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SIGENDNI LUO

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THE CASE FOR REGIONAL AUTONOMY

This article is in response to one from Ms Annah Sidigu and other who still have doubts over the case for strong Regional autonomy , not just for Luos but for any other Community in Kenya that feels so. I use the word Luos deliberately because; first, during Kenyatta's Rule, Leaders in Kisi petitioned him to give them a separate Province so that they can be out of Nyanza who were a thorn in the flesh for Kenyatta's government so that they were not associated with radicalism. May be these sentiments have changed now but Nyachae's tirade at Oginga Odinga in Kericho in 1993 when he used circumcision issue which he has again used recently during referendum campaign can be explained in this light It is possible there is now a change of heart and direction but that needs to be positively expressed.

Secondly, there has never been a vote or referendum approved by Kenyans in all Regions that they live together in a Unitary State. The British colonised Kenya and put all regions under the same government. No other tribe or community can claim to have conquered the others to subjugate them as vassals without choice to determine their future. Any Union between communities in Kenya has thererefore of essence been a voluntary Union, just like a marriage. The question of chaos should therefore not arise if some communities opt for self-determination to save themselves from injustice, slavery, servitude, marginalisation, discrimination, ostracization, unemployment, corruption, and feudalism. Even in marriage, if it can't work, there is divorce or trial separation.

Is it by accident or is it by design that since independence in Kenya some 44 years ago, the Treasury, Central Bank and most Parastatal financial institutions have always been controlled by Kikuyu's? This has been so except for a brief period of 1993 to 2003 when we had Mudavadi, Nyachae then Okemo. Even then the PS and or Financial Secretaries or senior Treasury figures were from this community. People often forget that Kibaki was at the helm when Kenya first squandered gains from Coffee boom of 1974 to 1980 as the Finance Minister. Why was he removed from this position by Moi in 1981? Under his watch, every Parastatal Head under his Ministry was from Nyeri in particular or Kikuyu in general. The time he was VP he never visited any part of Kenya to do Harambee except his Home Province. When he has felt under threat as President he has gone back to his people in conformity with pats behaviour. Under his watch we had the scandals of Kisumu Molasses, Eldoret furfural, Ken-ren, Halal Meat etcetra. He was in government when all those Kenyan heroes were murders, was he not? He has come back to oversee more murders like under Kenyatta and Moi.- Mbae etc are a case in point. Tribal clashes are back, skewed allocation of resources like under Kenyatta and Moi is back:

Look at the article by Mireri Jagwasi on 06/02/2007: Take a look at the current financial year Roads allocation:

1]Nyeri-- 1 Billion[Kibaki's]
2] Kirinyaga- 650 Million
3] Amos Kimunya's District- 500 Million
4] Nyachae's--- 300-or so Million

With this lopsided distribution will you ever catch up with other parts of the country currently favoured?

In the Military, during Kenyatta's time no Luo or Asian, was supposed to rise above the rank of Major in the Military as a matter of unwritten Policy. Only the President could promote any Officer to a Rank above major. What wrong had these officers committed to be victims of this kind of discrimination?

As observed by Meshak Owino in an Article in the Times on 16/11/2006, Sessional Paper no 10 of 1965 authored by Kibaki and his cronies at the Treasury, made it a Policy for unequal Development in Kenya. Thika was to be Industrialised, Nairobi made a commercial hub. The rest of the Country did not matter. What followed was establishment of Regional lords to oversee their subjects: Angaine in Meru; Ngei, Mwendwa Ngala, in Ukambani, Moi in Rift Valley - checked by PC Mathenge, Gichuru, Njoroge Mungai, Mbiu Koinange, Kibaki, in Central , Ngala in Coast checked by Mahihu. In Nyanza he wanted Mboya, Odede, Okero, Omamo, to play his dirty game and to diminish Odinga's influence. In Kisii he had Sagini, Omanga and Onyonka. In Western he had Otiende, Mukuna, Shakala. In Masailand he had Oloitiptip, Tipis

In Nyanza a policy of Assassination of Leaders began in 1963: Senator D.O Oruko Makasembo 1964, D.C Arina, Mito Jura in Rarieda, CMG Argwings Kodhek Feb 1969,Tom Mboya July 1969. Others like Odinga, Achieng Oneko, Wasonga Sijeyo, Ochola Makanyengo, Ondiek Chilo, etc were either detained or barred from contesting any political office. They could not find jobs either. This continue till after Kenyatta's death in 1978. Briefly, in order to consolidate his rule, Moi brought Odinga and Oneko into government, allowed Ochola Makanyengo to rejoin Trade Union movement and contest Parliamentary election. This was short lived for only four years up to 1982. then he became a devil to the Luos.

In other regions, for Kenyatta to stifle opposition, Ronald Ngala, JM Kariuki, Pio Gama Pinto were murdered. Shikuku. Seroney, Anyona, etc were all detained.

Moi followed this pattern: Owiti Ongili, Otieno Ambala, Robert Ouko, Alexander Muge murdered. Then detainsions: Oginga Odinga - House Arrest, Raila Odinga detained, Wamwere, Rubia, Matiba.

In my own story, I was a commissioned Officer in the Air force in 1982 in the rank of Captain. I had earlier in 1980, graduated in Aeronautics from Imperial college, London University, and was asked by Military Attaché at the Kenyan Embassy in London to go back and join the Air force to strengthen our Technical capability with skills that were lacking or in short supply. I had just come from a course at KTTC Gigiri on Friday 30/07/1982 and was due to report for duty on Monday 02/08/1982 when Coup attempt happened.

At my interrogation in Eastleigh they asked me my name, educational background, countries I had visited before. Then they asked my Tribe, I said I'm a Luo.They asked where do you come from? I said I live with my family in Nairobi. They asked Original district of birth, I said Siaya. Then I was asked, which division, I said Bondo. To this hell broke lose.

I was asked whether I knew Odinga. I said not personally but as a former vice President and first MP for constituency I come from I obviously have heard about him as somebody who has gone to School. They I was told, You are trying to be Clever? When you were in Zimbabwe did you meet his daughter to plan to overturn Kenya government? I said I was not even aware he had a daughter in Zimbabwe. Then I told them I was in Zimbabwe on a government mission and can't see how I can be linked to going there to meet somebody on such a mission. Then I was asked, did, you go to Study in UK to learn how to overturn Kenya government? I said I was in UK on a fully maintained government scholarship awarded competitively. It is the government who approached me to return and join the Airforce.I had resisted this for a year until I yielded in July 1981. So I couldn't see how issue of going to UK to learn how to overturn Kenya Government came in. I was told, you think you are smart you will see. I thought this was a joke.

From there I was taken to a cell, then Naivasha high Security Prison for three months then Kamiti, for another three Months. At the end they came to ask me why was I in prison. I just looked at these people and said, I have no idea. They asked whether I wanted to continue in the military, I said never if the price I had paid was the reward for patriotism for having joined our Military to serve my country. I ended up witnessing some of the most horrific torture in my life.

I don't think I was being incarcerated because I was a threat to anybody but simply because I happen to have accidentally been born a Luo from Bondo. If this is not discrimination then I don't know what it is. There are many others who befell this kind of fate and the stigma that followed for many years till almost 1997. Many careers were interrupted or destroyed for no good reason other than coming from the wrong Tribe. There are many from Kalenjin Community with whom we were who were not affected either by having been detained or having served in the Air force at the time of attempted coup. So why were others targeted if not simple discrimination on basis of tribe?

Barrack Muluka has observed in various articles in standard that apart from Nairobi, Nyanza pays the highest amount of Tax in Kenya but has one of the highest poverty Index in Kenya. Should we ignore this fact? Then why do we pay tax? Are we not supposed to intervene? Do you really think that it is possible to have a Kikuyu President after the next elections, who can start affirmative action to redress this imbalance and survive in his own backyard?

Look below at observation by a writer in one of the publication recently:

According to Githongo, more than 200 billion shillings has been lost under the facilitatory watch of Moi and Kibaki leave alone Kenyatta. That is a cool EUR 2,200,429,445.00, or US$ 2,600,888,888.00.

1. The current wastage and plunder by the current cabinet say...80 Ministers and Assistant Ministers, who cost the tax payer for cars alone, 1 billion shillings a year

2. Put the shs 200 billion lost under Moi and Kibaki (Goldenberg, Anglo Leasing, other "fleecing" procurements, under valued Public Assets disposed, etc. If this amount - 200 billion shilllings - were to be shared among all the 212 constituencies, each one would get Kshs.800,761,905.00.

3. On grains: At Kshs1,200 for a 90-KG bag of maize, the amount would buy 160,033,333 bags. The population of North Eastern Province, the region recently hit by famine, is 963,143. Every single household would get 200 bags of corn and spare some for export, or for planting.

4. In education, the average cost of secondary school education in Kenya per year is about Kshs30,000. This money would pay the school fees for 6,600,333 students per year. Virtually free secondary education for all Kenyan kids.

5. In the academic year 2002/2003, University of Nairobi loans board disbursed Kshs.284,982,500 to 8,426 students. That was Kshs.33,822 per student. The 200 billion would pay for 5,800,567 students at UoN for one year. There are 6 public universities and 13 private universities in Kenya with a student population of 50,000. That would have paid tuition for the entire university student population for a long time to come.

6. According to the World Health Organization's statistics, the cost of a hospital stay in Kenya is Kshs.269.44 per person per night. This stolen money under Moi and Kibaki would cover the hospital stay for 32,711,401 Kenyans (all Kenyans) for 20 nights.

7. Tthe cost of an out-patient visit to a health centre, at the current 50% subsidy is Kshs.118.21 per visit. The amount would cover out-patient hospital visits for all Kenyans for eternity. Imagine what wonders it would do to all those sick children scattered all over Kenya's hospitals. At 7% HIV+ prevalence, sufferers would benefit too.

8. On shelter; The cost of building a 3-bedroom stone house in the rural area is about Kshs.250,000. Let's assume that this is the median for the entire country. With 200 billion stolen under Moi and Kibaki, that would provide decent housing to 800,000 Kenyans.

9. If the median cost for one acre of land is Kshs.100,000. The money fleeced under Kibaki and Moi with this 2,000,000 Kenyans each would be receiving title deeds.

Stealing in this massive scale can only happen in such a dysfunctional system where thieves are protected within their tribes. We must make a deliberate effort to develop areas we come from and uplift our people from poverty. We have to be proactive and not apologetic, timid, ashamed, cowardly or a combination of all the above.

Mr C Ingram, himself not Luo but works for Oxfam GB wrote an article in these pages about this subject on 20/01/2007.. I have summarised it below but anybody can read the whole article on the 20^th Jan issue of this site.

"I agree with the stance on federalism, but not merely the transfer of power to the provinces but go further to say looking at the map of Kenya - do you see any equality in the division of the provinces? A great amount of discourse is directed to the arbitrary division of Africa by colonialists We are content to see a province like Rift Valley stretching from the north to the south of the country. Even given the most development minded leader - how can you govern that space? If we go for federalism, we go back to the drawing board and rethink the internal boundaries. We have 8 ridiculously sized provinces, WHY? lets re divide it into areas roughly the same size. How then can a PC for RV represent the needs of those in the periphery far from the main cities.It is not simply about handing power over to regional leaders but reshaping Kenya in a way that whoever the will be able to adequately administer it, and will not be overwhelmed by size and diversity of issues in one single area.

Resources are not equally distributed, some areas are at a disadvantage. Where there are shortages of infrastructure and resources, these should be view as specific identifiable development priorities. If an area does not have a university, we don't moan about it, we set about building one even if it means involving development Partners and well wishers.

The leaders of these units would be elected by the people of that area. They then have a choice of whether to elect career politicians, or visionaries with expertise in economics, agricultural management, cultural integration etc.

On the Presidency; Why should it matter to have power concentrated at the top. Look at Switzerland. It doesn't seem to matter who's at the helm, the important decisions are made by those closer to the people. The presidency can even be on a rotation basis according to the leadership of the provinces.

The concept of power in Kenya is misconstrued. The unpleasant leadership battles in Narck, Narc and ODMK would benefit from federalism, as there would be 10 or so important elections to be held for provincial leadership.

We cannot pretend that tribes don't exist but tribalism has been used as a tool for discrimination and has negative connotations, which it shouldn't. Why should a Kikuyu, Luo or Luhya, even if one of their own is in Power, be embarrassed to say so? Recognition of all the tribes, large or small should be done at all levels. Equality or 'ethnic minority' monitoring in recruitment should preclude this discrimination against small marginal tribes.

Each province should positively encourage people from minority tribes into jobs and this should be monitored by the Central Government.

Whether Federalism or tribalism, create 10 major cities which will be responsible for attracting investment and stimulating development, the question of tribalism will not arise. If these leaders are allowed to apply for grants from foreign governments without the need be vetted by the central government, the focus should shift from who is leading to, how much money can he bring into the area.

We are we not all equal? At present the life of a Turkana is worth far less than an urbanite in Nairobi. This should not be the case. Opening up this areas and mandatorily developing them will help to value everyone's life equally. Why should the North of Kenya subsist on foreign handouts and be robbed of all dignity? They are not lesser citizens? Terms such as redistribution of wealth are inaccurate. We aim for creation of wealth. There's plenty for everyone. So we have some regions with rains and others without. Here is where we think outside the box. Dry land that is inhospitable to any crops can be used for property development. Free up the fertile land for cultivation, move towards large-scale cultivation instead of tiny plots of tomatoes and spinach. Concentrate on internal food security rather than mass export of cash crops. Concentrate on water technologies including desalination. Look to Israel and American for irrigation technologies. Look at Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Singapore etc - if no crops will grow, concentrate on services - tourism, business parks etc and on and on.

We cannot go forth because the barriers are in our own minds. "

From Osieko beach to Muhuru bay, lets link them up with roads along the lake to open the Regions for Tourist hotel Development. From Migori to Sega, From Bar Ober to Nyaderera, from Rongwe to Mfangano, from Homabay through Lambwe valley to Karungu; lets us develop infrastructures. In Kano Plains, let us put flood control measures to open up the area for Agriculture throughout the year. The islands in Nam Lolwe, let us link them up with main land through bridges and boat travel, and power supply. The local authorities governance must be strengthened and revenue resource base increased so that they can adequately offer services to the Local people. Green zones around urban areas, environmental management, energy security, food security, Water and Sanitation, housing and social services: all these require us to be proactive and with sufficient powers to create sustainable institutions at Local level, accountable to local people. This includes the Judiciary, The Police, the Provincial Administration, Infrastructure Boards, Planning, and participation by everybody, not some elite' people only.

Joseph Okumu

London: 07981987420

Joseph_okumu AT yaHoo doT cOm

Ka in gi mari moro ma di wandik ka to orni
Akelo nyar Kager,        jaluo@jaluo.com Daher winjo dwondi in bende, iwinjo?