The Platform.

By Bantu Omwami & Brillian Engefu

In the core of our hearts, where dreams ignite,
We yearn for a chance to take our flight.
To dream, to ideate, and innovate with might,
Elevating our talents to dazzling heights,
The seed is within, our inherent light,
We seek a platform to make it all ignite.

A platform to nurture youthful fire,
A realm where aspirations never tire.
To mold, create, innovate, and inspire,
Chiseling our abilities, reaching higher.
In the vast expanse of endless dreams,
We thrive on hope, or so it seems.

Empower me, in the youth’s domain,
Ignite the spark, let ambitions reign.
Equip me with strength, a creative domain,
Incentivize the journey, break every chain.
Build partnerships, so together we attain,
A future where our dreams sustain.

I’m a startup, fueled by research’s flame,
Sailing through challenges, not playing the same game.
In the voyage of life, I seek not just fame,
But the thrill of empowerment, an everlasting aim.
In the blue economy, I’ll find my claim,
In the Orange economy, I’ll leave a vibrant name.

Young and bold, risk aversion I disdain,
With a surgical spirit, aggression in my vein.
I harbor intent, the passion to attain,
A space to blossom, to break every chain.
The next generation of genius in my domain,
Give me the chance to empower, let me bloom and gain.

No need for a digital innovation hub’s room,
The focus is clear, it’s youth empowerment we groom.
Allow us to rise, dispelling any gloom,
In the tapestry of dreams, let our colors loom.
Empowerment is the anthem, let it boom,
For we are the future, let our spirits zoom.

THE END

PROMISCUITY ON A HASTY SURGE IN SAMIA

By: Bantu Freeman Omwami.

There has been noted a discomforting and rapidly growing trajectory of promiscuity in Samia. The implication of that has been increasing numbers of Children born out of wedlock and dysfunctional families in the area.

It is believed that, although hypothetically, three out of five households in Samia have between two to three children born out of the institution of Marriage. Also, it is believed that young persons of ages between sixteen (16) and fifty (50) have multiple partners. Most of such families or households are being controlled by Men and women of ages between sixteen (16) to fifty (50).Agonisingly, more of Samia young Men are rapidly siring children outside marriage with women not of Samia origin.

In a heated academic debate on Funyula agenda whatsup wall yesterday night, there was an overwhelming outpouring of emotions between the female and male young elites of Samia on what exactly can be attributed to the surging numbers of cases of promiscuity and children born out of wedlock in Samia.

It is believed, four decades ago, Samia was a closely neat society with outstanding morals and culture that had hedged people’s behaviour, especially the sexual behaviour.

” Our culture was closely neat. It was a tool for prescribing not only the sexual modus operandi but also the wider socio-cultural, political, religious and economic way of life “said Miss Diana, the platform’s admin. This, Miss Diana attributed to how Samians used to live life communally.

In an explosive rejoinder, many members of the platform attributed the surging numbers of children out of wedlock to varying factors. Some of those factors are technological, economic, social, political, religious and cultural.

The discussion opined that increased levels of education have led Samians to rapid exposure to opportunities of economic empowerment. These have exposed most Samians to access and control over assets of production and economic empowerment. “Money has exposed most of us to a lot of new things. We are learning on a daily basis. We have money so we can afford fun and social activities which come with power of influence. Money makes the process of seduction very interesting. Being natural hunters, Samians pride in conquering opportunities. The net implication is that we can afford the behaviour, character, practices and attitudes that come with relationships whether formal or informal “said Miss Nasirumbi.

Technology has played a major role in the surging numbers. The level and age of exposure to sexual attraction content as a result of access to technological equipment is astounding. Children as young as eight years have access to smart phones, unregulated use of TV and radio. The unregulated use of technological equipment is reinforced by the fact that parents and teachers have lost their parental power to children. On the flipside, one would want to believe that with technology, most of the young persons; especially girls will have increased levels of awareness about sexual reproductive health and rights. Unfortunately, that is not the case. There are more competing odds against safeguarding of morality than for. “There are more Bars and local brew points than churches in two sampled areas of Namboboto City and Muramba central business District”said Mr.Bantu.

Poverty is an overriding course. High levels of poverty have increased promiscuous behaviour in Samia even among married couples. Men have more money power than women. As a result, men are using the power of money to influence school going girls and married women into offering sexual favours in return for economic support. Most profiled culprits are bodabodas, business men, civil servants and retirees in Samia but profoundly disturbing are middle class men who work in cities but only visit Samia during funerals, weddings and social capital based events like drinking parties. It is an open secret that every time such activities happen in Samia, it is difficult to access a hotel or lodging in the entirety of Samia. ”Said Mr.Mugubi.

However, it was also noted that most Samians are becoming more assertive sexually. Their attitude, behaviour, character and practices have massively changed. The church has been overlapped by time happenstances. Structures set-up by government have been overrun by informal cultural alternative dispute resolutions. Most cases of sexual violence go unreported. Reinforcing child support is difficult due to government burocracies.There is no deliberate measure by local leadership to address issues of sexual reproductive health and rights in the constituency especially from the infrastructure perspective.

Non-governmental organizations have equally failed the test of credibility. Few schools have non state actors supporting interventions that can support sexual reproductive health and rights in Samia. There are no girl’s health clubs where girls can comfortably discuss issues of sexual reproductive health and rights, no information boards, no secret information boxes to report violations, and no health sector based teachers who are equipped with skills to support girls. The implication has been increased numbers of child mothers, school drop outs, single young mothers and children sired out of wedlock.

There are very few levels of awareness among people on sexual reproductive health and rights at the family or household level. The community based structures of community health volunteers are not well equipped with skills and resources to accentuate government and other non-state actor’s efforts in addressing morality and surging numbers of promiscuity and children born out of wedlock.

Conjoined to this situation is the increasing imbalanced ratio between bursary allocations and the number of beneficiaries. The NG-CDF has been overwhelmed by numbers. As much as the area MP has focused on support to education, the allocation has been minimal. This has affected admission of learners into schools, their retention and transition. The net worth is that quality of learning has been compromised.

Worryingly, increased numbers of bars, local brew spots and the influx of Ugandan Women as workers in those places have played a major role in surging promiscuity. These, coupled with high levels of unemployment among the youth have chiselled a dangerous pathway of promiscuity. The situation has created a serious breeding ground for HIV/AIDS. This is a situation that all stakeholders in Samia must curate a solution to as a priority.

However, it was generally agreed that there are low-hanging fruits that can be quickly harvested in trying to address the situation. First, cultural structures need to be resuscitated to play their cradle and raw role of reinforcing culture and, more so, morality. Secondly, the church needs to occupy the right altars. Thirdly, in retrospect, Samians need to have a conversation at individual levels, especially the men, to try and rein in their surging sexual appetite. Also, it goes without mentioning that leadership can inspire attitudinal changes with major ripple effects. Leaders at all levels must confront the issue of promiscuity and surging numbers of children out of wedlock head-on.

We must declassify promiscuity from being a taboo topic and confront it from all fronts.

THE IN-TRAY; THOUGHTS FOR THE INCOMING GOVERNOR, COUNTY OF BUSIA

By: Bantu Freeman Omwami

Quintessentially, the County of Busia shall have a new and second governor beyond the 9^th of August 2022. I am presenting this basic thoughts to whomever becomes our second governor as part of my civic duty. This is a County that has bled for the last ten years. Essentially, the County of Busia missed out on the initial ten years of devolution foundation. The incoming governor may require the following thought processes as he signs off from the blocks:

Inclusion and Integration: The County of Busia needs to heal from the wounds and scars of the last ten years. There are three main underlying wounds and pains that need to be healed. They include the wounds of exclusion, marginalization and favoritism. The County need a strong agenda of rehabilitation so that the majority and minority sub-tribes feel included in governance. There are competing fears between those who had and domesticated power for the last ten years against those whom that power was inappropriately exercised over. To achieve integration, the incoming governor may need to form a social integration council consisting of elders from all the sub-tribes with a clear mandate of enhancing integration both at the advisory level to the executive and legislature with distinct structures and programs that focus on integration interventions.

Economic recovery: The incoming governor has no option but to institute an all-round audit of the health of governance in Busia County as at now. Both the front runners Dr.Paul Otuoma and Hon.John Bunyasi must not allow themselves the extravagance of inheriting a moribund government whose health they understand not. The second economic intervention after the audit should be the formation of a County economic council with expertise to advice the governor on policy and program interventions towards economic recovery. The economic recovery council may advice on the need to transform individual governor manifesto and harmonize it with the incoming National government manifesto into a ten year economic development recovery strategy for wealth and employment creation. Something like Vision 2032 from which, indicators for annual County integrated development plans shall be drawn. Azimio’s one County ,one product mantra can be translated into one sub-county one product in Busia with Bunyala focusing on fish processing and value addition, Samia on Cotton processing and value addition, Matayos on Trade especially cross border, Butula and Nambale on Sugar processing and Teso on Agriculture.

Resource mobilization: The County of Busia is strategically placed. The main undoing for the outgoing government was in its inability to mobilize resources. Apart from disbursements from the National government, the County of Busia can do better by mobilizing resources from direct and indirect tax, public private partnerships (PPP’s) and direct investments. To increase revenue collection from tax, the County must increase the bracket of tax collection by investing in trade, markets and businesses. Review County policy on taxation, build market infrastructure and initiate funds for provision of capital for start-ups especially for women and youth to support agri-business and small & medium enterprises (SME) or cottage industries. This is a short and medium term intervention that will increase cash flow and build household economies as we anticipate capital intensive programs with large spill over long term economic effects. Public private partnerships can work better anchored around the idea of local investment conferences to re-engage the private sector and investors. It is the accountability or lack of it thereof that is the problem.

Accountability: There has to be deliberate interventions towards both horizontal and vertical accountability. The interventions have to start from strategic planning, resource allocation, performance management and oversight. The governor must be deliberate with his engagement with the media, civil society and his bosses-the electorate. The governor must, at all costs, avoid the temptation of rewarding his campaign financiers, the sycophants and hangers, supposed gate keepers and community power brokers. The first indicator that we are all waiting to assess is how the incoming governor will be forming his government. We are waiting to evaluate competence, representation, inclusion, equity and equality.

It is what it is.

Politics and Governance

THE TRAJECTORY OF BUSIA COUNTY 2022 GUBERNATORIAL RACE; DR.PAUL NYONGESA OTUOMA VS MAMA FLORENCE WAINGAH MUTUA.

By Bantu Freeman Omwami.

The race for the second governor of Busia County; county number 040 is already blazing. It has narrowed down to a battle of wits within the orange democratic movement pitying Dr.Paul Nyongesa Otuoma against Mama Florence Waingah Mutua both seasoned politicians.

Dr. Otuoma is a former two terms Member of Parliament for Funyula Constituency who dethroned former vice president Moody Awori in the hotly contested 2007 general election. He also served as a cabinet minister for ten years in different ministerial portfolios during President Mwai Kibaki’s regime. In the 2017 general election, Dr.Otuoma narrowly lost to the outgoing governor of Busia Hon. Sospeter Odeke Ojaamong both at the nominations and at the subsequent general election, narrowly coming in second in both. The fifty eight (58) year old is a veterinarian by training who holds a bachelors of veterinary medicine from the University of Nairobi where he also earned an MBA.

Hon. Mutua on the other hand is a two term Women Member of Parliament for Busia County sponsored by The Orange democratic movement. The fifty three (53) year old is also the ODM’s national deputy organizing secretary and the senior most ODM decision maker in Busia County. She is not only a graduate of master’s degree in project planning and management from the University of Nairobi but also holds a bachelor’s degree in Business administration from Kenya Methodist University.

Busia County has a population of over 351, 048 voters spread across 760 polling stations. The County has 7 sub-Counties, each acting like a constituency. They include: Constituency code 225 Teso north with over 49,833 voters spread across 118  polling stations, constituency code 226; Teso South with over 61,342 voters spread across 136 polling stations, code 227; Namable constituency with over 42, 259 voters spread across 86 polling station, code 228; Matayos constituency with over 56,841 voters spread across 117 polling stations, code 229; Butula constituency with over 57,685 voters spread across 120 polling stations, code 130; Funyula constituency with over 44,671 voters spread across 99 polling stations and code 131; Budalangi constituency with over 38,417 voters spread across 84 polling stations. Total: over 3351, 048 voters. (Statistics from IEBC voter register as at 2017 general elections). I have deliberately used the word over with the understanding that IEBC has done a continuous voter registration exercise since 2017 that could slightly alter the numbers upwards.

Busia is uniquely a cosmopolitan County made up of majority Luhya and Teso and the minority Luo, Kikuyu, Kisii and Kamba including the Baganda of eastern Uganda among other tribes.

Since the advent of devolution, Busia County has gravitated towards the orange democratic movement party. By and large, all indicators as at now communicate to an ODM governor in 2022. It is most likely that the contest for Busia County gubernatorial race shall be fought within the Orange democratic movement or to a larger extent, the Azimio la Umoja movement between Dr.Paul Nyongesa Otuoma and Mama Florence Waingah Mutua. On the road to that throne, the two candidates must navigate the following trajectory:

The tyranny of numbers between the majority tribes of Luhya and the Teso and their voting behavior against the swing vote of the minorities.

Out of the 351, 048 voters in the county, The Iteso vote account for over 111,175 votes attributed to 30% of the total votes while The Luhya vote accounts for 200,000 votes attributed to 60% of the total votes. The minority or rather the township cosmopolitan vote accounts for slightly over 45,000 votes attributed to 10% of the total votes. Each of these three groups have peculiar voting habits.

Traditionally, the Iteso vote as a block especially when they have their own candidate or a candidate sympathetic to their course. The Luhya vote is always fragmented along the Luhya sub-tribes of Abamarachi, Abakhayo, Abasamia and Abanyala as was witnessed in the 2017 general election. In 2017, Abamarachi of Butula voted for Hon.Ojaamong courtesy of Dr. Mulomi; his choice for deputy governor. The cosmopolitan vote, especially around township is essentially swayed by the promise a candidate makes towards safeguarding their business interests and coexistence. Already Dr. Otuoma and Mama Mutua have split among themselves the Luhya vote. This means that the Teso voters are the defacto king makers just in case they do not produce a strong candidate for the same position. Whomever shall be strategically friendlier to the Teso and consolidate their vote while securing at least 60% of the Luhya vote shall become the second governor of Busia.

Political party affiliation and loyalty to ODM and the emerging political dynamics created by Azimio la Umoja movement

Going by tradition, and this is hypothetical, the Orange democratic movement shall produce the second governor of Busia County. This is because other parties like ANC, FORD Kenya and UDA are yet to attract any credible pretenders to the throne. Now, be it as it may, the inside political dynamics of ODM portray a party that is keen on rewarding those who have been loyal to it. It is not forgotten that after the nominations in 2017, Dr.Paul Otuoma left the party and contested as an independent candidate against ODM almost costing it the gubernatorial position.

In the process, he left a vacuum that was filled by Mama Florence Mutua and her team. There has been wars to dethrone each other. However, going by the statement of Mr. Sifuna, the party secretary general a week ago while in Busia, it seems Mama Florence has the party firmly in her grip. She might not have pocketed ODM County level officials who always have a price tag for the highest bidder but she has the party’s two key assets; the grass root’s delegate’s support and the national office support as she validly flushes the loyalty card left right and center.

As it is, Mama Mutua has higher chances of defeating Dr.Paul Otuoma in the ODM primaries pants down. What therefore are Dr. Otuoma’s options? First, Dr. Otuoma should avoid boxing himself in the corner that ODM is taking him and jump ship early enough to an affiliate of Azimio la Umoja movement, entrench himself in the affiliate and in the community. It could be easier for him to beat Mama Florence at the main election while in an affiliate of Azimio la Umoja movement unlike at the ODM primaries. Secondly, he could still bid as an independent just as he did in 2017 against Ojaamong.

The money factor:

This will be a huge determinant of the elections. It is expensive to run a campaign across the vast county. Dr. Otuoma having been in the cold for five years and his aloofness on the ground is sending wrong signals to the electorates of a candidate that is not prepared for the grueling financial requirements of the campaign. The financing environment and context he enjoyed in 2017 has metamophosized against him especially his known gate keepers, the financial movers and shakers of the county with interests in businesses and County contractors who are keen on someone who can safeguard them and their interests with the exit of Ojaamong.

To navigate this huddle, Dr.Otuoma will need to have a wealthy running mate to supplement his own budget and win the ODM nominations to loop in financiers who are not yet sure of his ticket under ODM back into his fold. On the other hand, Mama Mutua seems to have mobilized resources adequately given his strategic visibility on the ground. Seemingly, she has used the opportunities at his disposal as the County Women Member of Parliament. She is rigorously tapping into the ODM party campaign opportunities to mobilize and she is creating a personality attraction to gatekeepers, the financial movers and shakers of the County, contractors, opinion makers and business community that view her as a safer space for their interest in the post Ojaamong political era unlike Dr. Otuoma. When reached for comment, Mama Mutua responded: “I am ready emotionally, physically and financially to bring this home.” My attempt to reach Dr. Otuoma for his comments on his financial preparedness did not bare fruits.

The running mate factor:

This is a humongous headache for both front runners. The choice of a running mate has to put in perspective the sub-tribe issue, the ability of the running mate to mobilize resources, the amount of influence the running mate may wield not only in his sub tribe but also his or her acceptability across the county. As the narrative on running mates has been gaining ground, the aspect of 2/3 gender rule has been gaining traction too. Discussions are that Mama Mutua, a female must find a male running mate while Dr.Paul Otuoma, a male, must run with a female deputy governor. The local civil society organizations who so far have created a credible voice and platform on matters governance in the County strongly favor this narrative. It is easier for Mama Mutua to have a male running mate than it is for Dr. Otuoma to have a female running mate.

The other headache is the negotiations between the Luhya dominated sub counties (Nambale, Matayos, Butula, Funyula and Budalangi) in the power sharing equation. Butula has enjoyed the powers, privileges and entitlements of a deputy governor for ten years running tied to the hip with the Teso. Samia has occupied the speaker’s office for ten years uninterrupted. Matayos has enjoyed the senate position too for ten years.

A delicate decision to persuade and dissuade some of this areas to give and take around the positions requires a tricky balancing act. Any aggrieved region can easily shift their allegiance to an opponent thereby swaying the pendulum and critically hurting either candidate’s chances

Credible sources indicate that Dr.Otuoma already has a running mate from Nambale and would wish to trade the speaker’s position with Butula. It is said that he is dangling the senate position to the Teso and the leader of majority at the county assembly with Bunyala while Matayos gets the reserve of plum executive positions at the County.

Mama Mutua has remained tight lipped on her choice of running mate choosing to directly engage voters at the grassroots’ level. However, the whispering bird intimates that she is trading the deputy governor’s position with the Teso, The senate position with the Bakhayo in Nambale, the speaker with the Samia in Funyula, the leader of majority with Matayos and plum cabinet positions in her government with Budalangi.

However, reached for comment on ongoing power sharing discussions, Mama Mutua said: “I am yet to start discussions on power distribution and forming of government. I have only managed to meet Bunyala professionals to discuss their bare minimums. I will be meeting many more interest groups in January 2022 to build on this discussions”. She concluded.

Whomever gets the inclusion equation right will have a head start. Negotiations, counter negotiations and give and takes. This arrangement will be highly punctured by post 2027 or 2032 ambitions. Some of the people who want to occupy the positions on offer also have ambitions to occupy the gubernatorial throne. As such, they will make the compromise harder than it need be. The context of Busia County shall always be that of building coalitions and creating consensus.

The incumbency factor:

In whose hands are we safe? The incumbent Ojaamong and his lieutenants seem to be asking. The history between Dr. Otuoma and Hon. Ojaamong isn’t good. Those around Ojaamong who safeguarded his power and domesticated it and did business with his government for ten (10) years have no trust in Dr. Otuoma. They all need safety, continuity and transition.

Despite the fact that Hon.Ojaamong is exiting the stage, he still has interests that need to be safeguarded. It is rumored that some of these interest could be related to accountability or lack thereof accountability in the way he has been managing the county. Perhaps, this may work for or against both Dr.Paul Otuoma and Mama Mutua.

However, the incumbent and his generals view Mama Mutua as a safe pair of hands for their safety, continuity or peaceful transition towards survival with their loot. The generals include the gate keepers as I said, County contractors, opinion makers, business moguls and the county financial movers and shakers who time and again came through and bailed the county financially when the county got embarrassingly broke. This is a position that compromises Mama Mutua’s credibility.

“Many interest groups view me as a safe pair of hands not because I will protect their loot or encourage looting but because I will ensure peace and stability for businesses to thrive. I am the safer hands for the minorities and the marginalized because I am neutral and clan less so am devoid of favoritism” said Hon.Mutua.

Above all, the incumbent still wields a lot of power in his Teso community. In fact, he is rumored to be warming up for a parliamentary seat in one of the constituencies of Teso. He still is a force to reckon with and a gate keeper of immense influence of political power and financial abilities. Whomever befriends him and provides a safe landing for him and his foot solders shall have the doors of Teso open to them.

The campaign strategy employed by the two candidates:

Dr. Paul Otuoma is known for an abrasive campaign style, forceful and podium oriented. In fact, some voters view him as a violent person given a few incidences of violence that occurred in the year 2017. During his tenure as Funyula MP, he majorly mobilized around a strong politically party ideology, strong financial muscle, propaganda and gate keepers to gain entry into his opponents’ strongholds and sector-based meetings. He is also a good mobilizer and a people’s person.

On the other hand, Mama Mutua has espoused a shrewd grassroots based campaigner, meeting strategic teams among her key voter demographics that is women and youth. She has a strong mainstream and social media presence too. She has evolved into an aggressive community mobilizer with a brutal surgical spirit of precision piercing through from one village to the other. She has remained relevant at the grassroots and at the National level and even in her parent political party.

Perhaps this election need be won by the best planner, mobilizer, negotiator and a candidate with the message that will act as an attraction not only for those with fears and apprehensions about the pain that they have faced with the current regime and the fear of the unknown from the front runners to the throne but also the promise each candidate is building for the future of Busia County.

Orange democratic movement is at the center of this strategy. However, the emergency of Azimio la Umoja has thrown a spanner into the works. Will the voters of Busia look at the candidates through the micro lens of ODM or with a macro lens of Azimio la Umoja movement? Beneath each of this strategies, money is the heart beat of all strategies.

It must however be made clear that an attempt at the use of the strategy of a message of exclusion against Mama Mutua based on her perceived tribe is a non-issue that is not gaining traction in Busia County. Statistically, Busia County voters are more conscious. They have voted Women before from Prof.Julia Ojiambo to Prof.Mango to Mama Mary Emase and now Mama Mutua. Voters want a leader. If Mama Mutua was voted in as a women MP and performed, she can equally be a governor and perform.

The tired and moribund arguments along tribe, sex, gender and age are socially incorrect and must be admonished at every opportunity they try to bud from their mentally dilapidated constructors.

County financial shakers and movers mostly contractors and service providers:

This group need a safety landing. They have done businesses with Ojaamong, some in the right way, some in a very awful way. They need continuity. They need their interests secured. They are the cartels of Busia County. Well known and connected to the political class. This are the system of government in Busia County. Individuals or institutions that sometimes lend money to the county. They wield massive influence both inside and outside government.

We cannot simply wish away this cartels because it is a deeply ingrained system. The candidate this cartels will align themselves with will carry the day. The question is, between Dr.Otuoma and Mama Mutua, in whose hands are this cartels safe? Who between the two candidates is bold enough to dismantle this cartels? Who will either replace the existing cartels with their own cartels or streamline governance and service provision and development in Busia County? The voters must be conscious enough to evaluate this two candidates. Dr. Otuoma must be evaluated based on his record as a member of parliament for Funyula while Mama Mutua must be evaluated based on her record as County Women MP. Their demonstrated abilities in the past must inform present and future projections. The civil society must be active in this evaluation and provide voters with credible information to enable them make choices.

The burden of the ghosts of Dr.Otuoma:

Each of the two candidates have their own burdens. It is just that Dr.Otuoma’s are more profiled than Mama Mutua’s. However, it is time the chicken are returning home to roost. The burden of the ghosts of Otuoma while as a member of parliament for Funyula constituency and his campaign in 2017 for the position of Governor are still alive. There are wounds that need to be cured. I tend to think that Dr.Otuoma isn’t a dirty person as it is portrayed but again, the people around him have created a very abrasive and violent persona of him that scares some people.

He might need to sanitize his networks and the faces around him. I do not have the moral authority to judge him but again, it is an opinion that he needs to listen to and act on. I have interacted with him directly. He is sociable, a giver and cheerful classless person bubbling with life. There are however some people around him that are naturally scary. The Teso still feel insecure with him.

For Mama, since I am yet to interface with him, I have very little to discern about her character, especially her past ghosts. I will leave that for another day.

Voting demographics especially the youth and women vote factor:

Men voters are not cheerful about the forthcoming general elections in Busia County. Women and youth are. Women and youth form the largest voting demographic in Busia County. Now, who among the two candidates cheers them up? Primarily, Dr. Otuoma has both the male vote because by nature, men are still bigoted and a section of the youth voters while Mama Mutua primarily has women voters and a section of the youth vote too. Dr. Otuoma may need to cheer up the male voters to consolidate his traditional voter basket while Mama Mutua may need to break the bigotry ceilings to secure the male vote.

Interests of community gate keepers including members of parliament, MCA’s and aspirants at all level in the entire county:

Members of parliament of all the seven (7) constituencies that form Busia County and the serving members of county assembly have huge influence on the outcome of the gubernatorial outcome both at the nomination level and at the general election. They command a huge following in their respective constituencies and wards, control resources, influence gate keepers and have a voice among party delegates.

Equally, aspirants that seek to displace serving leaders may align themselves to either side or shape the outcome of the race. Also, service providers and contractors at the constituency and ward level will decide the race either directly or indirectly based on interest.

Political dynamics and coalitions at the National level.

The political landscape at the National level between now and February will be a strong indicator of how voter patterns shall unfold in most counties Busia included. As it is, the competition is between two mosaics-Azimio la Umoja movement and UDA. Whichever formation outwits the other latest February 2022 shall influence formations in many a counties. It is in doubt that OKA will transform into a formidable outfit to challenge ODM and UDA. The echoes of Azimio la Umoja movement at Kasarani have already unsettled the status quo. The movement will certainly attract many parties with retained autonomy but focus shall be at enriching the presidential race. Raila Odinga has created space for inclusivity in Azimio la Umoja while at the same time indicating to all and sundry that they can be under one umbrella at the Presidential level but chase different interests with different parties at the other electable positions. This in a way might puncture ODM as a party.

In conclusion, the second governor of Busia must navigate the eleven (11) point trajectory above towards the throne. It does not mean that other fringe parties with other fringe gubernatorial candidates aren’t or may not arise. There are and they still will emerge as the political environment shapes up. The subject of my trajectory were the two established front runners.

AKISA; Beyond Scars

Scarred, that’s how Akisa’s entire life had been. Ravaged. In my God chosen Samia language, it is said that “Owonia owesikonjo, otaonisie owenjala”.This is loosely translated as “it is better to heal one of a wound rather than feed one who is hungry”. This is because the hungry person easily forgets the hunger pangs upon feeding to capacity and forgets you who fed them unlike the person with the wound who shall forever refer to the scar of the wound you helped them heal and remain grateful to you for eternity.

On this day, Akisa was drenched in self-thought. She was retracing the wounds, pains, scars and all its implication that life had presented her. She had accumulated many scars. Some of which weighed down heavily on her. Her late mother, Cecilia Mitchelle Naburi, she of the mothers union fame of the Anglican Church of Kenya, the last born and most beloved daughter of Marusi Omwami, chief of the Ababuri clan, the Kenyan Britons of Sio –port and the revered fish eaters always reminded her that life’s ultimate price, the only golden reward she needed to aspire to, on the podium of accolades was to live over, above and beyond wounds, pains, scars and the implication it had on her life’s history. Though she was pretty young when her mother died, these words had formed sort of a melodious Spanish orchestra in her mind and ears. This was her recipe of transformation every time she got scarred.

The day had begun in earnest as usual filled with paroxysms of joy. Her morning ritual card comprised of morning piety which included two lines of praise and worship, bible verse study, a prayer then personal reflection. She would then indulge in personal hygiene and later on draw level on news via radio, television and newspaper to bring her up to speed with the headers and trend lines in the world of media. “Information is power and power is what we all look for in life” she could speak to herself in soliloquy. Her last ritual of the morning was to check list all the items to be devoured along the day.

Today, the checklist included her graduation, after graduation celebratory party and then rest with family and a few select friends later on at her place. This she did interlocking with breakfast. She was punctiliously talented at planning and subsequent multi-tasking. A lover of white coffee and fat free nibbles with vegetables, her morning diet was full of energy carbohydrates, proteins and low on fats. Akisa was very exacting on diet, imaging and her state of mind.

We were approaching Chiromo Campus of the famous University of Nairobi, the Alter of medical brains in Kenya and East Africa. From a far, we could hear the University brass band belting out nice renditions of rhumba music that mawkishly took Akisa back to the days of her hustling. She shrugged it off; after all, this was her big day of restitution. She needed to focus.

The magnitude of people that had already gathered was astounding. Never before, in the history of graduation ceremonies of the University of Nairobi, had such a sea of humanity been witnessed. Communication lines were inundated; neither texts nor calls could go through. Tracing friends and relatives was frantic. Mr. Mwenda Pole, Akisa’s driver negotiated the corner from Chiromo onto Waiyaki way at the intersection and drove the car; a sleek Mercedes Benze class E 240 towards the graduation square and into the designated parking bay. “Mr. Mwenda Pole, today the day shall be different. You better find something to do for we shall be here up to until late, as late as 3 pm in the evening “Said Akisa. Mr. Mwenda Pole nodded in the affirmative.

He was a man of few words, born and bred of the Giriama community of the coastal Mijikenda. “Mama, I will go and catch up with colleagues in the parking bay to pass time. I will however be watching over developments” said Mr. Mwenda Pole. He was a perceptively sharp man but with a very lazy body demeanor.

Conversations between Akisa and her driver were usually short, precise but seamless. She addressed him with the dignity and decorum a human being and a man ought to. Hardly would you decrypt on the first interaction with them, that Mr. Mwenda Pole was her designated driver and colleague. Due to the nature of their interaction, you would never imagine the gulf in power and authority between Akisa and Mr. Mwenda Pole. Such was how simple, humane and down to earth Akisa was. “When you are disfigured in scars all along your life, you tend to never want anyone to undergo traumas that brought you such scars in the first place at all” she could remind people around her from time to time. Such was the convention Akisa had entered into with herself, a covenant that has directed her life to date.

All granduants were expected to be seated by 8.00 am sharp. The previous day, exhaustive rehearsal had been done to the perfection and sophistication of every detail of the graduation procedure especially for those attaining post graduate awards like doctorates. Such shall be required to walk the isle towards the presidential dais to homage and receive their accolades. As Akisa walked towards the sitting bay, chary in her restrained steps, elegant in her black graduation robe accentuated with a graceful red lining ribbon wrapping across her chest from the shoulders, music by the University’s brass band was reaching a crescendo. She located her designated sitting position and sat ready for the ceremony.

You could feel the aura of the ceremony. The place was glittering with state of the art cars, latest fashion trends in shoes, dresses, handbags and communication appliances. It was the age of smart phones and iPads, small electronic gadgets that could easily connect one to the global village at a thumb’s press. You could easily mistake it for a fashion show. The VIP section of the graduation square was donned in National colors. There was a red carpet lined up from the main entrance to the square, the Kenya police brass band was present and ready. The hawk eyed elite security squad of the Kenya police presidential guard was present too. All this trappings of power were a clear symptom that the head of state was to grace the occasion as the chancellor of the university, a role the constitution of the republic bestowed upon him way before some jealousy infested politicians and technocrats diluted the powers of the presidency through some gory referendum reforms whose locals are yet to see its fruits to date at the household level.

At Akisa’s immediate right sat a Mr. Owiti; a fellow graduant. Mr. Owiti was a man always full of himself, very graceful and majestic with an exaggerated sense of power and entitlement, blessed with an imposing frame and attitude. He looked sharp and ready for the victory parade or procession as others would call it prior to the graduation. He always dressed sharply but very expressively, spoke eloquently but confidently and sensibly so. However, he had a very unpredictable attitude. You would think he belonged to God’s inner Kitchen cabinet in heaven. He was a classic example of people who monopolized civility and its accompanying class. Such is how sagacious Mr. Owiti was. Born and raised in Ugenya, he was a Luo man unapologetic for his lifestyle, unashamed of his tribe and buoyant of his achievements in life.

On this day, he was graduating with a doctorate degree in extractive governance, the first one in the entire County of Siaya to ever be and the first in the entire region of Nyanza. Akisa and Owiti kept engrossed in conversations ranging from politics to business to academia and to the emerging world order of technology. Such is how wired Mr. Owiti was. A times, visibly, Akisa seemed not to be enjoying the conversations between them. However, Mr. Owiti-her companion-was a necessary evil that would help pass time as they waited for the chief guest; the president and the commander in chief of the defense forces of the republic and the Chancellor of all Public Universities in Kenya to preside over the ceremony.

A few minutes passed. Soon it was 9.00 am. Police sirens were heard from the main entrance to the University. First to emerge were the numerous police outriders and escort cars. Second to emerge was the presidential press service team followed by the presidential elite security team sandwiching the presidential Mercedes Benze. The president’s official car had two flags gracefully flaccid; one on the right that is the flag of the republic of Kenya and the other on the left, which symbolized the presidential flag. Then a few fuel guzzlers followed; I guess those of his cabinet secretaries relevant to today’s ceremony like the cabinet secretary for education and lastly, a few cars followed seemingly those of power brokers in government or those of mid-level and junior government beurocrats. Such is how presidential power trappings are elegantly accessorized in Africa. The president’s power over his subjects must just be field at every opportunity.

The presidential car stopped right at the source of the red carpet at the entrance to the graduation square. Out came the presidential aid the camp, opened the president’s back left car door and out stepped the president elegantly dressed in a black and white stripped tuxido executive suit, blue shirt and a red tie. The ADC saluted and the president acknowledged. He was received by the University vice chancellor who introduced all the carefully selected dignitaries lined up along the red carpet. Eventually, the president, toe to toe with the vice Chancellor, walked along the red carpet in a procession towards the graduation square and finally towards the dais followed by the dignitaries. The national anthem was sung; mult-religious prayers said followed by elaborate entertainment session that finally ushered in speeches.

Speeches can be boring. This was not an exemption. Everyone wanted to say something that made them stand out before the power holders and decision makers. It surprised me that even educated people have instinctively creative ways of asking for favors indirectly and injudiciously by being unnecessarily and profoundly expressive, with unforgiving propensity to propitiously owning successes that were collectively achieved through a mean individual grandiloquence.

At some stage, I could see Akisa looking somnolent. It is the interludes of the University and the police brass choirs that kept the event buoyant. By mid-day, the curse of boring speeches had ended. Now the main activity began. The director academic affairs and head of post graduate school read names out. “Akisa Angel Amani, Doctorate degree in human resource. Supervisor, Professor Elimu Masomo escorted by professor Patience Mvumilivu of the school of human Resource University of Nairobi.”

There were heightened ululations from the crowd especially the section where Akisa’s family, friends and colleagues had sat. Within the graduation square, the rules of invitation only allowed access to three select visitors. However, on the periphery, as many as possible were allowed to converge.

Akisa stood up; her heart palpitating as she walked anxiously, gracefully and elegantly towards the dais. The president stood, the university’s vice chancellor too so was everyone at the dais. The ululation had reached a crescendo. Everyone stood in awe for a woman graduant; the only one in her discipline. Every corner was clapping. Akisa immersed herself in the glorious moment. She reached the podium and gracefully genuflected.

The president walked over. Besides him was the vice chancellor. The two escorts were standing slightly a few steps behind Akisa, their hands behind their backs in respect to the authority of the presidency and the vice chancellor. Then the president pronounced himself to the words we had all been waiting for: “By the powers conferred on me by the University of Nairobi senate, I give you power to read and do all that appertains to this degree”. The president had said. He then placed a colorful graduation hat on Akisa’s head and gestured to her to stand up. He then gave Akisa a firm handshake of congratulation and whispered something in her ear.

Akisa had been part of the president’s political party; the republican party of Kenya. She had four years before this day vied for the position of Member of Parliament for her rural constituency in Funyula. Unfortunately, she had come a distant third garnering a disconsolate figure of votes. It was comical that even the last aspirant for the lesser position of County assembly garnered more votes than she had attained in that general election. However, her party had won the presidency and the majority in both houses; the senate and the national assembly. Therefore, the party that had nurtured her political beliefs and aspirations went ahead and formed government. It had been difficult for her to access the president after the elections. This graduation provided her an opportunity to meet the president face to face. It was a glad moment and the whisper, only known to the president and Akisa was a secret that we all were drooling over to decrypt. Akisa stepped back, in respect, she bowed down before turning back, throwing her hands in the air as a sign of victory and walked back, this time, faster than she did when she went to the dais. As the ululation faded, the name of Mr. Owiti was pronounced and a similar ritual repeated itself. Soon, the ceremony was over.

Without Trace

Ashlyn had just moved into the new apartment hardly three months gone by. It was a posh neighborhood in a gated community over-looking the main Airport in the City. They had relocated to Nairobi City from the coastal city of Mombasa responding to a career call. Her husband, Mr. McLaren Shmich, had gotten a job as a pilot with the National career.

Jabali, her son, had grown into a tenacious and effervescent five-year-old boy bouncing with vitality. His big, round, soft blue eyes radiated with life beyond his natural inhibitions. His ringed neck stood out, poised like that of a lactating Giraffe in the Maasai Mara watching over its baby. He had already gotten ahead of the learning curve for most of his peers.

He was an agile, intelligent, benevolent and ingenious child that loved Computer games, car racing, swimming and play
station. His early years were bubbly. His unusual heritage-his father; Mr. McLaren Shmich was a Briton born of a British mother and a German father while his mother was a black gem of the African pride lionesses of the God chosen
royal people of Samia-gave him a humongous beauty of epic proportions with a high profile appearance.

Every evening, Jabali walked his pet Dog along the residence walk way. His Nanny-Teresa often accompanied him on such walks or on the ritual like evenings of Ice Cream at the Ice cream pallor at the nearby shopping center. When he went swimming at the residential swimming pool, Teresa, the nanny was always watching over him.

Except for Wednesday evenings when Jabali was home schooled by Teacher Nyatero, his other schedule had become regular, as regular as a clock.

His mother, Ashlyn, was a work from home self-employed workaholic that was always online linking her clients to  service providers at a discount. To her, Jabali had his safer space under the watchful eyes of his Nanny, Madam Teresa.

The new residence seemed secure, beautiful and reclined. It had round the clock security provided by private guards and a perimeter wall. So serene. It was an attractive residence with beautiful lawns and walk ways that conveyed them to their apartment. Their apartment was baronial and beautifully appointed with a Corinthian interior ideal for
breath-taking pictures.

Nanny Teresa had grown fond of taking pictures of her escapades with Jabali and flooding them on her social media pages.

One Wednesday evening, the door Bell rung.

“Jabali, please go open the door for teacher Nyatero. Its Wednesday!!” Teresa shouted from the Kitchen as she sung and busied herself with chores.

Jabali ran towards the door in excitement to usher his teacher. His Mother was locked up in her home office engrossed in work as usual.

A few minutes passed on but there was no usual playful noise in the study room. Nanny Teresa intuitively wondered about the unusual silence, so unlike Jabali and teacher Nyatero moments. She went to check what they were up to. The study was empty. She rushed out  in consternation to check just in case Jabali was outside the apartment, he was not. She rushed back and knocked at Jabali’s mother’s work station, Jabali wasn’t in.

“Madam, Jabali isn’t in here” she said.

“What do you mean he is not here? I heard you ask him to go open the door when the door bell rung” she answered, still fixated on her computer.

“Go check outside, maybe he is playing at the lawns with the children from the neighboring house” she said dismissively.

“Yes Mum, Teresa obliged and rushed out in heist, her heart pumping out of her chest. Her spirit was not at  peace. She opened the door, checked round the lawns, around the house, there was deafening silence. There were no children.

Nanny Teresa rushed back to the house, her hands suspended over her head, almost sobbing. “Madam, Jabali isn’t outside at the lawns, he is nowhere to be seen, there isn’t no one outside” she said in quick succession.

Ashlyn looked into her eyes with a subduing resignation for a split second. Her tongue wagging, eyes rolling.She rubbed her lips with her tongue and swallowed hard.

“Oooh my God! Where is my baby? who rung the door bell?” she asked in panic. It dawned on her that something bad could have happened to Jabali.

She scrambled for her phone, dialed teacher Nyatero’s number. “Hello teacher Nyatero, where have you taken Jabali to?” she asked without the decency of salutation.

“Sorry madam Ashlyn, today, I will be late a little. I am held up in traffic but am surely on my way there” answered teacher Nyatero.” Is anything the problem? she asked. Ashlyn hanged up mid conversation. She was astounded.

What had begun as a paradise of convenience in that plum residence had now turned into a besieged paradise full of turmoil. Her only child had disappeared without a trace.

They rushed to the neighbors knocking on every door, went to the swimming pool, to the play station center at the residence and to the main gate inquiring. Jabali was nowhere to be seen. Vanished! without a trace.

To everyone she went inquiring, she was met with treacherously delirious responses that conveyed a vandalized morality of people living in gated communities.

How could this have happened under her own nose? Nanny Teresa had been oblivious of the condescending attitudes and stereotypical profiling the community around them showcased towards every time they went to the nearby shopping center because of Jabali’s colored skin.

Although Jabali was an unvarnished and well-paced child at learning who had developed a penetrating smile that permeated the hardest of the stereotypic hearts around him, the new residence put him in loads of vulnerabilities.

Quickly, Ashlyn went to the local police post and made an official report for a missing child. She gave a profile of her baby and was issued with an OB number. The Askari asked her to go home and wait for for the lapse of forty eight hours before a formal inventory of a missing person could be entered and a search be initiated as to the law.

She tried arguing that forty eight hours were too much for an innocent child out in obscurity, away from her parents and homes comfort but her pleas fell on deaf ears. “Law can be an ass” she said as she raised her hands in frustrations and got into her car to drive off.

That evening, the two were in a mourning mood. Ashlyn feared what would happen the next day when her husband reports back home from work to a house without his beloved son. She cried the whole night, her voice levitating and breaking with the shrill of impotence of anger. Bewildered and shocked, she clutched into her beddings helplessly.

Early the next day, Jabali’s father checked in back home from work. Ashlyn had left a text for him on phone about the disappearance of Jabali. His anger was looming. He hawked in his toxic mix of smoldering anger from place to place, snarling at anyone in his presence.

He grabbed Nanny Teresa by the neck violently. Ashlyn belted out a yell. The neighbors came rushing. Astounded by the result of his brutality, Nanny Teresa run out and disappeared into thin air. He panicked. Perhaps in anguish, panting and rubbing his palms in despondency. Reality had sunk in that indeed, his son was disappeared and there was very little he could do.

The day passed. There was no assuring report from the police. As the Sun sunk into the red horizon in the west, Ashlyn emerged from the main entrance to the apartment from her search. There was no usual welcoming play with Jabali on this day. It pierced her heart to the core. There was an unusual silence. The Usual lively welcoming voices and sounds of Jabali were deafeningly silent. The air was uncomfortable. The Skies seemed to be in mourning, racing from east to west at conflict.

That night, Ashlyn designed posters with the pictures of baby Jabali and his profile. The next day, she distributed them far and wide. She shared them on social media, called in live on radio stations and placed a reward for anybody that would give information that would lead the family to Jabali. A bounty.

She returned back home to wait for a call. It did not come through. The agony was killing. Information on baby Jabali’s disappearance had attracted the attention of the media, local non-governmental organizations and pressure groups. Demonstrations were organized, memorandums
were written to the local police to speed up investigations. Soon, the news had gained traction to prime time news items.

The inspector general of police sent in a team of investigators. They swung in action with a flurry of interventions. It took them three days and they had nabbed a dozen suspects. Key among them was the swimming instructor at the residential swimming pool and the Ice cream vendor at the local center whose phones provided valuable leads about the whereabouts of baby Jabali.

When the police finally laid siege of the location of baby Jabali, unfortunately, they found the cold body of baby Jabali in an old deserted building a few kilometers from the residence. Jabali had been strangled to death according to preliminary investigations from the scene of crime.

As Jabali’s body was moved to the morgue, the main suspects were moved to the police station awaiting a post mortem report from the government pathologist to reinforce the investigations towards a possible prosecution.

Early next day, as the birds chirped, Ashly and her husband left for the autopsy of their son. The government pathologist and his team were ready on time. Jabali’s body was wheeled into the examination table at the morgue. Each incision that the pathologist made on Jabali’s body
seemed to pierce the inner core of Ashlyn’s motherhood. The pain was intense. She could not hold it. She broke down in tears. The pathologist had to ask her to step out and cool her emotions.

After three hours, the pathologist gave his final report. Death due to strangulation and suffocation. Preparations for his final rites were done and Jabali was enterred.

When Jabali’s father left home for work one week after the burial of his son. He never returned back to Ashlyn.

 

Decision 33; Breaking Up with Mediocrity

At age 33, one takes stock of their life, the decisions they have made in the past and the implication it has had on their lives. They reflect on family, education, career, spirituality, marriage, wealth creation, relational cycle, ambitions and stability among many more.

At this age, both individual and collective expectation is that one should be settled down in marriage, with children, have a home, own property, have completed a second degree, be advancing in career, be in church where they can serve, have friends that can be a dependable psycho-social support system, exude ambitions and credible savings etc.

The truth however is that at this age, majority are still struggling with identity crisis, yet to identify with a career calling, managing the scars of a broken first marriage, without credible savings, investments, a disjointed family life, non-reliable relational cycle and friends, without a spiritual grounding and struggling with habits.

This is the age of breaking up with mediocrity. The mediocrity that is a user family, unreliable friends, that sulking career, those mediocre habits, a suffocating marriage, inability to save, invest and procrastinations to grow spiritually.

Breaking from this mediocrity does not just come by the way. It is an investment that is grown from within a person and manifested in the outer of an individual. It is a sacrifice that calls on one to stop, reflect, learn, plan and act on a changed strategy.

The inner transformation has all to do with one’s self drive, vision, mission, principles and life’s objective. These are the engine of transformation. The moment it is turned on, the support system that is behaviour, attitude and practices shall align themselves.

The manifestation of the inner transformation is expressed in the habits which condition individuals to a different life with different returns. At 33 years of age, I have experienced four ingredients that are magical points of breaking up with mediocrity.

First, my relationship with media both main stream and emerging. This is in the desire to read the right books, listen to the right music, watch the right news, right programs among many more that communicate to my vision, mission, values, objectives ,principles and ambition. Positive conditioning attracts positive returns.

Secondly, the desire to listen to and relate to the right inspiration and motivational speakers with the right testimonies contextually so that i am able to get the right coaching, mentorship and training. It is important to listen, hear, understand and connect with motivational speakers who not only share what to do but also how to do it and eventually walk you through the journey of your success using their testimonies.

Thirdly, I have learnt the hard way how to shade of the mediocrity that is some overwhelming friends and surrounding myself with few but very productive and positive energy filled friends. Sitting around friends who set standards high for you and help you break the ceilings of your comfort zone, challenge your system and push you beyond over and above limits is what I call the cleanser or the hygiene of the transformation. We both need a psycho-social support system that cushions us against all forms of shock be they man made or natural. Letting go of long term friends you have had, those you share habits with, testimonies with and deeply held secrets can be traumatizing and hurting. However, for one to grow, they must hurt themselves and hurt those around them. It is a worthy sacrifice.

There are a few fundamentals that drive friendship. This are good communication for change habits, relationship building, building a foundation of friendship on values, principles and shared interest and above all, sacrifice and appreciation. A healthy principle of reward and compensation is what ticks a healthy relationship.

Fourth is the ability to align one’s self with the right networks and agencies. We all need appraisals and endorsements. We need networks along which to grow. I have secured opportunities through networks I managed to safeguard over time and I have equally lost out on opportunities because I did not keep a credible health check on my vast networks. Each network we make has a future meaning and importance, track it and sustain it.

Breaking up with mediocrity requires that one examines the network they associate with, the events they attend, the opportunity that each network promises and how each network informs the journey of their life.

The starting point of breaking up with mediocrity is the ability for an individual to pause, reflect, learn, re-plan and act on their life situation.

It does not matter the losses one has accrued, the pain, tears, scars and the trauma one has gone through or the stigma and all the negative implication one has had in the past. It does not matter that judgement individuals and society has passed on you or the profiling that comes with under achieving, what matters is your ability to outlive your past, its implications and develop a testimony that drives you into a future that God pre-destined you to.

 

The Suffocating “Adultescent”

Today, Sunday fourth of January 2015, there appeared a read in the Daily Mail online titled “Generation who refuse to grow up: No mortgage. No marriage. No children. No career plan by Marianne Power. This read has just helped provide definition lenses to me and my generation especially with the experience I have had in the village during these Christmas festivities. With the loud mouth Njoki Chege, she of the Nation Newspaper and her corroding venom in her definition of us in her City girl column, our own opinion are needed too.
Before I launch, well, we all need to reckon that “Civility and Maturity” in adult life need to be exhibited from the age of 25 years going forward. The measure of this standard in our context would be finishing a first degree, diploma, certificate or even a post graduate qualification, finding a job and starting to build a career, debasing the poverty situation in your family which could also be through building your parents a decent house, securing their health, providing them with food and upkeep and paying of your sibling’s school fees. It could also be by finding a wife or a husband and starting a family, building your own house in the village (The dead Capitals of this world), buying a car, taking a mortgage, establishing savings and possibly building a career by advancing ones education and taking other alternative professional courses. This is the ideal filter of growth from the adolescent into early adulthood throughout adulthood.
However, both writers (Marianne Power for the Daily Mail and Njoki Chege of the Daily Nation) equally reckon that the ideal as described above has been relegated by the society that has meticulously avoided the trappings of responsibilities that come with adulthood. They both give reasons that we all can identify with. Mention the changing economic times, the ever increasing fear of the unknown, the emergency of alternative media, the increasing cost of living and a below average attitude that embeds laziness and a lack of responsibility among others. I agree.
However, I have a feeling that failure of us adults discovering that we are adults and honoring the promise of responsibility to the trappings that come with that age is becoming highly systemic. It requires a young person with a strong and live vision to cultivate the expectation associated with that age appropriately. The strength of that vision can only be supported by the pillars of a synchronized mission to that vision and manicured with strong and realistic values, principles and objectives that can irrigate the effort to actualize that vision. Anything outside this is just but a mirage. This is the inside that every individual has control over which when fixed, informs the outside. Once someone controls the most basic but influential space in the inside, it informs the thirst to attain power externally and the organization that comes with that power.
The external competing odds cannot fight with the internally incubated power and zeal to brutally dismantle myths, traditions, procedures and systems. The inside informs the outside. Even at 30 years of age, we still need mentors and role models to take our mentality beyond car loans, over, above and beyond miscalculated self worth that comes with the ingenuity of social media, haphazardly hurried enrollment into post graduate courses that do not propel us into desired career paths, non strategic indulging in social pleasures like drinking and sex, unplanned mortgages that confine us into economic slavery, self management against destructive family expectations, drugs, media, friendship and relational cycle madness, extremism of employers and the ever changing world of career cycles, the shocks of marriages and the shocks that come with emerging challenges that we rarely anticipate.
For us to insure our future and reach that expectation of our age, we need genuine mentors who are never there this days, we need role models who are sincere, we need to control power that controls assets of production, we need enablers of economic emancipation (raw materials, control of production, markets and the value associated with it), we need control over employment and a shift in policy and programs that can respond to the changed face of the world. We also need media and writers who can objectively elucidate facts of the current world phenomena without a skewed comparative analysis to the world then.
Truth is, there are those of us that need a wake up call. As usual, I do ask us. What would be of the Christian world where it that Jesus Christ came on earth and failed to know that He was the son of God, sent to earth for a specific objective, with privileges and power trappings from the God Lord?
Yes there are young people whose duty-so they think-is to wait for December and ask you to “Niwachie ya kuanzia, tuliteseka Na wewe shuleni, toa soda,toa sikukuu, etc”Those who are working and have income but show no traces of growth and maturity in taking responsibilities, those who work but would borrow money, refuse to pay and revert to giving reasons every day and those whose habits have taken their future off them.
Wouldn’t it be better for people who control both private and public spaces of influence to take such dialogues beyond the rhetoric of sensationalism, headlines and trend lines with heavy branding of words of English aimed at creating just humor and a sold out newspaper or magazine and extend it to the how to? Turning a challenge into an issue that can be intervened on could also take journalism to the next level. Take it beyond the what, where, how, who and thrust it to the so what or how to scenario. We need a skill, a technique and a competence to take on this expectation. This cannot be found in the degrees we have or the jobs we do or the talents we naturally possess, it requires a consolidate effort without apportioning of blame through a satirical piece of literary work.

A response to Winnie Byanyima’s” “Inequality is undermining democracy in Africa; the poor must claim their rights.

Winnie Byanyima,the executive director of Oxfam International has written a very incisive article in the East African November 1st to 7th edition titled “Inequality is undermining democracy in Africa; the poor must claim their rights. This, she did on the eve of Oxfam’s launch of their global Campaign to tackle inequality. A good article it is but it must not go without more reflections.
From a statistical perspective-and I appreciate they are about to launch their report on global inequality-the author identifies four fundamental interventions as key to bridging the gap of inequality in Africa. First, to build strong programs for public service and social support, second, urgent reform of tax systems at all levels, thirdly, a fair minimum wage and fourth, backing people to claim their rights. I so much agree to this. My only observation is that this article is written from a safety alter insulating her from any backlash especially on the eve of launching her report and very silent on more pressing issues that are the real causes of or enablers of inequality in Africa.
To me the biggest cause of inequality in Africa is ineffective governance systems especially at a policy and program level. Our policies do not provide an effective stream of visions that can sustainably respond to people’s needs from a rights perspective. The social protection services cannot be achieved in the absence of good leadership that facilitates policies and programs that respond to health, education, water, house hold commodities and electricity among others.
In the absence of the rule of law and constitutionalism in Africa, the gap of disparity and inequality shall always grow wider. Leaders who over stay in leadership, becoming rulers and loosing legitimacy in the electorate thereby becoming complacent out of being in a comfort zone way too long without checks and being disconnected from people’s needs are the biggest curse and cause of inequality in Africa. We need to respect the rule of law.
The cost of natural resources and other assets of production are inhibitive. Not everyone can access them and as a result, the cost of production spirals which increases the price of household commodities thereby affecting household economies, minimum wages and giving birth to extreme inequalities in Africa.
Increasing per Capital agricultural productivity to insulate the biggest population of the lower class to leverage their lives and work against the deficiencies that undermine them. This must be followed by reversing the de-industrialization trends in Africa and reversing rapid rural to urban migration. The migration increases pressure on the little available resources thus straining the society.
I agree with the author on the establishment of progressive tax policies and regimes. Of course citizens have a duty to pay tax whereas the state has the duty to distribute and redistribute that tax fairly. It needs to be done from the ability to pay perspective to spread the tax burden. This needs to be done to avoid off shoe deposits and capital hemorrhage. However, much as it may be, states systems must embrace social accountability measures that curb corruption, nepotism, favoritism, reward and compensations that cause leakages in our Country’s capital. With all the natural resources that Africa has, if Africa embraced Social accountability framework on Resource allocation and strategic planning, expenditure Management, Performance management, Public integrity management and oversight we will march the United States because we have the biggest Human resource force ever, only rivaled by China.
Lastly, she identifies that we need to back people to claim their right’s from the government and their states.Equally, I agree. The big question is how? In my own opinion, nongovernmental organizations and other non state actors and institutions are also a curse and a cause of inequality in Africa. We have a lot of models that do not respond to people’s needs or rights or even inspire states to action. We are sometimes an extension of exploiters of the continent. We need to take a reflection as NGO’s and become more pro active with states and other actors in working against inequality.
Finally, exclusion from extractives. The biggest frontier for Africa and the Sub Saharan region of Africa right now is the extractive industry. Kenya and Uganda have all discovered oil. A preview of the unfolding and the background shenanigans in the initial extraction has already excluded the majority poor. Jobs are being exported to multi nationals in the deals at the expense of poor masses, people are losing land without compensation, livelihoods are being lost, poverty is settling in rapidly yet we have oil and yet we still talk of bridging the gap of inequality between the rich and the poor.
I have a feeling that democracy has been undermined in Africa majorly by leaders and rulers with their failed systems and that needs to come out strongly in our arguments whenever we speak out especially if the speaker is a person with legitimacy like Winnie Byanyima in her position as the director of Oxam International. I do not have any hindsight on Oxam International in terms of their geo political interests but again our voice is precious and valueless so we must use it appropriately.

Need for Social Accountability in Public Resource Management

Citizens have the right to demand justifications, explanations of how resources are allocated, planned and expended and take corrective measures timely where necessary. The state on the other hand has the duty to justify, explain and also take timely measures to correct resource leaks. The obligation of the state is to protect, respect and fulfill the rights of its people
Social accountability framework is build on the following pillars: Resource allocation and strategic planning, the vision, mission, objectives, principle, strategic plans and the processes around it, budgeting to resource the strategy and allocating that resource, there needs to be a standard threshold of the processes qualitatively and quantitatively and the documents that come with the process. How participatory the process is, how compliant the process to the operating requirements is both qualitatively and quantitatively. This helps move the teams together in one direction. It consolidates collective responsibility.
Pillar two on expenditure Management calls us on fiscal discipline, strategic allocation of budgets, good operational management, and value for money, efficiency, effectiveness with good plans, realistic budgets and legislations. It is important to aggregate cash controls, commitment of funds, and+ verification of services, payment processes, accounting, financial reporting, audits and debt management. Expenditure management processes must be of integrity and above board, procurements, financial evaluations, reporting must be valid and of best practices.
Performance management in social accountability has three essential components: Managing people, managing processes and managing results. Which kind of leaders do voters elect in the first place in terms of skills, competence, efficiency and efficacy of their leadership and management ability? We need a strong component of performance management to develop our human capacity skills, competence and effectiveness towards a strategic direction.
Public integrity management: The principle of reward, compensation and punishment based on merit must start to be implemented. We need to see documented cases of public servants being rewarded for good efforts and being punished for doing the wrong thing. We need to go beyond anti corruption charters written at the entrance of our public offices and put it in practice. Corruption, tribalism, favoritism, nepotism, rewarding cronies, relatives and incompetent people at the expense of standards of modern service delivery in governance must just stop. We need consistent and consumable information of statuses of institutions, processes and procedures that take the governance to the next level
The Oversight: A strong media that is objective and beyond compromise by the power holders, a vibrant civil society movement and other non state actors need to carry out advocacy, campaigns, empowerments and other interventions that provides oversight in public resource management. This will depend on how much information we can access. This article is for community development practitioners.