Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma Spirited Response to Negative Press on Kisumu County

Kisumu voter going by the virtual name Mzee had this to say about Governor Jack Ranguma of Kisumu County:

At the end of the five years under the new constitution, some counties will have better than others. Those who elected innovative governors with good agendas would have taken a major leap in the right direction. In counties with bad governors, we will witnesses a backward trend. But I will give it to Mutua and Joho, these guys are really for the people, at least for now. Cyprian Awiti is also doing much better in Homabay county.

Even as our governors demand more money from the central government and even threaten with a referendum on the same, most don’t have an idea of what they are supposed to do. Before demanding more cash they should show that they can effectively spend the little they have.

I recently listened to a one hour long interview of governor Ranguma of Kisumu County on Mayienga FM and was not pleased with what I heard.
 
The man is still struggling with petty stuff. His number one priority being to evict the county commissioner from her from the former DCs house. Then his second priority is to occupy the former PCs house which is next to the state house. Why? Because he needs easy access to the president (in case he is in town) to discuss matters of regional importance.

The stupidity of the above is that none of the two can ever happen. Reason being that all former municipality council assets went to the county government while those that belonged to the central government remained as such e.g. the two named premises. In other words, eviction of the CC or occupation of the former PCs house does not arise. Yet this is what is occupying most of the governors day. He forgets that he is in opposition and that the president’s ear on the ground is not the governor but the CC (never mind that they are illegal). This is a simple fact that any person should be aware of.

Ranguma stays at the Kisumu Hotel because he does not want to live in the former mayors house, which by the way has been allocated 10M for renovation. The reason why he does not want to stay in the former mayor’s house, which is in the suburbs of Milimani, is because it’s in the “back street”.

The man wants to stay along” Jomo Kenyatta highway, in a house facing the lake” and nowhere else. So it either the two locations or the hotel and tax payers have to pay the bills. The man comes from Kano, just a few minutes’ drive from Kisumu town; one wonders why he cannot stay there. After all it’s in Kisumu County. I’m always ashamed to see the governor’s flag flying atop Kisumu Hotel.

When asked what his flag ship project is, the man did not have an idea. In fact he was asked what he was doing that can be compared Konza or Joho´s county security project. He simply said that there was no land in Kisumu County to build a Konza like project. I found this ridiculous because his own home of Kano is still a “wilderness”.

Asked about the luxurious cars he wants to buy for the county executives, he said that the roads are so bad only a Prado can manage. How about buying a cheaper 4 wheel drive car Mr. Governor or even better fixing the roads.
 
The man holds all big meetings in Bondo (University) because Kisumu has no hall that can hold more than 100 people or even proper conference facilities. When asked what he was doing about it, he claimed that he would be asking donors to help out with the same. Why not use the billions the county is to be provided with to build a modern facility in the county.

Ranguma is one of the most useless governors we have in Kenya. There is nothing he has done since he took over save for one truck that collects garbage in the center of town and dumps right outside the gates of Kisumu stadium. Why not build a waste recycling plant instead of buying prados. Hello!

Another partriotic Kenyan, Job, decided to contact Governor Ranguma directly and had a lengthy and frankly candid conversation with him, addressing all these questions raised by Mzee above.

This was the response:

Keeping the Governor Honest!

• Kisumu’s governor Jack Ranguma vigorously defends his administration and blames media and “status quo” elements of giving Kisumu “bad publicity” to justify their efforts at “trying to kill devolution”. Is this factual or mere politics? Let’s keep him honest!
  
  1) On whether Kisumu will lag behind as other counties leap forward with devolution:
  
  Ranguma objects and declares Kisumu will fare much better than most counties. He outlines his agenda {agriculture, infrastructure, industrialization, ICT …etcetera}. He states they hit the ground running {removal of hyacinth started, cleaning exercises started, reclaiming grabbed land, planning for solar street lights, GPS mapping to secure land titles and promote investors requiring land, lighthouses for docking of vessels at port, county cleaning exercises, planning a water-harvesting dam along Kisumu-Kericho border [together with Kericho governor], and proposing a ‘people-empowering’ budget}.
  

  FACT CHECK:
  A lot of strides in recent development of Kisumu have little to do with Governor Jack Ranguma. It is in fact the previous coalition government that planned and funded:

  
  

  • The Airport Expansion and associated developments which spurred budding and reviving industries.

  
  

  • The Hyacinth Removal: It is the Kenya Maritimes Authority that bought a water-master vessel for clearing the hyacinth (plus power generation + fertilizer production). This is basically another product of the last coalition government’s plan to clear Lake Victoria waters for transport, tourism, fishing and sports – not Ranguma’s county administration.

  
  

  • Lighthouses: It is again the Maritine Authority that will light up the lighthouses for directing docking vessels – the governor’s role is infinitesimal.

  
  

  • Cleaning Exercises: As a couple of other ideas on course, this is an initiative of his former rival & now Environmental Executive (Rhoda Ahonobadha). It still falls short nevertheless because the dumpsite by the stadium is still as high as a mountain. The governor should have by now already secured a dumpsite (on existing council land) and planned for a safe waste disposal facility. There is always this temptation by former bureaucrats like Ranguma to run to the budget “to allocate funds for” hot items like land for a dumpsite…this old corruption mill revolving around land identification and purchase needs to stop. The County government has plenty of municipal and council land in every corner of the county that can serve as a waste processing and dumping site. Just get down to honest work and start cleaning the county!

  
  

  • Clean water provision: For the first time since the colonial government invested in clean water provision in the 1920s, it was again the coalition government that invested more than a billion shillings (through the Lake Victoria South Water Service Board) to divert and treat water from the Kibos River (flowing down from Nandi Hills) at a 36,000 m3 plant in Kajulu. This water to be stored in a 6 million liter reservoir will supply Kisumu City’s 1/2 a million people and will also be distributed through piped networks to other peri-urban population centers by gravity. While the timing creates room to attribute false credit, Mr. Ranguma is basically a spectator, not executor of these ongoing developments that will be completed soon.

  
  

  • Budget: See review below.

  
  2) Is Ranguma focusing on petty agenda such as evicting former DCs and occupying the PC’s home?
  
  Ranguma explains the importance of securing all county properties currently being targeted by outgoing bureaucrats from the national government – in basically all counties.
  
  FACT CHECK:
  
  There have been actual complaints about former senior provincial administration officials (former DCs and PCs, including retired ones) grabbing public houses in Kisumu’s Milimani Estate. Since many of these bureaucrats are not locals, they are alleged to have irregularly sold off such properties to private developers who then remodeled them, or demolished them to put up rental flats.
  
  I think the governor is fully entitled to take full audit of all property that should constitutionally be handed down to the county government. It is also reasonable to demand that a former PC’s residence revert to county government simply because (in my view) the new Constitution restructured the provincial administration and abolished the PCs office – to fit into the new devolved governments. The unconstitutional holders of County Commissions can temporarily use former DC premises as this issue heads up towards the Supreme Court. However, this role should neither be his # 1 priority nor crowd out his time.
  
  2) Is Kisumu’s budget reasonable as per the governor?
  
  Ranguma defends his budget and blames detractors for focusing on negative sideshows. The proof however lies in the pudding. You can tell a good leader’s vision through his budget. Let’s see.
  
  FACT CHECK
  
  Before combing through the budget, it is a FACT that Ranguma’s budget has (alongside those of a few other counties) already been rejected by the national Controller of Budget because it runs into deficit. He was ordered to revise it on the grounds that he cannot spend (expenditure) more than he gets (revenue).
  

  Comparing Kisumu’s budget with those of other counties, there are indeed some troubling signs. What Ranguma drafted is certainly not what Kisumu residents proposed during the budget meetings in various constituency social halls:

  
  

  • Kisumu is among 29 (out of 47) Counties whose budgets have recurrent expenditure exceeding development spending. Only 18 counties (like Mutua’s Machakos, Joho’s Mombasa, Rutto’s Bomet, Ojaamong’s Busia, and Nanok’s Turkana) have allocated a greater proportion of funds for development (in infrastructure, health, schools, dams, markets, cottage industries) than for recurrent items (salaries and pompous luxuries).
  

  
  

  • Part of the huge recurrent spending is because Ranguma has not tackled the obvious FACT that many “ghost” workers still exist in the payrolls of former Municipal and Council offices. A monthly wage bill of Sh 90 million is not sustainable for such a small government, period! That’s a whooping Sh 1 billion a year on salaries alone!!! If this is not sleeping on the job, it can only be called complicity in corruption! Why has there been no physical audit of county staff since the swearing-in ceremony? This can be done effectively by revising the mode of payment of salaries during this transition to demand a physical head-count. A small policy change suspending direct bank deposits for salary payments — instead “kila mtu apange laini” at their respective accounts offices with auditors/department heads/payroll registers all in toe. This will weed out ghost workers instantly – but there must be will and commitment. Secondly, this habit of patronage appointments (without assembly approval) will swell the wage bill further. How much are the “Remote Sensing” and “Renewable Energy” experts being appointed every other day by the governor being paid?

  
  

  
  • Ranguma’s budget also has a lot of pork-barrel spending on ostentatious and grandiose items such as gas-guzzling Toyota Prados for each of his cabinet members (basically a bribe to his former rivals in the governor’s race – at least 4 sit in his cabinet), cheap car loans for County Assembly members (another bribe to local politicians to buy free rubber-stamping of his future decisions), a Sh 10 million allocation to renovate the governor’s house (slashed down from an initial proposal of Sh 80 million). No Kisumu resident will be smiling with Ranguma in view of these wasteful extravagancies.

  
  

  • If you compare Ranguma’s Sh 10 billion budget with that of Alfred Mutua of Machakos; despite Mutua’s less revenue stream (Sh 4.1 billion), the latter has allocated 53% of all cash into development (recurrent spending only 47%). Ranguma allocated only 33% funds for development while 63% recurrent. Mutua allocated 390 million to Health and Emergency; 361 million to Agriculture and Livestock; 220 million to Education; 1.2 billion to roads, transport, public works; 700 million to Irrigation; 260 million for damming; 280 million for small municipalities; and ICT investments of 200 million. When it comes to Ranguma, there is no line-by-line itemization.
  

  
  

  • Where are Kisumu’s allocations for much needed fish cooling/storage plants along beaches, a fish processing plant, boreholes, cattle dip and livestock extension services, an animal or poultry feeds factory or market stalls? There must be some level of public investments in relevant sectors; counties must not be held back by counterproductive liberal ideologies. I doubt whether Ranguma proposed these popular initiatives suggested by Kisumu county residents. Are millions allocated for seminars and international travel of assembly members & county executives while nothing is set aside for the crucial items above? Well, Kisumu residents cannot easily tell because of the next point.
  

  
  

  • Ranguma’s budget outline conceals details of the itemization/listing of individual budget items based on either sectors (health, education, infrastructure etc) or (constituencies) as most governors have done. The devil lies in this detail that is so far lacking. Why is he hiding these details in the front-page outline?

  3) Wasteful spending on meetings in Bondo?
  
  As Mzee already noted, this is straight-out hogwash.
  
  FACT CHECK
  
  Kisumu County has universities (including Maseno University) and colleges (like Tom Mboya Labor College) with big halls and conference facilities that could hold huge meetings. The myth that Kisumu has no big hall is therefore easy to debunk.
  
  A visionary governor of the strategically-positioned Kisumu would in fact plan a modern video conferencing facility that can host business seminars or even a regional meeting to the level of East African heads of state at Kisumu. Sending his county meetings to Bondo is terrible politics depicting Ranguma as weak and prone to kowtowing to his influential deputy from Bondo. This is political ineptitude at its best. Incidentally, the clumsy ineffectiveness shows in most other areas.
  
  The difference between Mutua and Ranguma for instance, is that the former has less patronage baggage on his shoulders. He is not beholden to special interest groups – only dedicated to his Machakos voters. When it comes to the former KRA bureaucrat Ranguma, he has to look over his shoulder at every turn. He is apparently ceding big ground to special interest groups (his former rivals, County Assembly politicians, clan factions [from Kisumo, Nyakach, Seme, Nyando, and Muhoroni], cartels of town merchants, business monopolies, lobbies fronted by his own deputy, his former KRA sharks, and many others. In trying to please all these people, he will inevitably collide with voters – probably that’s exactly where his rivals are driving him into. It’s no wonder Ranguma is already being booed by Kisumu voters – this early.
  
  4) On ridiculous cultural law being passed by Kisumu County Assembly.
  
  Needless to state, Ranguma is in no mood to rock the boat of the same county assembly that he relies on to pass agenda and approve his spending plans.
  
  I initially dismissed this issue as a classic waste of time on trivial and vexatious non-issues until I got wind of the full extent of the so called Culture Bill. Here is the first fundamental problem with such ventures. Whose culture are these Kisumu representatives deliberating? The last time I checked, Kisumu was still inhabited by people whose cultural roots range from South East Asia, Europe, Middle East, and all corners of Africa. There are inhabitants from all of Kenya’s 42 tribes living in Kisumu. The MP for Kisumu Town East actually has cultural roots in South East Asia. Is this bill incorporating elements from all of these cultures? Why would these elected members even contemplate an attempt to impose cultural dictatorship in Kisumu? This should be unconstitutional in the first place – violating many citizens’ Bill of Rights.
  
  The outrageous and misguided proposal not only tries to legislate how women sit on bikes but also wades dangerously into the delicate terrain of public health. These assembly representatives are basically trying to legalize untested miti-shamba herbs and unregulated concoctions – essentially legitimizing traditional medicine-men through the back door. This is nothing but reckless endangerment of the public by uneducated and largely uninformed busybodies. This should not be allowed in Kisumu in the 21st Century. One of the women members from Seme proposed an additional clause – castration of older men who marry under-age girls. Where is all this madness and confusion heading? These are indeed wake-up calls which beg for scrutiny of what goes on in all 47 county assemblies. If we are not careful, we shall end up with 47 Talibanistans with 47 sets of ridiculous and unconstitutional laws.
  
  Acknowledgments: Deep Cogitation Blog, Mzee, Job
  

ODM Denies It Has Received Eviction Notice at Orange House

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) would like to allay claims doing rounds in media circles that it has been issued with a notice to leave its current headquarters in Kilimani area.

The party has not received any such communication or notice from Mr. Karoli Omondi, the former Chief of Staff in the former Prime Minister's office who is the owner of the premises which houses Orange House, the party headquarters.

ODM has used the premises since its birth in 2005 and Mr. Omondi has been very supportive to the party and its course.In the recent Makueni Senatorial by-election, Mr. Omondi extended his support to the Wiper and CORD candidate Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr both financially and materially to ensure smooth running of the campaigns.

Therefore, the rumours and propaganda spreading both on social media and some sections of the mainstream media claiming that Mr. Omondi has issued notice to the party to move out of the premises are uncalled for and full if untruths.

Mr. Omondi is also available and can be reached to comment on these speculations.

PM Raila Odinga Opens Bi-National Kenyan Governors Summit

Dallas, Texas USA

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has appealed to America’s private sector and government to help Kenya’s devolved units succeed by directing investments to Kenya.

While officially opening the meeting between governors from the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy and investors in Dallas, Texas, Mr.Odinga said America has always stood with Kenya at times of significant transition like the one the country is undergoing today.

Mr. Odinga down played the recent decision by President Barack Obama not to visit Kenya saying it did not mean the ties between Kenya and the US had been downgraded.

“The ties between our two countries are strong as they have always been. Don’t worry so much that President Barrack Obama never stepped in Kenya during his recent tour of Africa. I am sure the President appreciates the depth of the ties that bind our people and our countries,” Mr. Odinga said.

“The truth is; the boundaries between our people and our countries are overwhelmed by our connections. Kenya’s prosperity will benefit  America. Our security certainly contributes to America’s. The steady march of our democracy certainly advances human rights, which is a
pillar of America’s value systems,” he added.

The former PM said that because America has always stood with Kenya at significant moments, it was “therefore not a surprise” that Kenyan governors are in the US as they seek to implement devolution which he described as, the most significant provision of our new constitution.

He called on US investors to support Kenya’s governors by directing investments to various counties saying it would ensure equitable economic growth and create jobs for the youth.

“Governors are at the frontline of our dreams for an equitable society where development opportunities are evenly spread across the country. They are the most prominent symbols of the new order we are trying to create in Kenya. The Governors are on the ground. They are able to see directly what is working and what is not working, what needs to be retained and what needs to be fixed. Their success will be our success as a country,” the former PM said.

“We are at this forum to learn and to seek opportunities for the benefit of our country. I am here to invite the American business fraternity to join us in the exciting but complex journey of taking  power to the people through devolution,” he added.

Mr. Odinga said CORD prioritized expenditure on social programs that  it believes will transform the lives of the people, reduce poverty, improve healthcare and create jobs.

He called for investment in infrastructure, healthcare and education.

“A trained and skilled workforce will attract investments and also ensure the youth are able to compete for and get jobs. At the same time, a good network of feeder roads across our counties, coupled with provision of affordable, reliable, clean and efficient energy together  with healthcare will change the lives of our people,” Mr. Odinga said.

He said that although education is not entirely under the mandate ofcounty governments, the governors still welcome investments in areas that will promote Early Child Education, create a sound working environment for teachers and proper infrastructure in schools for the pupils. He called for investment in Agriculture which remains the main source of income for our people.

Mr. Odinga said changing weather patterns across the world, Kenya  included, means the sector cannot stand in its traditional form.“We need to set up more research institutions; to produce more quality and diseases and drought resistant seeds. We need to produce fertilizers and to pursue irrigated agriculture. We also need to process  our agricultural produce and package them for the global market. I invite you to partner with us in this too,” he said.

Mr. Odinga appealed to the governors to establish linkages and learn from America’s long history with devolution, multipartism and the culture of bipartisanship that has enabled decentralization to work in the US.

“Some of the goals we are pursuing back home require that we join hands with colleagues from other parties in a bipartisan manner. Securing Devolution requires that the governors, the senators and Members of Parliament must work hand in hand,” Mr. Odinga said.

ODM Reassures Supporters on Loyalty of Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero

ODM STATEMENT ON GOVERNOR EVANS KIDERO via @ODM_News @KideroEvans

Our attention has been drawn to information circulating in sections of the media claiming that Nairobi City County Governor Dr. Evans Kidero is associating with politicians outside the ODM and CORD fraternity.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) would like to clarify that Dr. Kidero is a life member of the party and he has not indicated quitting the party and CORD. Dr. Kidero remains committed to the ideals of the party and CORD especially Devolution which is at the heart of every Kenyan.

As a matter of fact, Dr. Kidero has been attending meetings and retreats organized by the Coalition, the latest being the CORD Governors and Senators retreat held at the Serena Beach Hotel in Mombasa last month. As the Governor of Nairobi which is the seat of power, Dr. Kidero is free to work closely with the Executive.

On the CORD Governors tour of the US organized by CORD Leader Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, Dr. Kidero will be among the Governors travelling in the next trip.
Therefore, the party assures all its members and supporters of the CORD fraternity that Dr. Kidero is still in CORD and and remains a member of the ODM.

Prof. P . Anyang Nyong'o.
Secretary General
Orange Democratic Movement
28/07/2013

PM Raila Odinga Hails Makueni County Voters For Electing CORD’s Mutula Kilonzo Junior To The Senate

Dallas, Texas USA

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has hailed Makueni County voters for electing Cord’s Mutula Junior as their new senator.

Mr Odinga also congratulated the Wiper Democratic Party and CORD leaders for the firm stand that ensured the coalition clinched the seat.

Mr Odinga thanked the youth who poured in Makueni in their thousands to stand with one of their own, Kilonzo Junior , and to ensure Cord won the seat.

The former PM also thanked Mutula Kilonzo Junior’s sister Kethi Kilonzo for her fight for Makueni seat, which was frustrated by Jubilee, saying it inspired Makueni residents to come out in their thousands to make their intentions known.


”I have just received good news that the Makueni people have elected Cord’s Mutula Junior. I am very happy that the Makueni people have  confirmed to the doubting Thomas that they are still ardent supporters and member of the Cord as many majority Kenyans are’ he said.

“I congratulate Junior. I congratulate the Wiper Democratic Party and the CORD fraternity for refusing to budge. This victory shows our future lies in standing together especially in times of trial, and Makueni was a big trial on our resolve and our unity,” Odinga added.

Referring to the struggle that pushed Kethi out, the former PM said the young lawyer remains a critical member of the Coalition going forward and
asked her to stay focused and support her brother and the party, adding that CORD believes Jubilee will never forgive or give her rest but the
party will stand with her and the family.

Mr Odinga said CORD is determined to hold the hands of the youth and lift them to key leadership positions as shown in the coalition’s fight to put a young
man in a critical Senate seat after Jubilee ruined her sister’s chances.

He said the election of Kilonzo Junior is a win for the forces of Devolution that are determined to ensure all regions of Kenya get a fair share of the national cake out of the taxes they pay.

The former Prime Minister spoke during a dinner party organized for him and his  entourage that included governors by Kenyans residing in Texas, a head
of a two day summit between the County Chief Executives and key
investors.

He challenged Kenyans living in the Diaspora to help County Governments stabilize economically by investing in the country.

Raila said the country new system of governance will succeed in alleviating poverty if Governors got support from Kenyans in the Diaspora through
‘back home investments’.

‘The foreigner investors we are looking  for every time will only play a minimal role in spurring economical growth of our county economies. Some investors will invest with a set mind that part of the profits they will make, must go back to their mother countries but if a Kenyan invests back home that is a win win situation’ Raila told a team of Kenyans in Dallas, Texas in the USA.

The former PM spoke on Friday Said he ‘Kenya can only be built by Kenyans themselves no matter where they are’ he said. The Cord coalition leader was accompanied by Governors among them John Nyagarama (Nyamira, Alfred Mutua (Machakos) Josephat Nanok (Turkana),  David Ngetiany (Kajiado), Cyprian Awiti (Homabay), Ranguma (Kisumu), rasanga amoth(Siaya),James ongwae(Kisii) Amason Kingi (Kilifi)and Sospeter Ojaamong (Busia)

Also in attendance was National Assembly leader of Minority Jakoyo Midiwo and eliud owalo,among others, Speaking on behalf of the two day summit organizers, Raphael Atore dispelled fears that his group was harbouring political agenda in inviting only Cordallied governors.

“We have no political agenda. We are not here to campaign for Raila Odinga or party as such but we opted to invite Cord Governors because of their being in the opposition. As Opposition allied leaders they will carry out investments transparently bearing in mind their roles as the ruling coalition’s watchdogs’ he said.

He said the organizers had invited leading investors to interact with the governors and agree on best partnership modalities. 'Our main focus as Kenyans in the Diaspora now is to help our governors come up with means of at least reducing poverty rated as being the highest in Nyanza and North Eastern and Eastern parts of the Country’ said Ochieng.

He added ‘ours is to revolutionalise management of development matters for the better Kenya under devolution’ he said.

After the Dallas meeting Raila will lead his entourage to three other States in the USA.

SUSTAINING DEMOCRACY’S FUTURE IN AFRICA: A CHALLENGE TO THE NEXT GENERATION - Raila Odinga

Presentation by Hon. Raila A. Odinga, Former Prime Minister, Republic of Kenya during the Forum at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Mr Chairman; Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is always an honour for me to have the opportunity to discuss a subject that ever-remains so close to my heart: democracy, particularly with special reference to my continent, Africa;

For some people in this audience, democracy in Africa could be mere theory; safely commented upon and discussed from the safe confines of the academia or a conference setting.

For some us though, it has become life; real life. At your age, my generation of Africans believed there was only one threat that, once conquered, everything would be fine on our continent.

Growing up in the Africa of the 1950s and 1960s, we believed that once colonialism was defeated, the future would be bliss.

While today we repeatedly say Africa’s future belongs to its young people, in the Africa of pre and immediate post independence period, the present and the future were in the hands of the revered founding fathers. We deeply trusted the founders of our newly independent nations.

The idea that after independence, Africans could once again take up arms, return to the streets and even to the bushes to fight fellow Africans who were taking over the reigns of power from the colonialists was extremely remote.
Independence had come. The leadership comprised those who had fought for basic freedoms of expression, speech, association and movement.

We assumed the leaders understood the pain of being denied these freedoms. They understood the pain of inequitable distribution of resources.

They knew the pain of being discriminated against on the basis of tribe, race, religion and place of origin. They would not commit such sins against their own people.

Today, we know we were wrong. The struggle that the African people have had to endure in the years after independence have been as vicious as, sometimes more vicious than, the ones they waged against the colonialists.
It was a struggle laced with the pain of being betrayed by a brother, an uncle, a father, a neighbour, and a friend. Where were we to turn?

This is the reality this generation of Africans here in Pretoria and across the Continent have to face. We must never trust individuals. Only institutions count.
Even more importantly, we bequeath to you that the reality that freedom, as President Ronal Reagan said, is never more than a generation from extinction.

It must be fought for, protected, and handed on to the next generation to do the same, “or one day, we will spend our sunset years telling our children and their children how it was once like in a land where men were free.”

Let a young Kenyan, Zimbabwean, Sudanese, South African or Ugandan not say “the environment is so bad here, let me struggle and get out to Britain, the U.S, France or any other countries where systems seem to work.”

You have a rendezvous with destiny. To protect democracy, the youth of Africa must reinvent the spirit of patriotism that informed our struggle to be free.

And by patriotism, I don’t mean blind obedience. I mean a deliberate effort by the youth to treat their countries as the last heaven on earth where if they lose freedom, there is nowhere to escape to.

You have the responsibility to tell those in power that the first duty of the government is to protect the people, not run or ruin their lives.

Sometimes you will succeed in these efforts. Sometimes you will fail. But there is always an option. You have the energy, the flexibility the audacity to dream. And you have the numbers.

So do what Reagan told us: “When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat.”

Engage in the affairs of your nation and your parties. Retreat and surrender are never options.

Leaders, elders and pioneers; whether in government or out have a duty to keep empowering the youth, support their education, strengthen their grassroots networks and help them keep the flames of liberation burning.

Your generation is coming up well aware that the single goal we were made to pursue; that of throwing out the colonialists, was not good enough.
We know the colonialists left, but in a number of places, secret admirers took over from where they left.

This generation is therefore confronted with two paths and two realities. One reality you must grow up with is that the struggle in Africa continues.
You must know that without securing the basic freedoms, you are on a path to conflict, bloodshed, underdevelopment, poverty, racism, tribalism and religious intolerance and strife.
The other path will lead you to more democratic space, more opportunities more freedoms. It is the path to take.

Let me conclude by reminding you that there still remain forces that want to perpetuate impunity in the continent.

They scheme to scuttle the free expression of the popular will by ensuring that even the most expensive electoral technology must fail in African elections.

They endorse fraudulent elections, even where all other facts point to the contrary;
They ensure that even judicial decisions are compromised and a far cry from basic sense of natural justice and expectations, and;

Who knows, they will ensure that any remnants of true African liberators are gagged, hounded and tormented to their graves;

I remain optimistic and emboldened by faith; that with your engagement, propelled by the history you have been eye witnesses to, Africa will triumph; the goodness that God intended for all of us will triumph over all evil;

And as I said as Prime Minister, Africa remains the next frontier for genuine economic hope, peace and prosperity.

RT. HON. RAILA AMOLO ODINGA

A Solution To The MPs Salaries Impasse

By Dr. Oduwo Noah Akala (M. B. Ch. B.)


There is a prevailing clamor in the national discourse regarding the issue of salaries. This is not only for Members of Parliament but for Civil Servants in general. The Sarah Serem-led Salaries Review Commission (SRC) had recommended the reduction in the amount of MPs salaries. This drew support and condemnation in equal measure. Francis Atwoli, the Secretary General of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) came out in strong support of the MPs even going as far as threatening legal action against the SRC. However, the prevailing public mood appears to be in favor of the Serem Commission with social activists such as Boniface Mwangi orchestrating the much talked about "Pig Protest" against what they termed the MPs' unbridled greed.

In my view, this matter can be settled by a keen examination of the roles and responsibilities of a Member of Parliament by law vis-a-vis the expectations of the electorate with regards to their representatives.

The primary role of the Member of Parliament has always been representation. The goal of such representation is to influence the political process in favor of their constituency. This means that if I am a slum resident in one of Nairobi's sprawling 88 settlements then it is my MP's role to make known my plight in terms of water scarcity, insecurity, poor infrastructure, lack of healthcare facilities, illiteracy, etc to the Executive Government. It is then the Executive Government's role to address these issues appropriately. It is this arm of Government that collects tax and as such, it is they who bear the responsibility of putting it to good use.

This brings to light the ludicrous nature of former President Daniel Moi's assertions that such and such an MP is responsible for the roads in their constituency remaining untarmacked. Members of Parliament have never collected tax. They cannot then be expected to play the role of the Roads Ministry. By the very fact that the President at the time knew of the said untarmacked road proves that the MP was doing his job. This confusion of roles was a popular political gimmick used at the height of the KANU era to disenfranchise opposition leaders from their support base and sadly, it has continued to date.

The political system in the African set up has been skewed resulting in a gross misconception among the electorate as to what to expect from their MPs (who form the Legislative arm of Government) versus what to expect from the Executive. I put it to you that the Executive constitutes the implementors of Government policy and as such bear primary responsibility for building roads, equipping hospitals, empowering women through education, training teachers and all other matters pertaining to public interest that you can think of. It is the MPs' role to make these issues known to Government and to exert pressure on the Executive to fulfill their mandate to the public.

Somewhere along the way, we as Africans began to elect our representatives based on what they did for us in terms of cash hand outs, paying bursaries, roofing churches, etc. Basically, we chose our leadership based on mass bribery! This was not the intention of the founding fathers when they drew up and included representation in our democratic constitution. We have been led to believe that the rightful criteria for election was how much money one had at his/her disposal and not one's ability to hold the Executive Government to task as to their campaign pledges. In such a body politic, it is inevitable that we end up with less than moral representation in some cases.

The end result of this is that our Members of Parliament are viewed as Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and they in turn view public office as the same. The core of my argument suggests that if we re-adjust our national mindset as to what the National Assembly's role is as opposed to that of the Executive Government then dare I say that reaching a mutual compromise on the matter of salaries will be much simpler.

Kind regards,