whose watch they fall while their core work remain untouched.

Unless we admit that poverty is an industry whose existence must be protected and promoted at all costs, there is no reason why leaders (who also happen to represent the poorest of all folks in Kenya) will shun inventiveness as a means to respond to public needs.

To insist on creating layers after layers of committees or whatever to administer Equalization Fund is clearly to run counter the aspirations of communities yearning to taste the fruits of this constitutional blessing.

Should common sense reign, I believe, county governments will be the first port of call for those searching for persons (or committees) to administer this crucial fund.

Given an opportunity to voice my opinion, I will loudly say that Equalization Fund be exclusively used to promote education. That is, building many well-equipped primary and secondary schools and sponsoring needy children. Nothing much, nothing less.

Until these and many other faults are corrected, gatherings like Pastoralists’ Leaders’ Summit will only serve one purpose – producing hollow political pronouncements.

Twitter: @mlemukol.