NEW WONDER : Welcome to the world of our MCAs

The current crop of MCAs are a serious indictment on our society generally and our leadership in particular. If you have been following the news, by now you very well know that their latest victim is H.E Kivutha Kibwana, the governor of Makueni County.

I don't know Governor Kibwana at a personal level neither have I ever met him. The only time I 'saw' him, it was on my TV screen or his photos on the newspapers - I read them religiously. But for the years I have 'known' the good professor, I have known  him as a man of high intellect and integrity completely intolerant of corruption and other shenanigans that accompany holders of high office. I was shocked when those rogue Makueni MCAs purported to have impeached him.

Their drama never ceases. In Wajir County, early this year, the Ward Representatives engaged in fistcuffs and chair throwing over a questionable vote that led to the appointment of a new Clerk. Sometimes early this month, they purported to have impeached one of the county women Executives. The whole drama ended in an ambiguity - they were last seen walking out of the assembly one by one and nobody knows what influenced their walkout. The story has never been different in the counties of Garissa and Mandera.

Our MCAs are like children who visit a supermarket for the first time, see all the lovely goodies and think their dream has just come true. They throw a tantrum at every turn, demanding to have everything on the shelves, the cookies, toys and all. They  exhibit a serious structural problem that requires urgent rethink.

No doubt, many af the MCAs took office with the old councilor mentality only to find themselves being called members of an assembly, complete with a speaker and majority/ minority leaders. They heard that they were supposed to make laws to govern counties, and it dawned on them that they were VIPs.

There and then they demanded to be called waheshimiwa. They googled to find out what honorable people do to travel abroad, use VIP lounges at airports and drive monster vehicles bought by taxpayers. They even want us to take care of their spouses!
Soon, the MCAs may demand to travel in motor Cades complete with outriders and escort. Otherwise, how will the villagers know the MCAs are no small people? By the end of their term in office, MCAs will have become another wonder of the world.

This situation requires urgent intervention if the citizenry is not to be disillusioned by devolution. A Bill by Senator Kindiki which stipulates a jail term of up to two years or Sh500,000 fine, or both, for county assembly members found guilty of misconduct in the county assembly is on the floor of the Senate. The Bill's intention is to regulate behaviour during debate. I totally disagree with Senate and the originator of the Bill.

On this, I side with the MCAs. Who regulate Members of Parliament? MCAs were elected just like the the rogue MPs. The MPs and their fellow confused-octogerians  in the Senate are also not accountable to anyone! They pass laws that only benefit, not Wanjiku, but them. Talk of the pot calling the kettle black.

There is nothing like Tribalism, forget about clanism and the never-ending clashes, Nepotism is NEP's new cancer

There is nothing like tribes in North Eastern Province (NEP) that can warrant tribalism. What is a tribe? According to Wikipidia, "The social structure of a tribe can vary greatly from case to case, but, due to the relatively small size of customary tribes, social life in those kinds of tribes usually involves a relatively undifferentiated role structure, with few significant political or economic distinctions between individuals. Tribalism implies the possession of a strong cultural or ethnic identity that separates one member of a group from the members of another group. Members of a tribe tend to possess a strong feeling of identity"

Based on this definition, I think it's safe to say that there is only one tribe in NEP, that is, the tribe Somali- Kenyan Somali, Somali Kenyan, call them what you will.

What we have are clans.

Clanism has always been termed as the major stumbling block to the achievement of unity in the restive North Eastern Kenya. The never-ending story that is "tribal clashes" and violence have both been blamed on ethnicity, but is tribalisim the major problem behind our disunity? I don’t think so.

Clannism and nepotism will finish this region as we talk of “my tribe”. Devolution has made politics more local and violent than ever. Thanks to devolution, we can now clearly tell where the problem with our region is as far as cohesion and integration are concerned. If a fellow clansman can draw a gun with the aim of harming another clansman to settle a political dispute, then tribe - hope you still remember the tribe we are talking about- has no meaning. If clannism was the major obstacle to peaceful co- existence, why then do we hear of brothers - men and women of the same clan - 'killing' one another over county jobs? Why are we witnessing unending clashes among members of the same clan? It happened before devolution. It can happen anytime.

Many experienced and knowledgeable professionals from the region, some working for the national Government and others in the corporate sector do not apply for jobs in the region due to what they term as vicious clan squabbles. And you talk of underdevelopment? Who will develop the restive NEP if you don't pacify it? Whose kids and wives want to live in such 'uncivilized' culture?

For one to work in these devolved units, a lot of importance is placed on clan and family, and whether they supported the governor in the last general election. Some even applied through the so called Council of Elders -an entity that is not recognized by any law as far employment and recruitment are concerned. Yes, we respect our culture but the elders of our world do not deserve our respect. They belong to the highest bidder and are very partial. Elders of them days were highly respected because of their wisdom and impartiality.

 In the last general election, members of the same family supported different candidates. That is democracy! Must they pay for it? To paraphrase Isaac Asimov, there is a cult of ignorance in North Eastern, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.

This has seen unqualified people who are loyal to politicians in the counties take up senior positions. No wonder some of our counties are unable to prepare annual budgets for approval by the controller of budget. Our MCAs make matters worse. Those from big clans - there has never been anything big about our clans - plot among themselves on whom chief officers, Clerks or County Executives they want impeached on frivolous grounds due to the devolved tyranny of numbers in the county assemblies, as witnessed in Garissa and Wajir counties recently. All they need to do is cook up something irregular about the officer’s conducts, prepare a censure motion and throw him or her out. This has made working for the county governments risky.

The Kabaro led National Cohesion and Integration Commission should now re- focus its energy from tribalism to clannism and nepotism and help the people of North Eastern know how to share their share of the national cake amicably.

The unqualified fellows in our counties have turned out to be the unofficial spokespersons of the counties in social media. They spew venom and 'tackle' accordingly all those who question about the misuse of power and the scarce resource that is our 'fair' share of the national cake. We do not blame them. They are idle most of the time. Nevertheless, they draw salaries.

Am privileged to know a few men and women who are above our new cancer - nepotism. They reward meritocracy.

Eid Mubarak to every one

Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, will be observed tomorrow, October 4, 2014. One of two feast festivals celebrated by Muslims, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of the Islamic calendar’s last month, Dhu al-Hijjah.

Muslims all over the world will be marking Eid Al Adha. On this day, Muslims remember the sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim (A.S).

Eid Al-Adha, is not just an opportunity to celebrate, but also a valuable lesson in sacrifice for Muslims around the globe. According to the Islamic scriptures, Eid Al-Adha, also known as the Greater Eid, is an opportunity to give and forgive and reminisce about the story of the great sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim (AS) several centuries ago, when he surrendered to the will of Allah and offered to sacrifice his son Ismael (Peace be upon him).

Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was committed to Allah’s command, which later proved to be only a test. He showed that his love for his Lord superseded everything else.
In return, Allah gifted him a male sheep to sacrifice, and that action has become a ritual for all Muslims to emulate on the occasion. Its meat is to be equally distributed among family, friends and the poor.

May Allah shower His countless blessings upon you and your family. May this day be a special day that’s filled with warmth and love, and may it hold the happiness you are  so deserving of!

Eid Mubarak to every one.

FULL OF LIES: NEP's devolution story they never told you and why peace matters for development's sake

Early this year, in one of his captivating pieces, Dr David Ndii says "If you follow the media, you may have discerned that there are two devolution narratives. One narrative is that devolution is a Frankenstein monster. It is the narrative of tin gods, globe-trotting MCAs and chicken taxes. Devolution is cast as decentralisation of corruption, a fiscal disaster, an administrative nightmare. The second narrative is that of devolution as a godsend"

Indeed to the people of North-Eastern Kenya, devolution is a godsend.

Mandera county -that restive north-east tip of Kenya - has installed street lights for the first time since Independence.

It's not a news that Madera has borne the brunt of insecurity and terror attacks more than any other county in the country. Having floodlights  will definitely help residents feel safe at night. Trivial as it may seem, these new street lights in Mandera are a wonderful example of why devolution is godsend for Kenya, more so, for Mandera and the entire North-Eastern Province (NEP).

Wajerians (People of the great county of Wajir) have decided to move with speed so that they could catch up with other parts of the country. Before we go deep into their charming devolution story, allow me to narrate a little bit fact about the middle-county of North-Eastern Kenya.

Wajir- probably the only place on earth where bucket latrine system still exists due to its high water table -has produced more highly educated and intellectual men and women who sit in high positions in different corners of the globe than any other county in NEP. Mind you, the first and the only woman that ever represented Kenya in an Islamic state is from Wajir. Her Excellency, Rukia Subow, is the current Kenya Ambassador to Tehran.

Recently, Wajir residents and their leaders came out in their droves to attend the ground breaking ceremony of the first ever tarmac road for Wajir, amid excitement and hope of a new change in town!

I have done my best to research about Garissa-the then capital city of NEP- but unfortunately there is nothing tangible (no big-deal project (s) ) to write home about as far as devolution is concerned.  Surprise, Surprise, some of its leaders are fighting devolution at the national level!

The dwellers of the restive North who have known no real development, literally, were made to believe that they were "marginalised" because of unfavorable centralized national decision-making system. That is true, somehow. They have always hoped devolution will be a quick fix to “marginalisation” which was blamed for the underdevelopment in the expansive region. That is yet to materialize and no signs of big-time change are forthcoming mostly because of the kind of leadership in office and not devolution.

However, devolution is proving to be a curse for the residents in the drought prone area, than the anticipated blessing as deadly inter-clan conflict creates widespread mayhem. The inter-clan conflict especially in Mandera and Wajir counties is giving security apparatus sleepless nights in the region. Given that their hands are almost full with 'al-Shabaab' terror group renewed attacks, the security teams are now fighting a two front war. The Clashes have led to the destruction of properties and the mass killing of innocent women, children and elderly people. No one can tell exactly how many people died since the clashes begun.

If after 50 years, with the ever rising number of representation from the region, we couldn't lobby for the tarmacking of Garissa-Wajir-Mandera highway and quell the clashes, then, I don't think there is leadership worth talking about.

On the BENCH : My interview with Jeff Koinange on Eastleigh crackdown

Jeff Koinange LIVE interview with the Blogger, Ahmedkadar

Why Uhuruto Administration should mentor youth.

This piece was inspired by a youth-related seminar I attended recently. We are often watched but rarely seen. The jobs go to the aged - fellows of uncertain age but certainly not a day below 70.

Now that there are no jobs for the youths, is it not time to see their gifts and acknowledge their wounds? Most youths today have no clue of their talents or gainful projects they can engage in to transform their lives. The youths should be given the opportunity to participate in life-skills workshops with employees paid for by the government who are trained as mentors.

The government's effort must be so conducive for mentors and mentees to engage in deeper conversation about what’s going on in their lives. They grow up believing that only white -collar jobs are gainful employment. Most parents in this country are too poor to finance their children to talent academies and instead take them to school to study professional careers. The number of students graduating from these schools do not match the slowly shrinking Kenyan job market.

The state can also motivate corporates to come in by developing initiatives like Corporate Mentoring Challenge- where special recognition is given to companies whose employees engage in mentoring youth.

This will greatly address unemployment and tame the ever rising crime levels in the country, mostly committed by frustrated youngsters. However, mentoring our youths should never be a substitute for a caring family, community support, or a concerted youth policy agenda.

Almost two years and Eastleigh has nothing to write home about Kidero's government.

On Tuesday, in his meet-the-people-tour, Nairobi governor Dr Evans Othiambo Kidero made a stopover in Eastleigh - the unrivalled Somalis business hub on the east of Nairobi christened "small Mogadishu".

Despite being a jubilant, I wish to bring to the attention of Nairobi's 'Commander in Chief' that I voted for him during the last general election, but had the Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeal nullification of his election, I would not have voted for his re-election. Why? You may ask. It's simple. Very simple. In the last 18 months he has been in office, there is nothing to write home about.

We the people of Eastleigh live in estates that are chocking under the weight of garbage and bursting sewers. To add insult to an injury,our roads are under construction for over 3 years,probably more than it took to complete the Thika Super Highway. Hawkers are everywhere on the streets for their only market (former Nairobi City Council Market) has been grabbed. The mushrooming Merus-owned miraa kiosks make the environment dirty as they throw garbage and miraa leftovers (Somalis call it barixi and hardly buy) on the roadside and in drains. Eastleigh is literally chocking!

I invite the governor and his Environment Executive - a former Town Clerk no less! -to visit Eastleigh and stay there for a day and perhaps spend a night in one of Eastleigh's skyscrapers to see the extent of dirt. Not just to be dropped by a fuel guzzler, talk to the people for less than ten minutes and disappear to where-who-knows.

Eastleigh is the only suburb outside the Central Business District that contributes close to 30% of the entire revenue collected by the City County of Nairobi. For your information, Eastleigh is dotted with skyscrapers of which many were constructed within the last eight years. I have been taught that development comes with social amenities. None exists here. People travel from all over Kenya and neighbouring East and Central Africa countries to Eastleigh to shop. You will virtually find anything under the sun in Eastleigh.

The recent police crackdown in Eastleigh -Police are being investigated for harassment, extortion and assault -in the name of fighting terror had a serious negative impact on its business and image. Eastleigh has bounced back!
Kidero where are you???