Honeywell

Bullet proofing the National Police governance reforms

2012-01-18T15:56:00.000+03:00

There are many definitions of policing and policing strategies. The one I like most defines policing as the process of a state providing security, safety, peaceful environment, law, order and welfare to all its citizens through a standing, yet effective, efficient professional police service. Whereas community's need for effective and trusted policing is a fact of life, in one of his famous nine principles, Sir Robert Peel, founder of London's Metropolitan Police, in 1829 captured the heart of the strategy of modern policing in a democratic society.

He said, "The police are the public and the public are the police; the police being members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen, in the interest of the community welfare and existence." The fundamental principle of policing in a democratic, non-authoritarian society is that without overwhelming public cooperation and trust, police cannot effectively manage crime, disorder and antisocial behavior. We recognized this basic policing axiom in the Independent Constitution of the Republic in 1963 before any other African country. When we look up to Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa among others as inspirational models of best police practice, it is a demonstration of how much we have fallen behind.

The 1963 constitution provided for a Police Service Commission (PSC), autonomy to the police, Inspector General of the police who was to be appointed by the President on the advice of the PSC and with security of tenure (Articles 157-162). Over time all those constitutional firewall provisions evaporated through series of regressive amendments that culminated in a one party state in 1982 and the President possessing absolute authority over the Kenya police through the right to appoint and terminate the commissioner of police.

If the various recent reports on the performance of the Kenya police are anything to go by, the majority of Kenyans strongly believe that cherished communal relationship between the members of the public and the police has broken down and broken badly. This reality had hit us hard during the Post-election Violence of January, 2008. The Reports of the Committees of Justice Philip Waki, Philip Ransley on Police Reforms, Prof. Philip Alston on Extra-judicial killings and own Kenya Police and Administration Police's strategic plans of 2003-2007 confirmed what were public worry all the time; that owing to multi-storied factors the police and the public are not getting on well together. According to Ransley Task Force Report the citizen's trust of their police is, at 8 %, among the lowest in the world.

It is argued that these African-wide factors which impede policing success range from colonial and post colonial legacies of authoritarian rule, lack of autonomy of policing institutions because of the prevalence of patrimonial- big man rule, lack of appropriate normative and legal framework, weak institutional resourcing and capacity and pervasive insecurity. The Kenya police have 125 years non-linear history beginning in 1887 with Sir William Mackinnon of East Africa Trading Company recruiting Indian police and watchmen for the security of its stores and premises, while invoking the laws of India. Even though the foundation of modern Kenya police was first built in 1920 with the proclamation of Kenya as a crown colony, our police and administration police have had a punitive, authoritarian citizen containment history lasting to the present day.

Despite the current systemic police governance reforms being in top gear, there is skepticism among the public that the rhetoric behind the police transformation may be a public relations exercise, common feel good platitudes. Apparently there are waves of resistance to the reforms within the higher echelons of the service. Both the public skepticism and the resistance to change coming from the institution's top flight are all understandable and expected. Some of the anxieties of the officers concerns little bolts and nuts of internal policing base ball affairs.

The public's low level confidence in our security agencies is based on their past historical experiences. This is curable. The negative signals coming from the top hierarchy of the police are not all bad. Some of their apprehensions may be based on genuine fear of the institution falling into “a speed trap"" and also the present inability to see through the fog of change. Besides, there are the challenges of habit, insecurity and the fear of the unknown to overcome. Reforms are also threat to the expertise specialized groups, established power relationships and resource allocations. Good communication, participation and building of support and commitment will easily overcome any undue resistance

At this point in time there are number factors that can have bullet proofing effects on the national police governance reforms. First, we have new, very progressive constitution in which the police reforms are safely anchored. Second, the three Acts of National Police Service, National Police Service Commission (NPSC) and Independent Police Oversight Authority have together created powerful armoured mechanisms with the potential of making the NPS one of the best, most effective, efficient and respected in the world. Yes, it will take quiet inordinate amount of resource inputs to unfreeze the current police structure, mindset and group inertia. The Kenyan people are seemingly ready to provide the required resource for the police service to perform beyond the expectations of the public, the wow! Factor.

There is however serious danger of miscarriage of the much awaited police reforms. Despite the existence of battery of legislation to help the reforms, there is high likelihood of business remaining as usual in our public safety and law and order sector, if we do not bullet proof these nationally critical reforms from inherent in-competencies, resources inadequacies, lack of state goodwill, and much needed managerial policing smarts at all levels. Managerial policing smarts are best described as police officers who are clear thinkers, brave, innovative, good at identifying what needs to be done in a given situation and skilled in making it happen and delivering not only good but great results. Kenyans will demand and expect nothing less from occupiers of the state offices of NPSC.

Studies done elsewhere regarding what distinguishes great police departments from their peers-those whose performance are only good, found that the great law enforcement departments had some ten crucial practices in common, almost in tandem with Jim Collins' book of 'Good To Great' fame. These best practices include; humble, non-egocentric leadership with vision and values, selective hiring of the best and high premium on officers training and education. Others include, excellent equipment and technology, employee empowerment through synchronized thinking, delegation and “letting the horses run in the direction they are running". Finally, first class customer service, police innovation teams, result orientation management approach and supportive, progressive distinct institutional culture distinguish great police departments from mediocre, average, or just plain good departments. As management Guru Collins put it, good is enemy of great. No doubt these are great lessons for the management of our reformed, restructured, re-branded, resourced and reformatted NPS to attain global place of merit.

The Kenya police governance reforms are uniquely placed to fundamentally change how we have been doing policing business since 1908 when the first colonial commissioner of police, Brig-Gen F S Edwards, was appointed. It is strategy, structure and combination of top of the range resources which brings about a form of policing, locally focused, operationally independent and accountable, that is recognized was world class. A policing style where performance is measured against reduced crime rates, absence of disorder and comparatively low per capita public expenditure on general policing. Presently our per capita police expenditure is about US$ 12. Per any standard this is high.

As a country this year, 2012, we should and must have NPSC members who have the confidence and commitment to look direct into the eyes of 40 million Kenyans and say, “Trust us. We shall know within short time what problems you face with crimes, motor vehicles traffic, human rights abuses, corruptions, and disorders every day. Together we shall address these issues to the best of our abilities and we won’t be satisfied until you, Kenyans, are and join us in calling the Kenya National Police is for sure one of the best in the world".

Institutions are hardly murdered. They simply commit suicide by failing to do what the public wants them done. The National police governance reforms are efforts in that direction, saving the country's law enforcement agencies from reckless demise. Thus bullet proofing and protecting the reforms.

No jinx, only performance and social dynamics determine MPs successful re-election

2011-12-26T15:17:00.000+03:00

Since Kenya's 1969 single chamber elections, there have always been constituencies where voters apparently got fed up fast with their MPs within one five-year term of their legislature's tenure of office. Yet there is no time voters in any constituency congregate to establish central structure to conspire against a sitting MP.

I think therefore, there are no persuasive basis for asking hypothetically whether some of the MPs in 55 perennially one term constituencies " Are jinxed" considering the outcomes of the last three elections (STD Dec 17, 2011). The fact that in subsequent elections the voters returned to parliament minister Sam Ongeri, Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim and MP Isaac Rutto among other MPs demonstrate that every election season arrives with it its unique social dynamics. Then the voters judge an incumbent legislature against clear, expected, objective, performance governance standards.

We should never underestimate the average voter's judgment. Many times the common public have acute understanding of issues affecting their lives and what are possible and just.

Some MPs, once elected to the August House, forget the first law of their new job: The easiest way to be re-elected is to govern well and on issues, ever be at the center of gravity of the people. The voting public have placed their trusts, lives, liberties and livelihoods in the hands of their elected leaders. Opportunistic betrayal is fatal. It is the sacred duty of every people's representative to preserve the peoples' lives, hopes, liberties and property in an open and accountable government. A government that will most likely bring about their security, safety and happiness in accordance the time honoured constitutional doctrine: government derive its just powers from the consent of the governed.

It has been argued elsewhere that institutions are rarely murdered; they meet their end by suicide. They die because either they have outlived their usefulness or fail to do the work that their people wants done. MPs are the face of their institution.

If they want to be re-elected again and again "unjinxed" then, they should and must collectively and individually remain useful and continue to do with great enthusiasm the work their respective voters wants done.

Leadership: In Search Of The Qualities Of The Ten Perfect Waheshimiwas Who Shall Take Us To The Promised Land Of Prosperity

2011-09-27T09:42:00.000+03:00

Next year, 2012 will in no doubt be a watershed period for us as a nation and people. It will be the year when for the first time the national levers of power will change under the dictates of the current one year old Constitution.

It will be a game changing time. A year when the number of new constitutional office bearers with the formal title of “Mheshimiwa” - honorables shall increase many folds. It will be the year when the bullet train “Kenya Express”, shall depart the station for the promised land of social stability, peace and prosperity. The promised land of economic competitiveness among comity of nations, just like our inspirational athletes did outperform the World’s super powers, at the recently concluded the 13^th edition of the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

Today, we are all anxiously set for a momentous national journey. The Legislature and the executive have done a sterling job by putting the necessary Acts for departure in record time. For all purposes, it appears soon all we shall be doing are “pre-departure checks”. The critical process for the success of this for mission is having the right people at the right places. The first step of that process has began with the sourcing for Mheshimiwas of the Judiciary and the process is going so well.

The second phase of filling the Kenya Express with the right caliber of Waheshimiwas (Commissioners) is in respect with Commissions in accordance with Chapter 15 of the constitution. The process of formulating specific Acts and sourcing for the perfect Commissioners in every of the 10 commissions is work in progress. Panelists are everywhere just doing that. Kenyans expect at the end of the day to have 10 commissions with 90 commissioners of high intellects, intensity and fidelity to lead these commissions and help run the “Kenya Express” to its desired vision with greatest of precision.

The third and the most critical pre-departure phase of our national journey of having the right people at the right places will be ushered in by the sovereignty of the people on the day of the coming general election. The forthcoming general election will usher in eight additional Waheshimiwas. These are the President and his deputy, the governors and their deputies, the members of the two chambers of the legislators, the women MPs and members of the county assemblies. Finally, the President will form his or her cabinet secretaries and appoint principal secretaries for the lean yet more powerful and highly resourced ministries.

While searching for the perfect Waheshimiwas, we, the voters should appreciate that we are acting as vetting panelists for the President, MP’s and other elective positions. The voters as well as respective Panelists for vetting constitutional office holders need to know the categories of leaders, what motivates them and their action logics. Being aware of these categories of leaders will help us make great judgment in selecting or electing perfect Waheshimiwas for the right positions in our Kenya Express. These six categories are; 1) still-borns, 2) Opportunists, 3) Diplomats, 4) Peacocks, 5) Achievers and 6) Stars

First, still-borns are people who, for some reasons, positions of leadership have been thrust upon them. They did not earn them. Good examples are situations where children of achievers have inherited the leadership positions of their parents but failed miserably, never coming closer to the expectation of their followers. It is amazing to note across the World how people with Einsteinian brilliance and courage have off-springs who are so dim witted and so non-public spirited. The voters and others who hire public leaders should be wary of giving public responsibility to those interested only because of having famous surnames.

Second, opportunists are non authentic leaders, unethical, self-centered individuals, who like a good trader, have good business sense. They cannot be trusted with constitutional public office, because most of the time, through words, actions and decisions, they act opportunistically. They are characterized by mistrust, ego and they have tendency to focus on personal wealth and promotion and see the office as opportunities to be exploited. They treat other people, even those who supported them at great sacrifice as objects or as competitors who are also out for themselves. They have low opinion on everybody else except themselves. The voters must always ask, to what extent are their candidates opportunistically self-serving, before giving them their approval. Examples of these categories of leaders are strewn across our landscape. Corrupt leaders and managers belong here.

Third, diplomats are also professionals who operate from the action logic view that avoids conflicts, seeks to appease higher status and rational efficiency where possible. They may be branded as the careerists “running with the hare and hunting with the hounds”. May be they are good as supportive glue and individual contributors to bureautic structure of public and private sectors. They always boast of being the longest serving this or that in Africa. They do not make great political leaders. Voters and panelists alike must seek more adventurous and courageous leaders who are ready to bring about “creative destruction” societal advancement in a Schumpeterian sense.

Fourth, the peacocks are category of leadership that is characterized by type of leaders with too much self-importance, intellect, culture and full of display but little substance. In one defense academy, the peacocks were identified as officers who spoke many languages, poets, with outstanding dress, institutional ability and physical presence, but when assigned to field operations, could not deliver one major victory in battle. In the same breath, panelists should know that there are people who are gifted in passing very well interviews but who, like the peacocks, cannot deliver any sustained memorable results of their institutions when assigned to those jobs.

Some people could ask, is Prof. P.L.O Lumumba in this category of peacocks? As in game of football as in most of elements of live, we need scorers, not entertainers. The voters should not be mesmerized by the display of “peacocks”. They should look deeper, discover the real diamond of leaders and hire them in the next election. Peacocks play important roles though, and can occupy special places in the Kenya Express.

Fifth, achievers are people who are mostly desired for goal achievements. They are team players, have high sense of responsibilities and managerial duties. They are able to achieve their goals through strategists, personal and organizational transformations. They see themselves as a means to the ends of the needs of the people who hired them. They avoid “blame-storming”. They see issues, own them, solve them and do them. People, who have had history of substantial achievements, belong to this category.

Sixth, stars are uncommon institutional founders and leaders who posses, extraordinary ability to renew or even reinvent themselves and their organizations in historically significant way. They generate social transformation. The best example is the founder of Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Yew and Nelson Mandela. They integrated, the material, spiritual and social transformation of Singapore and South Africa respectively, though Mandela’s legacy is still work in progress. The stars are also called Alchemists. If voters can find possible Alchemists in Presidential candidates and governors, they should not hesitate to give them their votes and hire them.

The people who will be seeking elective and other constitutional offices, for sure, will fit well one category or another out of these six. Members of the legislature will consist of people sent to the National Assembly by folks back home. They are expected to consist of extraordinary members and some not so extraordinary on both sides of the aisle and few old soreheads. The voters should vote wisely and help the nation to cross to the promised land of prosperity.

In other key positions, the appointing authorities and concerned recruiting panelists should only be guided by one thing; strategic interest of the Kenya Express by getting those who are most qualified for the existing positions and fit the billings of the qualities of the perfect Waheshimiwas.

Mr. Khalid is a commentator on social issues

People in their hundreds were killed in Wagalla massacre, not just 57

2011-06-18T09:08:00.000+03:00

For a long time Kenyans will ask these enduring questions: who approved the ungraspable Wagalla massacre in Wajir in 1984, how many people exactly died there or were injured and why? Today the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) is just doing that, endeavoring to unmask the mystery of this historical atrocity committed against hapless ordinary citizens who had not done anything criminal against the Republic.

It is being reported frequently with authoritative sense of finality that ’57 people from the Degodia community were killed at Wajir airstrip in the 1984 incident’ (DN June 12, 2011). This creates the wrong impression that what happened then was a mere incident and the casualties involved were ‘only 57’. The outrage and shock of the victims of Wagalla mass killings is not so much due to only of the atrocities visited on them on those days and nights of February 14-19, as it is the attitude of those responsible of ‘hiding in plain sight’ what transpired and the lack of outrage, remorse and empathy on the part of those were in positions of authority then and now. Are we not left with any humanity at all?

There are different versions of the causes and effects Wagalla killings which the PC then, Benson Kaaria, just like Bosnian Serb commander, Ratko Mladic, termed “was a big success” without defining the measure of that success, save the scale of its horror. Some matters are known with certainty nevertheless. That following common, low intensity inter-clan rivalry that was supposed to exist between the communities of Degodia and Ajuran, who live in Wajir,as result of routine competition for resources and political representation, a strange, yet very elaborate scheme based on governmental and political process was designed much earlier than 1984 targeting the victims of Wagalla. Given the centralized nature of our public administration, the highest authority in the land must have stealthily approved the Kenya intelligent community the way it did as hinted by the former PS J. Mathenge.

Consequently ethnic settlement mappings was done and some 5,000 men from the Degodia community were rounded up and herded into disused, barbed wired airstrip at Wagalla, a small settlement about 11 Kms west of Wajir County Headquarters, leaving behind death and destruction. At the end of four long days of horror, according to the minister for internal security then, Justus Ole Tipis, “only 57 were killed in crossfire”. There was no crossfire and that was the beginning of an iceberg of deceptions, disinformation and cover up. The residents since then have been crying that over 3,000 of their men are unaccounted for.

One blessed soul, Anna Lena Tonelli, an Italian Catholic volunteer who worked in Wajir as a medic then but who was later deported to Somalia and cruelly assassinated there wrote “ over 1,000 people were eliminated in the Wagalla atrocity” and prayed “ one day goodness will shine forth and the Envelope of Wagalla will be opened.”

The late minister Ahmed Khalif compiled and published in the local newspapers, including the Daily Nation, the names of 365 people whose bodies and their sub-clans were identified and properly buried.

Therefore while the TJRC continues with its demanding task, it would be highly gratifying if the press were to acknowledge that “hundreds of Degodia community members perished at Wagalla massacre in 1984”. This will correct the erroneous basis of history being created before our very eyes.

Why building police officers’ leadership capacities will boost their emotional stability

2011-05-28T11:27:00.000+03:00

Following disturbing series of incidences of police officers either
shooting themselves, their superiors, their spouses or risking the
lives of colleagues and the general public, who they are mandated to
protect, the commissioner of police, Mathew Iteere, did the right
thing to commission a team of experts to determine within two months
matters affecting the morale and emotional well-being of officers from
the rank of constables to chief inspectors. Only that whereas the
emphasis of the team’s focus should naturally be on the welfare of the
cutting edge, frontline officers, the team’s terms of reference must
have depth and should not have been limited, and should extend to all
members of the service and their work environment. As it is, it might
send the wrong message as a public relation exercise, underlining a
power distance, upstairs, down stairs, ‘them and us’ dichotomy way of
viewing issues.

It has been argued many times at many places that “insufficient
budgetary allocation, poor working conditions, equipments, long
working hours and lack of counseling” are some of the causes of stress
among officers and thus emotional instability leading to shooting
incidences. Whereas this could be partly true, the question is, in
Africa, Asia and America, dear Kenyans, where is budgetary allocation
for any public department is “sufficient”, working conditions,
equipments and working hours are top flight and most ideal? Like the
weather everyone is unfairly blaming the Treasury! We should be
mindful of the fact that scarcity and inadequacy of resources is a
universal law of economics, more so in this part of the world. We
should know better.

In institutional management, the single greatest determinant in
personnel motivation, pride, loyalty, team work, enthusiasm and
therefore health is leadership. More than anything else, we need to
build strong leadership capacities of all ranks of the service, from
the desk officer to the county boss, who may be called County
Commissioner of police under the reformed structure underway. Why
would young, educated, trained police officers, full of live in a
peace time loving society and country go berserk, shooting their
colleagues, the members of the public and eventually ,not all, turn
the guns onto themselves? Apparently these officers did not feel they
were part of a team, a system. Rather they appear to have been
neglected, felt lonely, without friends and no one to listen to and
act on their emotional needs. They did not respect and love their
seniors. Why?

As history confirms and they say in the military, “there are no bad
troops: only bad leaders”. Senior police officers must partly take
responsibilities for what is happening to their officers under their
watch. Police officers, just like their counterpart public officers,
are expected to be men and women with ambition and strong belief in
Kenya and the goodness of their loving communities. Stress is defined
as a response to excessive physical or psychological demand on person.
The sources of it could be from outside the police service, within the
police structure, immediate colleagues or the individual officers
themselves.

Good leadership can for sure moderate the effects these factors have
on the morale, performance and emotional stability of the police
officers. One way of enriching and renewing the leadership capacities
of the police service is through international training and exchange
programs in selected countries such as UK, Australia, USA and South
Africa on bilateral arrangements. Every two years a few middle ranking
officers could be selected competitively for such programs and
training. The commissioner should be supported in his good initiative.

Make Human Rights compulsory examinable subject in all learning institutions

2011-04-27T11:10:00.000+03:00

There is a strong need to make the concept of Human Rights (HR) more tangible, less abstract and immediate to the lives of the majority of 40 million Kenyans. The struggle for our independence and the new 2010 National Constitution were mainly driven by demand for greater human rights and better democratic, accountable governance practice in our public affairs management structures. That is why the new constitution has such elaborate Bill of Rights provisions, perhaps the world’s most detailed, with some 41 articles.

The challenge is how to institutionalize human rights values not only in our personal lives but also in the culture and management of the national institutions. Some people even think that HR is a narrow field which is a domain for lawyers. Nothing can be further from the truth. Best of teachers have always reminded us,” Whatever career you may choose for yourself, doctor, lawyer, teacher, military, make a career of humanity, human service professions. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for human rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country and a finer world to live in.”

By HR we generally mean those rights which we say belong to all people because they are simply humans, regardless of national origin, race, culture, religion, age, gender, or anything else. Human dignity is first of them. Whereas such rights are universal and apply to everyone, everywhere, some of us argue that human rights is an exclusively western cultural construction, “colonialistic concept and in language”. This is not true.

Though the term ‘human rights’ may not always be used, as author Jim Ife put it, ideas of human dignity and worth, ideas that all people treated according to certain basic standards, ideas that people should be protected from ‘human right abuse’, and ideas of respect for the rights of others are not confined to the western intellectual tradition. To assume that they are is to devalue those other religions and cultural traditions that such critics claim to be supporting.

What is more or less given is Africa has the lowest human rights values of the world’s continents. This is so because culturally, apparently African societies have low levels of human right traditions, as Chinua Achebe immortalized in his book, ‘Things Fall Apart’, where all types of human rights abuses were committed and where twin babies were dumped and killed as evil spirits. Add that to four centuries of slavery, brutal European colonialism, apartheid and post-independent African dictatorships of Idi Amin’s and Robert Mugambe’s proportions and what do we have: the world’s saddest and most pessimistic, stoic people!

In order to make HR practices the norm and be appreciated everywhere in the country, and make Kenya the best in Africa, humans rights should be made a compulsory examinable subject in all our learning institutions. The countries with best human rights records are also the most prosperous. Therefore, from universities and across all faculties, teacher training colleges, Government owned Institutes to police, prison and military academies; human rights subject should be made a must. If not the provisions of the new constitution will just remain that, good sounding, far-fetched abstracts that have little bearings on the lives of majority of Kenyans.

PROBLEMS WITH POLICE SERVICE ARE NOT SO MUCH WITH TRAINING NEEDS AS IT IS WITH INSTITUTIONAL CONSTRAINTS

2011-04-24T21:40:00.000+03:00

In spite of the police service being one of the most indispensable
public service for national prosperity, through fighting all
categories of crimes, keeping law and order and protecting people’s
lives and properties, the performance of the police has been under
severe attack for sometime now. There are all types of public
complaints. From corruptions, unprofessionalism in dealing with
members of the public and crimes, extra-judicial killings, lacking
public trust, to outright indiscipline where in less than three years
we note with grief 15 dedicated police officers being killed by their
own colleagues. Latest are the two officers tragically shot dead in
March by a fellow policeman, Constable Martin Mutwiri at Naro Moru
police station.
Of course, the Government has responded to the public outrage. One of
these responses includes Judge Philip Ransley’s Taskforce which
recommended far reaching reforms in the Kenya police and
Administration police. Some of the reforms are constitutionalized.
Curriculum and training policy changes and extending training periods
for police recruits to 15 months and the cadets up to 21 months,
apparently are part of other reforms aimed at making Kenya Police
world class, comparable only with the best, and satisfy deservingly
high expectations and pride of the Kenyan people.
However, what is being discounted is that problems with our police are
not so much with training needs as it is with institutional
constraints. Police do not operate in vacuum. They are bound by
national laws, internal standard operating procedures and work in a
complex arena, with many budgetary resource limitations and social
systems of accountability. These are the internal and external
institutional matrixes that have enabling and constraining effects on
the performance of the police.
When for instance, new young police officers who have just graduated
from the college after long, vigorous training, assume their duties,
they will be confronted by their superiors with a time tested, iron-
wall of service culture,” Forget about the academy and your
certificates. These are how things are done here”, attitude. Through
both aggressive and subliminal socialization, within no time, the
young police officers will get reality check and melt into their new
environment. That way, if we are not careful, all police reforms will
always remain “business as usual”, non-starter.
Whereas the constitutional provisions of National Police Service and
National Police Service Commission will go along way redesigning and
re-branding the police service, we should be alert to the fact that
significant change will be bottom up, evolutionary, take time, five to
ten years to prove themselves and gain general acceptance. The
challenges are how to overcome institutional barriers and align the
Kenya Police’s age old culture and its present reform strategies with
the demand and expectations of the public under the new constitution.
We only hope that those Kenyans who will assume the new offices in the
police service commission will be eager beavers, perspective thinkers,
who shall be equal to the tasks. Once started, the momentum of reform
must never be allowed to falter, even little.

Billow Khalid
Wajir

Wagalla survivors seek reparation

2011-04-23T20:41:00.000+03:00

The pain of the human catastrophe plotted and executed by the Government on February 14, 1984, at Wagalla airstrip, a small settlement some 11km west of Wajir County headquarters, will endure forever.

In many regards, the pain is not unlike what was experienced during atrocities visited on Kenyans during the 1950s Mau Mau uprisings. But at least the Mau Mau case against the British Government is before the High Court in London.

What makes the Wagalla Massacre even more revolting and agonisingly traumatic is that it was committed and covered up by fellow Kenyan public officials and security officers.

Security forces rained terror on patriotic, hapless citizens who had not committed any crimes against the nation. Sadly, we may never know exactly what happened on that fateful day and how many people were brutally killed and maimed.

One thing, however, not in doubt is that following flimsy accusations of possession of illegal arms and inter-clan conflict – and acting on irrational "instructions from above" – some 5,000 men from the Somali Degodia clan were forcefully rounded up at night.

Raped women

They were taken from their homes in Wajir town by a joint security team and herded into the barbed-wired airstrip at Wagalla, leaving behind raped, abused women and destroyed homes.

And at the end of four long, hellish days, according to then Internal Security Minister Justus ole Tipis, "only 57" were killed, as if this number was not outrageous enough!

However, the late Hon Ahmed Khalif, at great risk to his life, produced and published in the local papers the names and identity card numbers of some 400 people who were confirmed and identified as part of the crowd that was massacred.

Residents have since then insisted that over 4,000 of their men were unaccounted for. The ratio of those identified by the late Khalif and those said to be unaccounted for by residents is 1:10. This ratio appears to be consistent with historical, conflict situation figures of the dead, missing and injured.

Public inquest

Last year, Prime Minister Raila Odinga instructed the Attorney General to initiate a public inquest into the Wagalla Massacre. While this gesture is welcome, it is not enough and will amount to almost nothing.

This month, members of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) are in Wajir to hear the ordeals the residents here suffered at the hands of the Government.

What the orphans, widows and survivors of the Wagalla Massacre are asking from their Government are simple: a genuine apology, empathy, and financial compensation of, say, Sh3 million for any person who died. Then the healing process will surely start.

One would be tempted to ask, who shall be compensated? A neutral committee can be formed for the purpose and the best place to begin would be with the late Khalif’s list.

In the light of the new Constitution with its elaborate human rights provisions, we cannot afford to have wailing widows year in, year out because of gross abuse of their fundamental, basic rights.

WE NEED TO CHANGE WORKINGS OF OUR INSTITUTIONS IN ORDER TO BOOST SUPPLY OF ENTREPRENEURS

2011-04-02T19:48:00.000+03:00

The importance of entrepreneurs to the socioeconomic well being of any country cannot be over emphasized. Entrepreneurs in a country are men and women who are business minded, risk takers, employment and wealth creators and who provide goods and services to the market to satisfy the basic needs and wants of the larger society. Without active, progressive, innovative and ever expanding class of entrepreneurs, any economy stands to shrink and wither away. Even the national treasury will face severe budgetary constraints due to insufficient tax inflows.

Whereas in our case, the largest percentage of the ordinary tax revenue comes from large business companies such as Safaricom,
according to the Government's Economic Survey of 2010, it is the 2 million small and medium sized enterprises that employ the largest number of workforce. The sector employs 8.3 million people, contribute 18 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and creates 590,000 jobs annually, though representing only about 10 percent of total exports. However, it is imperative to appreciate that the nation's technological progress and the rate of resource discovery-innovations depend on the supply of entrepreneurs.

The entrepreneur is the person who sees the opportunity for introducing a new technique or a new commodity, an improved organization or for the development of newly discovered resource. In our universities, research institutions and government departments are filled with reports and studies for innovations, inventions and Edisonian ideas that never see the light of day. For inventions or resource discoveries to be significant, someone with special talent for seeing their economic potential and bringing them into use must come along. That person is the entrepreneur.

Over the years, what has been recognized is that the supply of entrepreneurs, a factor of production, depends on the expected rate of profits, and what Douglass North of Washington University calls, " The institutional matrix to which organizations owe their existence."
North defines institutions as the rules of the game of society or more formally are the humanly devised constraints that structure human interaction. They are composed of both formal rules such as laws and informal constraints such as cultures.

Introduction of business education in our schools and occupational training for small business owners have been undertaken as one of the streams of enhancing quality and fostering supply of the country's much needed entrepreneurs.Even though this efforts are laudable , they are not enough to make substantial difference. Our problems are deeper and wider. They are with our institutions, the social climate, which are the entrepreneurs understanding of the rules of the game; the conditions under which they must operate. From demand and taxation levels, security, corruption, licensing procedures, infrastructure, fidelity of employees and the whole lot of general public cultures, attitude and political environment.

In the light of our up coming county governance system, there is strong need to re-evaluate the workings of our formal and informal institutions with the aim of drastically improving the supply of the country's entrepreneurs as a whole and their competitiveness.
Matters that need urgent review to this end include formal regulations and laws as well as informal issues such as traditions and cultures of our communities in the respective counties and districts within counties that are impediments to business start ups and venture creation. That way we would boost both the quality and quantity of the nation's entrepreneurs.

Billow Khalid
Wajir

Form equalization fund urgently to curb inequalities

2011-03-24T00:25:00.000+03:00

The Ministry for Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands sponsored series of consultative meetings last year between members of parliament and professionals from 13 counties of North and South Rifts, Upper Eastern, North Eastern and Coast.

Better understanding of the opportunities, expectations, challenges and fears of devolved governance for the arid lands was the main objective of these forums and subsequent county meetings. The initiative and efforts of the ministry was highly appreciated.

As a follow up to the National Forum on Devolved Governance in arid lands held at Bomas of Kenya on December 3, the ministry arranged a three-day meeting for some 200 professionals, cross-section of leaders and Members of Parliament from North Eastern region at Garissa on February 25 to 27.

At Bomas it was emphasised the country’s sustained economic prosperity was dependent on the effective performance of all the 47 counties.

None were to be left behind and with time accelerating the productivity of those historically not so much endowed.
At Bomas Forum, people were reminded that in 1963, Kenya was twice as rich as Singapore but "today Kenya’ per capita is $780, barely double of what it was in 1963, while Singapore is $50,000 up from $180 in 1963.
The best to contrast with Singapore, in my opinion are Djibouti, Eritrea and Kuwait.

At the North Eastern leaders and professionals meeting in Garissa, it was generally felt the new county devolved structures will come with much opportunities, benefits and also heavy responsibilities for the leaders as well as ordinary people.

KEY PROBLEMS

Specifically for the communities of Northern Kenya, their fears include lack of capacities, heightened clanism and conflicts, poor infrastructure, pettiness, inadequate financial base to address the multi-storied problems of the new counties and worsening of inter-county and inter-regional socioeconomic inequality.

In order to grant some kind of fairness, the new Constitution has provided for Equalization Fund under Art 204 which is only "one half per cent of revenue collected by the national government every year". This is little money. It is about Sh4 to Sh5 billions.

Sharing that among 13 infrastructural starved counties, with over 40 constituencies is like a drop of water in the Kalahari Desert, even in the long run.

One option of allaying the fears of the less developed counties such as those in the arid lands is to expand and establish an Equalization Fund Management Authority with a threshold capital expenditure outlay of Sh50 billion per year to help these counties grow faster and catch-up with the rest.

Such intentional and forceful initiative is not undertaken now, by 2030 or thereabout, some of our counties would be socio-economically like Chad, while others would be like Qatar. That is not permissible.

Billow Khalid,
Wajir

Africa's Stakes of Contention

2011-03-02T14:01:00.000+03:00

What's Africa's stakes of contention ?
Ocean of deprivations in midst of lands of riches,
Africa where for majority survival is at tether's end,
And the inner eyes are outward bent,
On self gluttonous gratification fully bent,

Where lust for power, comfort and mountains of wealth,
W ether honestly or dishonestly accessed
Are the predatory past times of young and old,

Where integrity, love and compassion for the poor and the feeble
Are contemptuously frowned upon as the traits of the unbeautiful,
People simply develop stoic, irritable unsmiling instincts,
Dry of the dew of little things in life,

And Africa's valley of stakes of contention
Even becomes wider, deeper,
Oh God!,help Africa awake,
From stakes of its contention
And gain life of light

REGIONAL FORUM ON DEVOLVED GOVERNANCE IN THE NORTHERN KENYA & OTHER ARID LANDS

2011-02-28T20:24:00.000+03:00

FRIDAY 25^TH FEBRUARY, 2011, GARISSA

THE DOUBLE EDGED SWORD OF THE NEW CONSTITUTION’S ADDITIONAL LEGISLATURE SEATS AND CREATION OF DEVOLVED GOVERNMENTS:

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF RESIDENTS OF NORTH EASTERN COUNTIES

Background

This is a summarized discussion points prepared by Billow Khalid for a two-day forum of professionals and political leaders of North Eastern Kenya organized by the Ministry of Northern and Other Arid Lands held in Garissa from 25-27^th Feb, 2011. The purpose of the forum was to ensure the region has, come 2013, good start of county governance and benefits from the New Constitution and with time reduce inter-county economic inequality by promoting faster per capita growth of these counties in the potential lands.

Introduction

As we all know, on 27^th August 2010, the people of Kenya have promulgated a New Constitution with far reaching consequences for the leadership, political, social and economic management of our country. Most important are the additional seats of MPs, Senators, Women MPs, Nominated Senators and the creation of 47 Devolved County Governments for the whole country.

In Northern Kenya, we shall have Garissa, Wajir and Mandera Counties. Presently we have 11 MPs. In the New Constitution, we hope to have 18, addition of 7 more, 3 Mandera, 2 Wajir and 2 Garissa. Each of the counties will have one Senator and one Woman MP, elected by the residents of the whole respective counties. Besides the legislatures, there is the issue of structure of Devolved Governments.

The Devolved county governments are guided by the principles of promoting democratic culture and accountability, foster national unity, protection of interests and rights of minorities and ensuring to “have reliable sources of revenue to enable counties to govern and deliver services effectively”. (Arty 174-176). Some counties may be delayed to take off until 2015. Definitely, we do not want to be part of those who may be delayed to take off. These additional legislature seats and creation of county governments can bring greater benefits to our people, but also carry the risk of making our North Eastern counties become “mirror of Somalia regions” in terms of mistrust, insecurity, nepotism and bad governance. Thus, the New Constitution may become a Double Edged Sword. If we are not very careful, we may hurt ourselves badly.

This brief discussion paper therefore aims at bringing forth the best way we can maximize the gains of this New Constitution for our people and how to manage and control any adverse consequences from its implementations – both at the Devolved Government level and the additional legislative seats.

County Governments

A County Government will have two levels of management:-

(1) A county executive consisting of governor, deputy governor and executive committee appointed by the governor and approved by the county assembly and not exceeding ten or one-third of the number of members of the county assembly, assuming the assembly has less than thirty members.

(2) County assembly members from number of wards to be determined by an Act of Parliament and the Speaker who is not a member of the assembly. The number of wards will be fixed by a legislation of parliament.

Powers and functions of county governments are provided in the Fourth Schedule, P 186. Budgetary allocation will come from national governments, Equalization Fund, CDF and other devolved funds and allowed local revenues. In the case of North Eastern counties, the annual revenue will be anywhere between Kshs. 2.5 bn to Kshs. 3.5 bn and growing at over 10% depending on the national budget and size of ordinary revenue.

Mandera County as an example of the three counties

Mandera county, which borders Somalia and Ethiopia has an area of 34,000km² and a population of one million plus. Both Garissa (43,000km²) and Wajir (56,000km²) have a population of about 650,000. Mandera County has 6 Districts ;( Madera East, Lafey, Elwak, Rhamo, Takaba and Banisa). Each district is a Parliamentary Constituency. The communities there are by and large homogeneous, generous, forgiving, understanding and need sincere leadership from all levels, particularly from the Ulamas, elders, professionals, experts such as health experts, government agencies, community and political leaders anywhere and everywhere.

Development Inputs

The Pastoralists of Mandera county have according to the August census 2010, camels; 600,000, cattle; 700,000 and goats & sheep; 4 million. Assuming the price of a camel Kshs. 50,000; cattle; Kshs. 25,000 and goat and sheep Kshs. 2,000. The wealth of only these three categories of livestock is Kshs. 55.5 billion – camel Kshs. 30 bn, cattle Kshs. 17.5 bn and goats & sheep Kshs. 8 bn. This comes to per capita income of Kshs. 55,500 = US $ 694, just about the national per capita income of US$ 700.

	Camel	Cattle	Goats / Sheep
Mandera Wajir Garissa Total	600,000 700,000 400,000 1.8 m	800,000 900,000 1,000,000 2.7 m	4m 4.6m 3.4m 12 m

Figure 1: Livestock population North Eastern: Source G.O.K Census 2010.

Agricultural farmlands along River Dawa and informal sector industries, retail and cross-border trade and more have the capacity to exceed the wealth of the livestock sector. All these are “dead” potential wealth, never exploited for lack of markets, organizations, investments and poor roads. Good effective county government will unlock these huge potentials and make Mandera county to catch up quickly with the rest of the country. The secrets are transformational leadership and public investments. Then the world will come to us. Our children will then perform best at the best universities anywhere. The same is true in terms of wealth of the other two counties, Garissa and Wajir.

The Double-Edged Sword

The New Constitutional arrangement for Kenya has come when regionally we are still in the “mud of clanism; ethnicism” and rivalry for non-existence resources such as public sector employment. Our attitude, reasoning and actions appear to be guided by age old pastoralists – nomad’s narrow view of things, mean, static and never seeing that “we are because they are” and no peace, prosperity and sustained prestige for any society is possible, if it is not all inclusive, and consciously not bringing up the poor, minority, disabled, women, youths and mainstreaming the needs and interests of one and all.

In the case of our counties, first we pray that Allah (s.a.w) multiplies the resources and ability of our people. We pray that petrol, gas and minerals, peace and prosperity be found within the borders of this county. Having said that, we expect by 2012, there will be following elective positions in anyone of the three counties as an illustration discussion only.

a) 6 MPs

b) 1 Senator

c) 1 Woman MP

d) 1 Governor

e) 1 Deputy Governor

Total – 6 + 4 = 10

These ten elective positions do not include county Assembly members, their speaker and members of the executive committee, which together with the governor and his deputy form the county Government. Sword, just like time, can be used to cut things and if it’s not used as desired, it can backfire and “cut” us. To this end, these 10 elective positions, together with the members of the county assembly, the executive committee and budget allocated by the national government, if we are not careful and have the goodwill, blessings, consultations and prayers of our Ulamas, professionals, elders, businesspeople, youths and women, all inclusive, there is the risk of creating bad blood, suspicions, mistrust, envy, corruption, nepotism and conflict. Finally we may plant seeds of destruction of our county “mirroring conflictual regions “ When most of the other counties are speeding ahead with development and social progress – health-education, water and economy, we could remain standstill or even move backwards or worse not get permission from the national government to run our own county government until 2015 or thereafter. This is the cutting edge of the sword, which may hurt us all.

If we do not manage our county well, particularly at the start we could set bad precedence. Most important, the senator, governor, deputy governor, woman MP, speaker and executive committee members should be selected based both on merit and fair, balanced sharing of among communities, while observing all the principles of devolved government and general good of all. Bottom line, no single community should complain of exclusion and marginalization. The Lebanon model might even work here. In Lebanon, during the civil war in the 80s, they agreed the president, prime minister and the speaker of parliament should come from separate religious groups. In our case, we could agree the senator, governor; deputy governor; woman MP and county speaker, at least four of these should each belong to separate clan groups and can become the unwritten law of the county. Same principles can be applied in all counties.

The residents of our three counties in Northern Kenya should be among the most optimistic, hopeful and contented people among the 47 counties. That should be our mission. That way we should attract transformational projects, investments and goodwill from within and outside the borders of our county. That is the useful side of the sword. Our people should and must benefit from the new arrangement of the constitution. Since 98% of households in North Eastern are poor and over 97% of our girls do not attend schools, our counties should be the most improved counties in the country within a period of ten years. Our guide in the new counties must never be the saying “the smallest deserves beatings and strongest take it all”.

Role of all Leaders and the Professionals

Wiseman said, “The best among you is the learned” but we know also the most dangerous people of all are the educated who use their knowledge, education and authority for bad cause. The poet asked when people become sick, they take medicine and when we feel thirsty, we take water; what happens when the medicine itself becomes ill and the water feel thirsty? With what would the medicine be treated and quench the unusual thirst of the water? We must pull our efforts together with other professionals and leaders at all levels. The message is security and successful, everlasting political and economic success in our counties in 2012 and for ever thereafter. Because of our presence and work here today let the future generations say of us, “they came, they conquered and they left behind something good for all of us. May God have mercy on them,” while remembering some 2,500 years history of our people.

We, leaders and professionals at all levels should work with love, for as Khalil Gibran, the Lebanese poet said:

Life is indeed darkness save when there is urge,

And whole urge is blind save when there is knowledge,

And all knowledge is vain, save when there is work,

And all work is empty save when there is love (for people

And communities),

And when you work with love, you bind

Yourself to one another and to God

To paraphrase Dr. K. Aggrey, only the best is good enough for our people, let the eagle soar.

Human Rights in the Context of our Counties

Where there are no effective human rights, there is no governance worth talking about.

Human rights are derived from the inherent dignity and worth of the human person and they are universal, inalienable and equal.

Human Rights Principles in Kenya’s Constitution

1. The Bill of Rights is an integral part of Kenya’s democratic state and is the framework for social, economic and cultural policies.

2. The purpose of recognizing and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms is to preserve the dignity of individuals and communities and to promote social justice and the realization of the potential of all human beings.

3. The rights and fundamental freedoms in the Bill of Rights – belong to each individual and are not granted by the state.

Quotation – Theory of self esteem and importance of Human Rights. Leaders and professionals at all levels should pursue human rights as a hobby as the following quotation shows:

“Whatever career you may choose for yourself – doctor, lawyer and teacher – let me propose an evocation to be pursued along with it.

Become a dedicated fighter for civil rights.

Make it a central part of your life. It will make you a better doctor, a better lawyer, a better teacher.

It will enrich your spirit as nothing else possible can. It will give you that rare sense of nobility that can only spring from love and selflessly helping your fellow humankind.

Make a career of humanity.

Commit yourself to the noble struggle for human rights.

You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country and a finer world to live in”. Effective Human rights builds the self esteem and confidence of individuals and communities everywhere. Do the residents in the Arid Lands have surplus or deficit esteem relative to the national average?

Where do universal rights begin particularly in our counties?

“In small places, close to home – so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any map of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.” Why in small and remote places?

Conclusion and Recommendations: Walking the talk

In conclusion, the Minister and his officials and other leaders deserve maximum praise and support in their efforts to this end. The devolved governance has tremendous benefits for the country, particularly the residents in under developed regions. In order to derive maximum advantage from the new constitutional framework in the country, the following recommendations are made:

1) Recognize greatest challenge to Northern Kenya is poverty and way out is transformational investments e.g. – infrastructure. Causes of wealth or poverty; (1) Environmental factors (2) Historical (3) State Policies (4) Community – play winners or victims – control deficit and need surplus.

2) Need to establish National Institute for County Development at KIA or KSMS and training of key staff immediately – locally and abroad. Develop experts as soon as possible.

3) Affirmative Development Act be created by Parliament for the region with seed development budget of say Kshs. 50 billion (50% GOK and 50% donors) per year for a duration of 47 years. Leaders should and must lobby for special budget to bring about Big Push public expenditure in the region we are behind by about 70 years.

4) More emphasis on public education, human rights and active and self confident citizens be put – at the lower county levels and development more robust civil societies, professional and entrepreneurs.

5) Strong professionals with first class talents, national outlook, integrity and characters are selected for county leadership positions. People who believe in public service, who believe in hard work, who have set values and have vision for their respective counties and for the nation as a whole. It is only then we shall catch up with the world and with the rest of Kenyans and overcome multiple challenges before us. Thus answer KWS’s Director’s assertion that, “Poverty is your choice”. We can overcome poverty trap and it is not part of our DNA. It is never our choice to be poor.

6) Association of Northern County Vision (ANC Vision 2036: (25 years agenda) under the umbrella of (MNK & OGLs). Why for example Housing Development Programme is not active in our counties?

7) Brand our region – what good thing do we want to be known for and have the competitive advantage in the country?

YOUTH, LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT

2011-02-19T15:30:00.002+03:00

Discussion presented to Crossing Borders Youth Group International on 2^nd February 2011 in Nairobi.

Billow Khalid

Introduction

Different communities describe who youth is in separate ways. In Kenya, youth is any one who is within the age bracket of 18-35 years. Below 18 is seen as a minor, a school going child and much below simply children. In Africa, second largest and second most populous continent, 30 million sq.km with a population of about 1 billion , few people ever reach the honor of being old. About 60% of the population is below 39 years of age. This makes Africa the continent of the youths, the young people. Why are we concerned so much with the welfare and interests of youths? Because we are concerned with the future of humanity.

As the wise person said:

If you are thinking one year ahead, plant seeds;

If you are thinking ten years ahead, plant trees. But if you are thinking a hundred years ahead, educate the youths, the young.

Thus, if anyone cares for the future of anyone country or community, he or she must pay keen attention to the development, education and health of the youths and train and prepare them for position of responsibility and leadership at the earliest opportunity. Is this the ease in Africa and how does it compare with Europe, Asia and the U.S.A.? In the past, anything gone badly, society attributed it to God. 'Today, outside natural events like the floods in Australia anything going wrong is attributed to leadership

Who then is a leader? In school children fiction, it is easy: a leader is anyone who is six feet, six inches tail, well built with fair heavy hair and steady sharp eyes. This, however quickly proves to be an unreliable criterion. Since leadership is relative, it is in the leader's relationship with his group that we look for the signs of leadership.

Leader is a person and leadership is the exercise of the role of a leader. Role of leadership is critical to all animals, humans included. Leadership is generally defined as the ability to influence a group towards the achievement of set goals-tasks - like coming to Kenya from Denmark and back. The leader's thought is guided by mission (goals achievements), safety and well being of the team or group members and last, personal interest like being famous or ambition for material gain.

Qualities of successful leader

Why is one able to influence a group of people, small or large group? It depends on the source of the influence. It could be brute fear of harm such as robber's gun. It could be need for individual or group survival and need to win and achieve the group's goals. Thus the leader can evolve and for the sake of the task at hand and well being of the group and its unity, the group gives one of them who is best qualified to the position of leadership. Therefore the qualities of successful leader are (1) Competency for the task at hand. (2): ability to listen - people skills (3) personal energy, passion for the responsibilities and character - if we cannot lead ourselves, we cannot lead anyone else - we influence people because people see us as standing on higher ground - "we have been to the mountain before them".

Increased chances of youth becoming leaders at earliest opportunity.

First, youths gaining leadership positions are a functions of family environment, personal drive, social and national environment. These factors can be supportive, encouraging and motivating or inhibitive and down right oppressive to the emergence, of youths development. Examples are in Asia and Africa where the education of the youths; particularly the girl’s are being fought viciously on baseless grounds.

Second is the political and social environment. In the African context in Zimbabwe, Egypt,(note revolution there), Libya, Ethiopia, Uganda, unlike in UK, USA, or even Singapore or India, age and social networks are major qualifications for public or private sector senior offices. Majority of African leaders die in office and expect state funeral! The same is true even in the private sector and universities. It is uncommon in African universities to find below 30 year olds holding professorial positions. These have created "standing water" effects. Social and economic environment: suffocating, bad smell, full of mosquitoes and reptiles. There must be flow of leadership, moderate turn-over in order to tap energy, creativity and passion of our young people. We need the older generation for their wisdom, networks, influence, experience and wealth, but they must help young people grow so that "Africa does not vanish from the face of this earth or become swarm of flourishing corruption and decay.

In order to increase the chances of youths accessing leadership positions in the earliest opportunity anywhere for the purpose of "active citizens, effective states and better changed developed world and overcome limiting barriers on our path, we must observe and practice the following:-

Personal discipline, care, efficiency - energy: success comes after hard work.

The discipline to have personal goals and achieving them. The discipline to have the best friends, adhere good, healthy lifestyle (not drugs and association with criminals). The discipline to be ambitious, take care of one's parents, God-fearing and work hard. The only place where success comes before work is in the English dictionary.

Take responsibility for one`s actions

99% of all personal failures come from people who have habits of making excuses; the weather, teachers, parents and governments. If you want to create the life of your dreams, then you are going to have to take 100% responsibility for your life as you live. Parents and communities have done their bit by taking the youths to school, bringing them up and loving them. Therefore we must have positive attitude, work hard, have great dreams and take responsibility for our lives.

Self –believe entrepreneurial attitude and passionate desire to excel –own DNA – and signature of success.

The world rewards hard work, not an existence. One poet wrote of the man who said to the universe “sir I exist” “however “replied the universe”, “the fact has not created in me any sense of obligation”. There is no sense of obligation for others to help us as the youths. As the Americans say, “we must pull ourselves up by our bootstraps” even though we may be barefooted and have no boots.

Believe we can achieve greatness and for sure we will. “If others have made it, why not us?” Our attitude and mind must work for us instead of against us. Strong, passionate desire produces effort multiplication and hard work. One area youths should target is the field of business entrepreneurship. Today, since 1990- fall of Berlin wall, what is happening is entrepreneurship revolution. Youths, people within the age bracket of 20s to 39 are richer than any time in the history of the world. The founder of face book is an example. In Africa, the trend is the same as in china and Russia. The youths living in Europe as those living in Africa and elsewhere must seek knowledge but more than that opportunities for entrepreneurship. It is the real gateway to financial freedom. Opportunities are common in south Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya and for sure in Europe, America and Asia and even in Australia.

We should establish linkage between European and American opportunities and Africa markets. Entrepreneurship helps people to grow out of survival, struggling living to thriving, prosperous living style. Entrepreneurship and great leadership are the basis of national development.

Contribution of youths to national development

What are development and the triangle of development? Development for the purpose of this discussion is “developing the real income potentialities of all areas of the people and country by using investment to effect those changes and to augment those productive resources which promise to raise real income per person- this increase standard of living and people choices on a continuous basis on the grounds of the law of perpetual optimism of mankind- that children will have better lives than their parents.

The Triangle of Development as below

The youths must play their part and contribute to good governance, leadership of their respective societies and entrepreneurship as the diagram above indicates.

Conclusion: Africa’s honored place

The continent of Africa is a continent of the youths where some 60% of the population is below 40. The youths are the future. Therefore, youths must thrive to access leadership and entrepreneurship in order to contribute to their own development and those of their countries and put “poverty in museums” to quote Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh. Youths must have self discipline, take 100% own responsibilities and have strong self believe and overcome contextual barriers.

If we have to uplift our societies, the youths should be on higher ground. We have to appreciate that the African people are not doomed by the laws of nature to be poor and ever marginalized. Finally, Nelson Mandera said in February 2005 to a gathering of youth people,” Sometimes it falls upon generation to be great. You can be that generation.” History admirers the wise but elevates the brave. The youths must display courage, delay self gratification, have healthy, positive lifestyle and contribute to their own prosperities and those of their communities and country. To paraphrase Chinua Achebe, when the Africa’s moons shine (the youths), even the Continent`s cripples would become hungry for walks.

It is only then; Africa can be assured of an honored place in the world stage. Start leadership and self discipline with yourselves at the individual level and the future of our communities will be assured of prosperity.

SOMETIMES I THINK – MAR WAXAA II GELI

2011-02-14T23:28:00.003+03:00

Sometimes I think

Of the wisdom and unreason

Of my people,

Who said of wisdom.

This is earth,

I know not of what is,

And said of unreason,

Best of places are one’s brethren’s.

Sometimes I think

Of the paradoxes

Of creation of humankind,

Some with great good

and others with infinite evil.

Sometimes I think

Since luck won’t wink

To me anymore,

Bare fates gore

And live stinks.

Sometimes I think

Of those who stand on the brink

Of an ocean cliff’s top,

And simply hop.

Sometimes I think

Dine and drink

Since I cannot fight,

So live and forget

Because life is a fate.

Sometimes I think

From all temptation shrink,

And walk into Almighty’s

House of worship.

Sometimes I think

Of this colour of ink,

Whose brethren

Were held in cages.

Sometimes I think

Of those whitish pink

Whoever tortured my widowed mothers,

And ever butchered

My orphaned siblings.

Sometimes I think

I better slink

To a distance land

Where my face is unknown,

And be alone in recluse

My talents use.

Sometimes I think

To strive and clink

And sheer with those

Who thought and choose,

Though rather a stray

To go their own way.

Sometimes I think

Of the leopards of mink

Whose worth a love

Is naught an inch,

Till the trappers knife

Does their value rich

To array the wife

Of a man so rich.

Sometimes I think

Heed not nor blink

My dear, dear

But boldly steer

Because that Blair

I hear is not there,

And their glare

I fear is neither their.

Sometimes I think

Never to get fright,

Give up the fight

Delight and plight.

Sometimes I think

And I cannot think any further,

Because I am mixed up

And I simply give up.

billow khalid

Probe causes of poor national exam results in North Eastern Province

2010-08-21T13:46:00.005+03:00

Saturday Nation

Posted Wednesday, July 21 2010 at 17:14

It is true that schools from North Eastern Province are depressingly low performers in national examinations, both at Standard Eight and Form Four level.

The region’s top two candidates in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam results, as usual, were not even in the top 1,000 students nationally. And of the 129 top schools countrywide, none were from this province.

Recently, Education minister, Prof Sam Ongeri, and Education Secretary, Prof George Godia, were on a one-week tour of the area.

They were reportedly told of the causes of the recurrent poor examination performance as a poor reading culture, early marriages (particularly among girls), cheating in examinations and shortages of education officers to enforce quality (DN, July 19).

To help improve the situation, the Nation Media Group and Safaricom Foundation are sponsoring the “Newspapers in Education” programme, which is aimed at creating interests in reading at young age.

The programme covers districts in Garissa and Wajir. Hopefully, it will be extended to Mandera, where learners are even more disadvantaged.

However, I strongly believe that no one single reason out of the four cited to the minister sufficiently explain the causes of the unsatisfactory performance of the students from this part of the country.

The poor reading culture is an outcome of complex social, economic and environmental issues. These are not unique to North Eastern Province.

Problems of shortages of education officers, early marriages among girls and cheating in examinations have not been proven to have a higher occurrence rate in this region than the national average.

For example, only a small percentage of last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education candidates were reported to have cheated. Few of these were from this province.

The schools in North Eastern Province more resources in addition to the newspaper project in order to raise education standards and catch up with the rest of the country.

The Ministry of Education should research on the problems affecting this area and come up with effective policies to address them. We want our candidates in the top 50 nationally.

BILLOW KHALID, Wajir

NEP’s great expectations from the grand coalition Government

2008-09-05T20:05:00.004+03:00

We thank God; the country is now safely recovered from the edge of the precipice of self-destruction, following the ferocious eruptions of violence that were ignited by the disputed results of the presidential elections. In spite of over two months of terrible national crisis that caused 1,200 deaths, economic nightmare for many and displaced 350,000 people, at last good reason, international persuasions and patriotism of the principal leaders of both sides have carried the day, enabling to the speedy enactment by parliament of two important legislations and formation of grand coalition Government with a prime minister.

The people’s expectations are high. The challenges are daunting. But the opportunities for turning the country to a new course of prosperity are many. Today, all Kenyans and their leaders are on the same side. It is not hard, therefore, to propel the nation to a new level of peace and social equity and further restore the country’s brand image of being jewel of Africa-Kenya hakuna matata.

The residents of North-Eastern Province , however, have special, specific expectations from this historic grand coalition Government. The region, formerly known as Northern Frontier District-NFD, consisting of upper Eastern and North Eastern Province has had bitter history of economic marginalization, political exclusion and injustice such as the Wagalla massacre, ethnic differentiation and threat of economic exploitation at the hands of a sedentary and increasingly centralized state. The region further suffers from harsh climate and geographical isolation from the main national economic and social streams. During the past four decades the formal position has been, so long as the city, agricultural commercial lands, and the communication network to the outside world were unaffected, the nation could get by without much ado about the economic plight of the peripheral regions and their inhabitants. That must now change.

The Northern region which is about a half of the country, borders the world’s poorest region, Ethiopia and Somalia, is the least developed province and is unenviable part of what the MP for Nyatike, Mr.Omondi Anyanga described as “ a Kenya that Kenya forgot” about since the days of pre-independence. Progress has been made since 60’s.But more needs to be done in order to develop fullest the potentials of every inch of our land and the talent of every one of our citizens. The basis of the high expectations of the people here arises from the campaign promises made by all the presidential candidates who are luckily, today the cabin crews of the nation’s political and economic destiny. We expect President Mwai Kibaki, the Vice President and the Prime Minister to be very dependable crews of affairs of state.

The pledges of all the three parties, ODM, PNU and ODM-K for the region included the bringing about of balanced regional development, creation of special ministry for the recovery and development of NEP. They also promised major capital outlay for roads network, a kind of Marshall Plan, education, water, health, agriculture, livestock, issue of ID cards and proportional representation in senior government appointments such as in the cabinet. It is not hard to discharge these pledges. It would only require sincerity from our leaders since great political pledges are long term philosophical commitments and do not end like a midnight rainfall or a word casually spoken. We hope this time round, we would have many promises made to the residents of NEP fulfilled.

Why Museveni is best placed to mediate between PNU and ODM

2008-09-05T19:40:00.003+03:00

The future of our great country is at a great risk. The entire nation is at the edge of a precipice since Sunday, 30 December when the chairman of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), Mr. Samuel Kivuitu declared the incumbent President Mwai Kibaki the winner of the Presidential election under hotly contested circumstances.

The conflict between the two protagonists, Party of National Unity of Hon Mwai Kibaki and Orange Democratic Movement of Hon Raila Odinga is very destructive and all consuming. Our people are dying and some three hundred thousand people have already been displaced. The economy of Kenya is facing a meltdown and some half a million workers have since lost their jobs in all sectors. This has impacted negatively on all the countries of the region, more so on Uganda , Rwanda , Burundi and Somalia .

It is in this context that President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, former UN chief, Mr.Kofi Annan and other eminent persons hurriedly jetted into our country to help us negotiate and save our own country. It is therefore wrong and show of lack of appreciation for Mr. Muriithi M’moitha to dismiss President Museveni’s mediation efforts as “a bad taste in our mouths” (Std, Jan, 23, 2008 ).

President Museveni is best placed to mediate between our leaders. He is a neighbor, seasoned, elder statesman who is the chairman of the East Africa Community and one who has direct interest in the political and social stability of Kenya . The fate of our country is in our own hands. President Kibaki and Hon Raila and their close followers should subject themselves to a lot of introspection and declare “we agree to any mediation because Kenya is too beautiful and strategic for a civil war”. Let us all help in any way possible to restore our nation’s pride and prestige among community of nations.

Move to the Diaspora is beneficial

2008-03-26T21:04:00.002+03:00

Brain drain, which results from the international migration of highly educated manpower to rich countries, should have ceased to worry Kenyans over 30 years.

At this time Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand established fully-fledged institutions catering for the interests of non-resident citizens.

These institutions were tasked with tapping the $150 billion that their non-resident citizens remitted from abroad.

Kenyans living or working abroad, regardless of their skills, qualifications and sporting talents are not a total loss to the country as implicated by some.

They remit an excess of $560 million to their families annually. This is only 0.4 per cent of the global remittances. It is no longer advisable to remind students going abroad to come back at the end of their studies. Globalisation has rendered such advice obsolete with the emerging ‘world without borders.

It is up to the individual to find a niche in this competitive world. Africa, after all, is a net consumer of world intellectual output.

Instead of the present small number of two million Kenyans living and working abroad, we should be targeting higher figures.

Since we have invested heavily in education, let the world be our fodder. It is the only way of using the surplus manpower besides creating mobility of labour.

There is need to urgently create structures that help Kenyan communities in the Diaspora.
If these ambitions are pursued as soon as possible, as President Kibaki reassured the nation on Jamhuri Day, "things will even be much better."

Why Hon Kuti has done us proud

2008-03-26T19:39:00.004+03:00

Mr Kariuki’s calling for the sacking of the minister for Youth Affairs, Hon Mohamed Abdi Kuti, is misdirected and preposterous,(The STD, Monday, June 4, 2007).

A fully fledged Youth Affairs ministry in Kenya is a recent development. Credit goes to the Government of President Mwai Kibaki who recognized the role of the youth in the prosperity and welfare of this nation. The minister and the chairperson of the Youth Fund, who is “dynamic and articulate advocate of the youth,” for sure can best speak for themselves.

Nevertheless, one thing is obvious. Whereas the Youth Enterprise Development Fund is a great idea, just like all other public projects, it is severely constrained by budgetary limitations. Every gram of social advance would have to be paid for by countless kilos of often exasperating efforts by each and every one of us. A billion shillings may be a good start, but won’t make appreciable difference when it comes to the accumulated needs and the large number of our youths. Thus, one cannot blame the minister or any body else for the scarcity of financial resource.

Under the circumstances, therefore, Hon Mohamed Kuti and his officials have given a sterling account of themselves and have done us proud. Rather than unfairly criticizing them , we should cheer them up, and be aware of the unpardonable sin of ingratitude to God and country.

Writer wrong on Mandera new districts

2008-03-26T18:50:00.001+03:00

It is arrogant and hypocritical for Mr Hassan Hache to dismiss as “noise makers” the genuine concerns of heroic Kenyans from Mandera who demanded a mere inclusiveness and prior consultations with regard to the hiving of two additional districts from their existing one(DN, July,9,2007). Whereas the creation of new districts is a welcome development everywhere and has a lot of benefits for the people, equity and natural justice demand that the process be led by public officers of impeccable integrity and that the interest, views and aspirations of all the communities be taken into account before the Government makes the final decision on the new districts. In the case of Mandera, this was not done.

Some otherwise very intelligent people wish to close their eyes from the social realities of the communites of the district. By 1963 three major communities lived here and had their colonial chiefs as wazes Hussein Salat, Mohammed Jari and Abdinur Gesey. Today the balance has shifted so much so that some thirty percent of the population acutely feel disfranchised and politically dismembered. Some of the people we have elected have not become their brothers’ and sisters’ keeper.

We are living in a democratic, free country. We are led by an elected Government of the people and for the people. The people will stand up for their rights and the Government will have to listen. The voice of the people is the voice of God. The people of Mandera have the capacity to reason and agree amicably by themselves on anything on win-win basis.

All that the “noise makers” demand is inclusiveness in the process of the creation of the new districts and protection of their constitutional and natural rights. This is not advanced calculus, not to understand. Simply put, no one is opposed to the allocation of the new districts, if this is done in more a sensitive, all inclusive and sincere manner.

I suppose, whatever troubles such a large section of the population of the district, definitely troubles all Kenyans, let alone a local fellow.

The military has a role in keeping law and order.

2008-03-25T12:03:00.006+03:00

Following the controversial declaration of the results of the presidential election on 30th, December, our country is at the great risk of sliding farther into dreadful black hole of civil war and disintegration. The economy is facing a meltdown, the tourist sector being the worst hit. Lose of public and private properties are in the billions of shillings.

Our people are dying in there hundreds. Some three hundred thousand people have already been displaced and are in un-Kenyan like, heart rendering, and unhygienic camps in the ethnic-conflict prone Rift Valley. Youthful, marauding, murderous gangs have taken over highways and people being burnt alive in their homes. The resources of the ever-alert Kenya Police have been over stretched.

The Kenya Army has done sterling job in the cases of Nakuru and Naivasha by responding to the emergency situation of the country and augmenting the efforts of the civil authorities. But this is insufficient. It is the mandate of the military to defend the country from any external aggression and support the civil powers if and when required. To this end, it is out of context for Hon Musalia Mudavadi of ODM to say the government should not use the military in fighting violence when the nation is passing through a life threatening experience.

At the highest political level, intensive dialogue and negotiations are going under the able leadership of the former UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan and Kenyans are keenly and anxiously awaiting hard choices to be made by their leaders.
But, at another level, the Chief Secretary, Amb. Francis Mathaura and his legions of permanent secretaries, the military commanders, under the Chief of General Staff, Gen. J M Kianga , the Kenya Police and all other government agencies must come together on daily basis and work round the clock during this difficult times for the sake of “duty, honor, and country “ and save us before it is too late. Life and economic activities must continue under any circumstances whatsoever.

Most of our military personnel are unfatigueable, patriotic, world-class officers with first class talents. They can play major role in ensuring that the country weathers this storm if they are well directed and given chance. It would be scandalous if they become bystanders of their country’s tragedy.

NEP’s great expectations from the grand coalition Government

2008-03-25T11:42:00.001+03:00

Law review: Justification and relevance of Kadhi’s courts

2008-03-25T11:40:00.002+03:00

Mr Tom Kagwe gave a satisfactory account of the historical background of the Kadhi’s courts in Kenya as currently found in our Constitution, but ended up with an inaccurate, and a pre-determined, subjective conclusion. (East African Standard, July 30, 2004).

The Kadhi’s courts are as old as Islam itself. It is not possible to imagine an Islamic society without one form or another of these courts any where in the world. That is why the people in our coastal belt had the Kadhi’s courts much before any European set foot in Africa. In communities where majority of the people are of Islamic faith, the Kadhi’s courts have wider roles and more comprehensive powers.

However, where Muslim population is in the minority, the jurisdiction of these courts have been limited to what section 66(5) of our constitution defined as "the determination of questions of Muslim law relating to personal status, marriage, divorce or inheritance in proceedings in which all the parties profess the Muslim religion." In the draft constitution of Kenya, 2004, section, 198/199, "there is established Kadhi’ s courts" and their jurisdiction strictly restricted to what they have always been since 1963. One principle normally observed when undertaking any kind of reviewing legal or social issues is "if one cannot improve them, one should not impoverish the beneficiaries of the legal or social issue being reviewed by taking away an existing benefit".

It is important to appreciate that the Kadhi court is a major pillar of an Islamic society. We know in a Muslim community, it is a taboo and shameful to have children outside marriage. No marriage is recognised unless conducted before a Kadhi or a person of similar qualification. Then in a population of 9 million, it is easy to estimate the amount of work that will translate in the form of courts to administer them. For example, in Wajir District, most of the times, there are more cases handled by the Kadhis’ court than the District Magistrate court.

Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and the British colonial power of the time knew the importance and seriousness to which the Muslim people attached to their courts. That is why in 1895 the Sultan of Zanzibar gave away his sovereignty of the Coastal region to the British in exchange for what could appear to the non-Muslims a simple thing; "the protection and retention of Kadhi’s courts. At independence, the late President Kenyatta ensured the Kadhis’ courts were enshrined in our Constitution. The late Mzee Kenyatta was a pragmatic, wise man and was a person of integrity; not a later-day ‘MoU’ trashers as Kagwe suggests, when he says that the very Kenyatta who guaranteed in writing the continued existence of the Kadhi’s courts expressed his desire "not to be bound by all pre-independent treaties and agreements." Mzee Kenyatta, like all leaders worldwide, was a defender of the interests of his countrymen. For sure, whatever troubles Kenyan Muslims definitely troubles all Kenyans. To quote Barack Obama’s now well-known recent speech, we have to be our "brothers’ and sisters’ keeper."

Some anti-kadhi individuals state that they are not against the Islamic courts, but their inclusion in the constitution. The question is, if one is not against the Kadhis’ courts themselves, does it matter whether the courts are established under the Constitution or under an Act of Parliament?

There are many things found in the draft constitution. These include mundane issues such as "the election of district councillors and Commission for Gender". Is someone saying then that the Kadhi’s courts are not important enough to be included in the Constitution of the Republic? Such a person for sure should seek the sermon and prayers of the 13th century St Francis of Assisi of Italy.

The historical justifications and relevance of the Kadhis’ courts in Kenya today are as critical and timely as ever to the interest and welfare of Muslims in particular and Kenya in general for all times to come.

MYWO: NEP celebrates Rukia’s election victory

2008-03-24T22:56:00.001+03:00

The recent countrywide elections of the 45 years old Maendeleo ya Wanawake organization has given the residents of North Eastern Province something tangible to celebrate about when the women delegates from all the provinces almost unanimously elected as their chair person, Mrs Rukia Subow.

Rukia, who has served MYWO for over a quarter of a century with selfless dedication, had her ‘finest hour’ during this election. It is a tribute for our women folk for their nationalism and heroic hearts. Rukia’s election demonstrated that when it comes to any kind of election, we are capable of “thinking as Kenyans first”

The Kenyan women, just as the continental African women, face a lot of challenges. The developmental process affects women and men differently. In Africa, statistics show that while women produce as much as 80% of the food, they own less than 1% of the property. In other cases 98% of girls do not go to schools

These are great challenges which are beyond the capacity of women organizations such as MYWO. They are national challenges for all men and women who hold positions of leadership.

MANDERA: ELWAK & RHAMO THE NEW DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS

2008-03-24T22:09:00.000+03:00

When the Government recently announced additional districts, Mandera residents were happy that their district was at last one of those considered for two more additional districts.

If two additional districts were carved out from the existing Mandera, I believe it would be more than enough to address and accommodate the concerns and diversities of the interests of all the residents, if only there was goodwill from all parties involved.

The sad thing however, is that a very vocal and partisan section of the local leaders lack this goodwill. They want every opportunity for themselves even when the rules of good neighborliness, equity, socio-economic imperatives and nature of settlement dictate otherwise.

Majority of the people desire to have their new district headquarters at El Wak and Rhamo. Thus, in order to forestall future conflicts and feelings of alienation of one section of the local community by another, the government, through our Minister for Internal Security, Hon. John Michuki, should ensure that ElWak and Rhamo be the District headquarters for the two new districts.

In order to maximize social advantages for all, more often than not, the state becomes the most qualified, neutral judge of our societal affairs. No doubt, residents of Mandera district are no exception.