Who will Restore the hope of the Northern Child??

The government should be worried about the impact of extreme insecurity on education in northeastern Kenya. It is a matter of urgency that the region is freed from the grip of militants to save education from total collapse.

According to civil societies and education stakeholders in North-Eastern kenya , one of the most pressing issues caused by rampant insecurity is the inability of school going children in the region (NEP) -mainly inhabited by Kenyan-Somalis -to continue their studies after an estimated 2,000 teachers have fled the area fearing for their lives following deadly attacks by Somalia-based terror group Al-Shabaab.

In the past year the education sector in northern Kenya has declined. There are no teachers and many schools have been closed. Hundreds of student

s are feeling hopeless.
Without education, we might as well hand the whole of northern Kenya to the armed militia. Education is the hope of society for a bright future. It is the tool that fosters dreams of peace, independence, success, and even hope. It is a basic human right. This is a dream that is about to be shattered by the paralysis in the education sector in northern Kenya, courtesy of  terror gangs.

The children of NEP are in danger of being robbed of their hope for the future due to the failure by the government to protect them and provide education. This group of disillusioned and neglected young people risk becoming a formidable foe and a target of extremists, human traffickers and all those with  ill intentions. Despite all this, neither the cabinet Secretary for Education nor that of security visited the region, to at least assess the situation.

All stakeholders in education and human rights groups must ensure that the people of Wajir, Mandera, and Garissa do not watch their hopes for a decent education die. Insecurity must be addressed now.

As all this happen, the so called leaders of NEP are dining and wining in Nairobi issuing one press release after the other in five star hotels.  So are the professionals. And the  lords of poverty in Northern Kenya - NGOs. After all the future of their kids is secured.

Even those who convinced us that they were walking in search of hope, ended it in disarray.  Noordin Bedel and the walkers who met the president had no bad intentions and should have been supported by all involved.
My advise to the team -Walk of Hope- going forward: Be united and sort the rotten potatoes in your midst before they spoil the team work.  My concern comes from the aroused hopes of the northerners including myself. Otherwise ni kama sina otherwise...

The Walk of Hope: Report Card and the way forward.

For the first time, Northerners - the good people of the restive Noth-Eastern - had something to identify with. As Northerners. It's such a shame that we are still hopeful after 52 years of self rule. But that is a point well driven home besides he who has hope has everything. Albert Einstein once said, "learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning." We thank Allah that we are still hopeful.

The walk has inspired many Northerners as expected because of the levels of despair among them. Despite the poor planning and the failure to maximize on the occasion at many fronts, credit to the walkers who reached Border Point One- the first point the colonialists marked when they were drawing the map of kenya.

Now what next? The Walk of Hope seemed very fragile from the outlook and now enters the next phase of the dream, where challenges of group dynamics set in. How this stage is managed will be crucial to the aroused dreams of our people.
In a group of individuals with differing opinions and interests, some with celebrated unpopular history of rigidity that can give obstinance a new meaning, I pray wisdom will prevail and the hope of Northerners shall be to no avail.

From my own observation, the Walk of Hope is well represented at least at the core faces involved. Noordin Bedel from Garissa, Salah Abdi Sheikh from Wajir and Dr Abdinasir Mohamed Khalif from Mandera.
Building on these three pillar stones, the Walk of Hope can take Northerners to the promised land if and only if:

1) They are accommodating, and are willing to work with all divergent views without the rigidity and inflexibility that characterized the onset of the walk.

2) They can bridge the gap between the existing structures of clan hegemony and new, young and restless generation from the North in a smooth transition devoid of disrespect and negative discourse.
3) They put the community before their personal glory. There were instances where the walk seemed an individual morning stroll with individual goals of using it as a launching pad platform for personal political projects.
4) They are willing to learn from past mistakes in the many attempts to forge a unity of purpose in the north.

Considering the above and many other factors are put into perspective, I pray that the feelings of Northerners do not end up a subject of trial and error.

Devolution is not helping Northerners because of zero- sum game politics.

Twenty months later, residents of Northern Kenya have nothing to write home about devolution. in fact one can authoritatively say that, in the restive North, devolution maintain governors’ lifestyles and those of their stooges -talk of fuel guzzlers, unending seminars at the coast, 24/7 presence in Nairobi and MCAs tripping to where-who-knows just to have selfies with wazungu waiters and flight attendants (of course no one receives them). Devolution is turning out contrary to people's expectations.

Two of NEP counties top the county revenue allocation list. To be precise, one was allocated 8 billion in the recently released proposed allocation - 2015/16 financial year. What can't that do? A lot!
It's unfortunate that 80 per cent of that is going to recurrent expenditure leaving very little for development. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that there are ghost workers. Devolution is not about salaries, fuelling vehicles, foreign travels and holding workshops. It seems devolution has been misunderstood and many governors have seen it as an opportunity to create jobs for their relatives, side-kicks and friends.

Governors are particularly spending a lot of money on foreign and local travels yet they had not undertaken any tangible development projects. Even after some have launched irrigation schemes worth billions, famine came and swept all including the trees. One wonders what happened to the crops. 'Birds' have eaten  them, they will say, in defence.

The never-ending tribal clashes and cowboy contractors make things worse. Last week, the Star newspaper reported that the bombings in the border county of NEP was as a result of vicious war between contractors. "Three explosions spaced out in one hour sequences rocked Mandera town Wednesday morning as contractors compete for roads tenders. The explosions caused by IEDs are believed to be the work of road contractors competing to get tenders to tarmac roads in the county. In the first explosion that occurred at 7:30am, a tractor that was leveling a section of a road within the town was damaged, the driver suffered minor injuries."  How about Marsabit? Wajir? What makes you think the tribal clashes were not financed?

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.

Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river. But we can at least go for the best among the worst. Lets keep changing them. Politicians and diapers should be changed frequently and all for the same reason.

I challenge you to tell me of any development project worth mentioning, from Marsabit to Mandera County. Which one? Tell me!

Know your representatives and their constitutional roles.

Many of us have been heard shouting from the top of the roof accusing one elected leader after the other, especially at the county level. But do we really understand their constitutional roles and responsibilities? Early last month I was challenged by a Senator friend of mine -from the mountain side and a fan of this blog. He simply suggested that I should at least say something "in your popular blog" about the roles and responsibilities of various elected leaders.

I have taken the challenge wholeheartedly but I was a bit reluctant to put pen to paper because some things are not my stuff.

Today we  try  our best to make you understand what these leaders were elected to do. For now we tackle three types of leaders, who in one way or the other, are associated with the county governments.


Senator

A senator, in my opinion, is to a county what a Member of Parliament is to a constituency. A county is a larger administrative unit to a constituency and as a matter of fact covers more than one constituency in geographical area.

In as much as the governor is the administrative head of the county, the Senator is the political head.

What are the roles of a senator?

His or her role is not to govern a county but is as a member of parliament: of the senate. Reading the constitution gives the impression of a very limited set of functions for the senate.
The main one is law making, laws that are of county nature. But, though every Bill, or draft Act of Parliament, must be passed by the National Assembly, only Bills that affect counties have to be approved by the Senate. This means anything that affects the constitutional powers of counties, or their finances or elections to county offices.

A Bill about something to be done only by the national government, which does not affect what county governments do, will not have to be approved by the Senate.

In fact, almost all the functions given to the Senate concern the county governments. It is important in allocation of national revenue to, and between, counties once every five years. The Senate makes the initial decision (it must use the work of the Commission on Revenue Allocation, constitutional principles, public input, and the input of others including the county governors). Its decision is final unless two-thirds of the National Assembly reject or change it.

The Senate has other important finance-related roles; according to the constitution it “exercises oversight over national revenue allocated to the county governments”, and this is backed up by detailed provisions of the Pubic Financial Management Act. But when the MPs passed the Constituency Development Fund Bill, they removed provisions giving the Senate a role in overseeing the CDF, changing a proposed supervisory Senate Committee to a National Assembly Committee - even a “parliamentary committee” did not satisfy them – and providing that CDF Regulations must be approved by the National Assembly not the Senate.

The Senate must approve any changes to county boundaries. And the Senate must approve any suspension of a county government by the President (if that government “engages in actions that are deemed to be against the common needs and interests of the citizens” of the county, says the County Governments Act) and can end a suspension.

A county may appeal to the Senate if the Transition Authority decides that the county does not have the capacity to exercise a governmental function that the county wants to be transferred to it.

The Senate does have two truly important functions in connection with national government. If a motion for the removal of the President or Deputy President is passed in the National Assembly, it will go to the Senate which will appoint a committee of its members to investigate the charges, and if its found they were justified, the Senate could remove the President or Deputy by a two-thirds vote of all its members. Perhaps, rather more often, the Senate may be called upon to perform a similar role in the removal of a governor under the County Governments Act.

A Senator will no doubt be able to bargain for benefits for his or her county, as US Senators do: “I shall vote for this Bill that you, the government, want only if you do this-and-this for my county” – what the American call “pork-barrelling”. Their ability to do this may be less than for MPs – because they will vote on far fewer Bills.


Governor.

Who is a Governor? A governor is a person charged with the direction or control of an institution, society, etc. In our dispensation, the definition of the title could not be any different. For once, the title would not be a preserve of one person, the Central Bank Governor.

They are therefore the heads of the 47 counties established under the constitution and have a more managerial role as opposed to legislative, as exercised by members of parliament or County Assemblies.

The roles and responsibilities of a governor are, as per the constitution, stated in  chapter eleven, Devolved Government, Part 3.


Since the governor at the County level is the chief executive of a county, the person elected ought to be visionary with managerial skills, resourceful and above all, a humble leader. Today's governors with such qualities are few in this country. So far things are not as they ought to be for we voted with our stomach, tribal mind sets and what-have-you.

Governors and Senators in advanced democracies are presidential materials and it is  safe to reiterate here and now that days of anyone pretending to ascend to the presidency is  history. A future presidential candidates will be to a large extent persons who have served as governors or Senators and will be judged by track performance in those  units.


Member of County Assembly

Who is the County Assembly Member?

Each of us belongs to a county and much more a ward where the public services to be provided by both the national and county governments affect our everyday life. This is regardless of whether we participate in the governance or not. No one is to be excluded but there is all the more benefit to participate while seeking to ensure that services are economical, efficient and effectively provided to all without fear or favour.


The  Member County Assembly (MCA) who is the most local representative of the people plays an immense role in ensuring that county governments are kept accountable and supported. Each of the 47 Counties have a parliament, referred to as County Assembly (CA) responsible for making laws, approving budgets and plans of the county, and providing oversight in the running of the county governments. The CA is chaired by the speaker and "shall be elected for a five year term."


So who constitutes a MCA?
Article 177 of the Constitution provides for four categories:

(i) a person elected in each ward by the majority of the registered voters (this can be an independent candidate or a member of a political party)
(ii) a person nominated through a political party to ensure that the composition of the CA is such that no one gender is more than 2/3rds of the members
(iii) a person nominated through a political party to represent marginalized groups, persons with disability and the youth. The County Government Bill 2012 sets the total number of this nominations at 6 persons.
(iv) The speaker, who shall be an ex-officio member elected by the MCAs from among persons who are not MCAs.

The responsibility placed on the MCAs is to, (a) maintain close contact with the electorate and consult them on issues before or under discussion in the county assembly; (b) present views, opinions and proposals of the electorate to the county assembly; (c) attend sessions of the county assembly and its committees; (d) provide a linkage between the county assembly and the electorate on public service delivery; and e) extend professional knowledge, experience or specialised knowledge to any issue for discussion in the county assembly. A member of the county assembly shall not be directly or indirectly involved in the, (a) executive functions of the county government and its administration; or (b) delivery of services as if the member were an officer or employee of the county government.  (See County Government Bill 2012)


If the CA is to do its proper work properly, then both the MCAs and the citizens they represent need to play their respective roles. But how equipped are the MCAs to carry out their mandates . Do they have the expertise or at least access to expertise to ensure their effectiveness? How well are the County Assembly Service Boards resourced to ensure that the MCAs have offices to operate from? Of late the MCAs have turned out to be rogues than representatives. Here is why http://kadarsview.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/new-wonder-of-world-welcome-to-world-of.html

Meet the only 'visible' County Women Representative from the restive North Eastern

 Women leadership remain the exception in Northern Kenya politics but activists say  things are looking up. Politics can be said to be the act of making public choice and making decisions on behalf of the people through the medium of the State and its apparatus. It is accepted that for development of society, women, who make up a larger proportion of the population, should not be left out because there is no doubt that both men and woman can equally contribute to the development and growth of our society. There is abundant historical evidence that African women have for long been playing crucial roles in the political life of their countries.

 Many great women have helped in shaping African society and political evolution. Of late, one such great woman from the restive NEP - North Eastern Province - has cought my attention. Simply for her tireless effort to change the lives of the forgotten, downtrodden and marginalized women of Wajir County. Meet Madam Honourable Fatuma Ibrahim, the Women Representative for Wajir County - the women there call her the MOTHER of Wajir.

Honourable Fatuma Ibrahim is perhaps the only female 'visible' MP from the restive North. Not me saying but everyone in the streets of Wajir and to a larger extent, the region. How else could this blog get to know of her? Let her actions speak for themselves. In the short stint she was in Parliament, what has she done? Action speak louder than words, they say.

Lets start with the basics before the 'complications'. She has educated and still educating girls more than any leader from the region. At times she sacrifices her personal meagre resources to put happiness and joy in the lives of Wajir girls. She has enrolled more youths in the National Youth Service than any sitting MP. Again, the statistics are out there.

So what are the 'complications'? Of course they are many. For me three of these 'complications' major my list because they are landmark achievements. Never heard before. First, in the history of North Eastern Kenya, the first ever free Medical camp fully sponsored by a politician happened recently in Wajir County. All were treated. Only Allah heals. Major surgeries were done. Cleft lip deformities were corrected. Women were treated for women 'issues'. All courtesy of Honourable Fatuma.


Honourable Fatuma didn't stop there. She decided to uplift the lives of Wajir Women. She hosted H.E Rachael Ruto - wife of the Deputy President - to launch the first ever table banking in the region. When you empower a woman, you empower a society. Madam Hon knows that too well.

Weeks ago she hosted the first lady, Her Excellency Margaret Kenyatta in Wajir town to launch her Beyond Zero Campaign in the county. Again, the first in the restive region. Lets appreciate the doers. Hon Fatuma Ibrahim is a doer!

Before she joined politics, she was in the civil society where she sharpened her skills of serving the society ably. Mind you, she was a commissioner with the Kenya National Commission for Human Rights.  While still a Commissioner, Hon. Fatuma Ibrahim Ali visited the United Nations in New York and Minnesota at the invitation of the International Leadership Institute (ILI) to share ideas with the African Diaspora on the human rights situation in Kenya. She has always championed for a free and fair society. In her, our beautiful daughters are not short of a role model. Women like madam Hon Fatuma can only succeed because of the men in their lives. Statistics  suggest that successful women have great men in their lives.

So far, her parliamentary work is beyond reproach. I will not hesitate to endorse her for bigger political positions in the future. She deserves it. Today we decide to speak through the lens. Nowadays a picture is worth a billion dollar.

To NEP's peddlers of ethnic hatred on social media and their fellow crackpots

The increasing tribal hostility and rumours spewing from various Pages and Groups related to Facebookers from the restive North in social networking site - Facebook - must be condemned by all peace lovers.

These dudes - some call them internet trolls - are so obsessed with their clans, even when they have nothing to show, as individuals, for being that tribal. They 'pollute' our timelines and normalize acts of violence. Some even have the audacity to call fellow Muslims names that can't be mentioned here.

It is in our best interest to work towards a united and peaceful Northern Kenya so that we can build a bright future for ourselves and our families. For that to be achieved, the peddlers of hatred and their crackpots must be silenced.

Log into any of those pages - you all know them - and what you see can scare you to death. If you are a keen follower of the happenings in the region, you will agree with me that hatred among our people is at its peak. The negative things we post only escalate the violence more than we can imagine. Brethren ItaquAllah (fear Allah). If you have nothing to say -I know each one of us has an opinion - just read others' updates and comment accordingly and responsibly.


A fellow facebooker tagged me his Facebook post, what I assume to be a response to a previous post of mine. First, I don't tag people my posts to seek attention neither do I like my updates. That is un-facebook, if at all there is such a word.

We can agree to disagree but I don't have to insult you to sound brave. Many have done that today. I don't know what the beef is all about! When did debates become personal? When did ideas become personal? Can't we raise issues? Did I mention names?

Lets be civil for a moment. When we learn to debate from an informed perspective devoid of pride and arrogance - you can have a certain arrogance, and I think that's fine, but what you should never lose is the respect for others.

I have been taught not to fight wars that are not mine. I have never been a cheerleader.And I have never been loyal to anyone. Only ideas. We can always walk the talk. Not talk the walk 24/7.

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.