Dear Okoth,
When I launched my bid for presidency five years ago, I made a solemn commitment to the people of Kenya to tackle the problems that continue to keep the country in a state of backwardness and under-performance. I particularly singled out the rehabilitation and improvement of infrastructure as being fundamental. Today, many roads have been rehabilitated and many new ones constructed. The railway system, which had virtually collapsed, is slowly but steadily regaining its place as a major mode of transport. Air and marine transport have also received due attention. So, our country is once again moving its people and goods. We can and will do more. We have also witnessed unprecedented investment in energy resources, with special attention given to renewable energy. Water and irrigation infrastructure has equally received keen attention. Continued investment in infrastructure still remains my top priority.
However, as we continue to focus attention on the foregoing, we cannot ignore one single challenge that confronts the people of Kenya today – creating jobs for our people, especially the youth. The need for creating more employment opportunities is informed by an open unemployment rate of 15%. Many of our graduates from the universities, tertiary institutions, vocational training centres and secondary schools find themselves roaming the streets of major urban centres in search of non-existent jobs.
The last census results indicate an increase in the dependent population at 42% (of which the largest proportion are fulltime students) compared to 33.9% in 1999. This places an inordinate burden on the economy. With an increasing dependency ratio, an expanding labour force, coupled with low employment levels, unemployment is a major problem. To tackle the problem of unemployment, I will introduce the following, among other measures:
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Roll out a ten-year investment promotion programme and give incentives to domestic and foreign investors based on four key criteria: the number of jobs created, foreign exchange earned/saved, local inputs used and technology transferred.
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Reform and restructure the Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE) into a Kenya Industrial and Enterprise Development Agency (KIEDA). The agency will establish full-fledged Business Incubation Centers in each county, which will act as business incubation hubs for promising investments.
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Work with county governments to establish at least one major industry in each county.
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Facilitate the establishment of modern, green industries that meet domestic consumption and export needs;
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Encourage and give incentives to banks and other financial institutions to finance industrialization.
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Focus education and training systems to be more responsive to the needs of the national and global economies, including the needs of a well skilled workforce.
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Establish and fund centers of excellence in technology innovation in all counties.
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Increase the level of investment in research and development from the current level of 0.3 to 2.5% of the GDP; and
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Put in place a progressive tax policy to encourage savings and investments.
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This is Kenya’s moment to courageously confront the challenges and reclaim the dream of our founding fathers of conquering poverty, disease and ignorance. My principal promise to all Kenyans in the next five years is to develop and implement effective policies for expanding decent employment opportunities in Kenya in all sectors.
I believe together we will.
Yours Sincerely,
Raila Amolo Odinga
About the Author
Simple propaganda to drive the Kenyans to the ballot boxes to protect your selfish interests. The same procedure like every election year. And results and consequences are the same . Tribal voilance, IDP’s, burning churches, mass destruction. A horrible scene. Tell them not what you want. Tell them how to do it.
“Uhuru told Ruto ‘I can support you with all my family, but I cannot assure you that my people would support you’. It was then that Mr Ruto told Mr Kenyatta of his decision to see Mr Odinga,” said the MP, who declined to be named.
Since when did a Kikuyu support a non-Kikuyu? Ruto should have stayed in ODM. Now he is crawling back politically wounded by Uhuru. Raila tosha!
Diogene55, that’s a good remark. I’m not a politician, but i think voters must not be fooled by power hungry bulls. There are many capable youngsters that can fix the country better than Raila. Raila should retire from politics.
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And who are the youths to lead us? Younger contenders like Uhuru and Ruto are Hague-bound and should not be seen claiming they have anything to offer Kenya. They are charged with serious crimes against humanity and want the presidency only to protect themselves from being jailed in The Hague; Immunity against prosecution. They should spend their time building up a tight defence and not running around with empty campaign promises.
What does Uhuru or Ruto stand for politically? Nothing to write home about so far!
UHURU Kenyatta lied to you MUDAVADI and we as LUHYAS are voting for RAILA Odinga
Tuesday October 16,2012 – Luhya Council of elders have sensationally claimed that Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi was duped by Uhuru Kenyatta into defecting from ODM hoping to benefit incase Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto were barred by the ICC cases.
Led by Former Cabinet Minister Burudi Nabwera, the elders said those who promised to back Mr Mudavadi if he ditched ODM were still firmly in the race with only a few months to the elections.
Nabwera said they have unanimously agreed to back Prime Minister Raila Odinga as he is the only Presidential aspirant with a national appeal.
He said Mr Mudavadi disregarded their advice not to quit ODM, saying many Luhya MPs have deserted him.
“Mudavadi is even forced to hire Isukuti dancers to welcome him and keep him company whenever he tours other parts of the country. He is supposed to be welcome and cheered by people from those areas,” he said.
Nabwera who was former President Moi’s stalwart urged the Luhya community to vote for leaders who would bring change.
“We want to support someone who can bring change and ensure our community is part of government,” he said.
“And the only presidential aspirant who can bring change to our community is Prime Minister Raila Odinga” he added.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
Focus on tribalism in Kenya Alan E Masakhalia
30 November 2011
Tribalism in Kenya is not a historical inevitability. It cannot be traced to ancient hatreds or warfare from cultures clashing over the ages. In fact, the major opposing groups, the westerners ( Luo, Luhya, Kalenjin, Kisii) of western Kenya and the GEMA (Kikuyu, Embu and Meru people) from the Mount Kenya area, had little contact with one another before the coming of the colonialists. Accordingly, Kenya’s tribalism is a relatively new phenomenon. It is a product of modern times arising from colonialism, urbanization and the political culture that sprung up in independent Kenya.
Before the coming of the colonialists Kenyan tribes lived in their own distinct areas with their own cultures, i.e. language, customs, myths of origin etc. The communities lived free from each other, save for some conflict over water and pasture for livestock.
When the British came, they brought with them the principle of divide and rule. They magnified differences amongst the various communities/ tribes, instigating clashes whereby each community distrusted and fought the other. This served as the breeding ground for negative tribal stereotypes which then became embedded in popular belief. The Kikuyu for example were given the impression that the fish-eating Luo’s were lazy, uncircumcised and unreliable while the Luhya’s were made to view the GEMA communities as schemers, liars, untrustworthy, arrogant and so forth.
This situation of suspicion persisted till the time when independence was realized in 1963, at which point tribal suspicions shot up as the two major parties KADU (Kenya African Democratic Union) and KANU (Kenya African National Union) began squabbling over power. KANU was a party largely dominated by two tribes, the Kikuyu and the Luo. KADU on the other hand was a coalition of all the other small Kenyan tribes that feared being dominated by the Kikiyu/Luo alliance under KANU.
KADU insisted on “majimbo”- a federal system of governance tbat they argued twas the only way to protect the smaller tribes from domination by the majority tribes (Kikuyu and Luo). However, KANU carried the day and federalism was discarded, in its place, Kenya adopted the unitary system of governance.
The unity between the Luo’s and the Kikuyu’s was short lived, since immediately Mzee Jomo Kenyatta (a Kikuyu) became president his administration started favouring the Kikuyu people. This favouritism manifested itself in greater government expenditures for social infrastructure in Kikuyu areas, corruption benefits to fellow tribesmen, privileged access to government and parastatal jobs. The Luo on the other hand, despite holding the vice presidency, were largely discriminated against, their complaints only eliciting intimidation and even assassinations in return.
Under the Mzee Jomo Kenyatta government, it was common to have many underqualified staff from the Kikuyu community placed in positions of higher authority than the qualified ones from other tribes. This led to the final falling out with government as the vice president Oginga (a Luo), was eventually pushed out of government and detained. The tribal rift was widened and solidified when a Luo minister who had remained in government was assassinated; Mr.Tom Mboya’s assassination was blamed on highly placed Kikuyu personalities. This was seen as an assault on the Luo by the Kikuyu, and since then Kenyan politics has essentially pitted Kikuyu against Luos, with each side attempting to attract other tribal groups to its side.
The consequences of tribalism
Tribalism in Kenya is indeed a major stumbling block to democracy as well as socio-economic development. It persists since it provides an avenue via which state goodies and favours trickle down from those in power to their tribesmen.
Therefore, loyalty to tribe is given ever greater relevance than loyalty to the country.
Tribalism is responsible for a lot of ills such as underdevelopment, corruption, rigging of elections and violence/civil war. There is also no meritocracy as people are given jobs based on tribe regardless of having low qualifications. Hence the inefficient use of available skills. The exploitation of natural resources also takes a tribal angle, with resources in some areas being ignored or being under utilized. Bad governance and lack of accountability is also linked to tribalism as people will never question a government run by their tribesmen: even if it makes mistakes they remain supportive of it firmly and blindly.The reverse is also true. This means that even if a government does well it will receive daily unnecessary criticism from the tribes not in the ruling party.
Tribalism is thus used to withhold or provide preferential services and resources.
Thanks to tribalism, citizens are now questioning the call for Peace, Love and Unity. They ask for whom is this unity, peace for whom? For whose benefit? Rival tribes? Tribal clashes/ethic violence is a common occurrence in Kenya as in most African countries such as Rwanda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe etc. There is animosity, distrust and hatred amongst various tribes so that even intermarriages among some tribes are strongly discouraged by the older conservative generation as well as the rural folk.
The Luhya for example have a proverb which says “elisimba lifwitsanga mulikobi lya lyasie’’ meaning that a mongoose dies on behalf of another mongoose. For example if a snake bites you, you kill any or all other snakes that you come across – you don’t sit back and look for the exact one that bit you. In a tribal context, if I am harmed by a Kikuyu, then whichever Kikuyu I meet has to pay the price. This has the capacity to heighten tribal conflicts.
Tribalism has infiltrated politics and with the advent of multiparty politics, there arose lots of tribal parties. For example FORD K is associated with the Luhya, DP – Kikuyu, FORD PEOPLE – Kisii, SPK – coastal Kenya (mijikenda), NDP/LDP – Luo, KANU/UDM – Kalenjin, SDP – Kamba and so on. Voting in Kenya whether parliamentary, civic or presidential is nowadays done purely along tribal lines as each tribe believes that it is its time to “eat” (time to enjoy political power and resources).
In the political sphere, ‘leaders’ appeal to people of their own tribes when they want support, they also use their tribes as leverage when they bargain for positions and favours in government. Heightened tribalism in the country has compromised the church and rendered the religious fraternity unable to offer guidance on matters of national relevance. The church is no longer trusted to be a neutral arbiter. Various churches are allied with specific parties, for example the Presbyterian Church (PCEA) openly endorsed President Kibaki’s candidature in 2007 and urged all its followers to vote for him.
Tribalism has been to blame for government sponsored assassinations as well as other political assassinations such as that of Tom Mboya, Robert Ouko, Othiambo Mbai and recently Hon. Melitus Mugabe Were from the Banyala community who was assassinated three weeks after winning the Embakasi parliamentary seat (in a Kikuyu dominated area).
The previous government was fond of fuelling tribal division. It was in the habit of creating and naming rural districts with tribal names, so that the residents got to feel that the area was strictly theirs and outsiders ought to be evicted. For example Meru District for Merus, Kisii for the Kisiis, Teso District for the Tesos, Kuria for the Kurias, Suba for the Suba people and even Taita District for the Taita tribesmen. This divide and rule tactic was used during election times so that ‘outsiders’ would be evicted if they chose to vote in a different manner. For example the natives of Kisii district would feel justified to evict non Kisii people residing in ‘their’ district.
The 2007 post election violence in Kenya is largely attributed to tribalism, due to the fact that in Kenya elections are simply a matter of life and death. The fate of entire communities is on the line. Raila Odinga (a luo) took advantage of this situation and ganged up the other 41 tribes against the Kikuyu led government of Mwai Kibaki. He mobilized political heavy weights from most of the other tribes and formed the ODM (Orange Democratic Movement).
The Kikuyu dominated PNU (Party of National Unity) was therefore faced with a tough challenge, even though the Kikuyu tribe is the most populous in the country. ODM was too strong.
Thus the election was never based on issues, ideologies or principles. Rather it was an avenue of voting out the Kikuyus, a showdown between the Kikuyu- led PNU versus a coalition of Kenyan tribes under the ODM umbrella.
Violence inevitably broke out when it became clear that the election had been stolen/rigged. People from president Kibaki’s tribe were hunted down, attacked and evicted all over the country, as other citizens could just not imagine being out in the cold, jobless and with zero infrastructural development in their areas for another five years.
The way forward
There is no point in addressing the ills bedevilling Kenya while ignoring the actual causes, since the major cause of tribalism in Kenya (and in Africa as a whole) today is the competition and confrontation over power and resources. There must be a clear formula of sharing of power and resources via constitutional arrangements. This will ensure that there is no more skewed distribution of state resources. At that point each tribe/community might be fairly represented.
It would also be best if power was completely devolved to regional governments – a federal type of government is the only sure way to protect small tribes from those who would wish to exploit and subjugate them. The other option would be to moot an arrangement that caters for the rotations of key posts between tribes. So far, federalism seems the better option since historically Kenyan communities have lived apart.
It is also necessary to enforce strict laws that regulate discriminatory practices in the provision of public service.
Tolerance is obviously a major requirement if Kenyans are to be united in diversity, so that citizens learn to accept and accommodate customs and practices that are different from theirs. For example I am Luhya. I therefore love Luhya, I was nurtured as one and it is the thing I best understand how to be. However I don’t disrespect or disregard any other group even though I see some things differently from them and would prefer some different things from theirs. God created me a Luhya and intends to keep me so. But I make a point of respecting other people’s cultures, even those who circumcise girls and even those who practice wife inheritance.
Tribalism is a retrogressive practice, as some citizens do like demeaning others and belittling others by disrespecting and making fun of other people’s cultures and customs.
Dehumanizing other people or simply considering them inferior is unacceptable and can degenerate into fistfights. Some of my native (Luhya) foodstuffs/vegatables such as Lisutsa, Lisaka, Murere,Likhubi are considered to be mere weeds in other parts of Kenya. Unity in diversity can only be achieved if tolerance is practiced.
We must help citizens to learn, understand and even just get a glimpse into the cultures of other Kenyans, since this alone will wipe out myths, generalizations as well as misconceptions, skewed and limited information about other tribes/cultures.
Building bridges across different cultures is necessary since, when standing inside our own conceptual schemes, we are blind to the possibilities of other ways of thinking, seeing, understanding, and interpreting the world.
It would also help if international donor agencies such as the World Bank would peg all development aid to conditions such as success in instituting constitutional changes and other appropriate anti-tribal violence measures. This is vital since it is only with the eradication of tribalism that real and sustainable development can be achieved.
If tribalism is to be successfully combated then meritocracy has to be fully embraced in both the civil service as well as the private/corporate sector. It is only the most qualified people who should be considered for job placements,. The hiring process ought to be transparent, interviews done and only the best candidates considered.
When the issue of tribalism is adequately addressed, the main cause of the conflicts will have been defused and in time governance should improve, corruption should decrease, skilled citizens will return home, investment will be encouraged, developments will occur and living standards will most likely improve. Most importantly tribal violence will be eradicated in the country.
Kenya: Uhuru Did Wrong to Insult Annan, Mkapa
Tagged:
East Africa External Relations Governance International Organisations Kenya Tanzania
By Pheroze Nowrojee, 17 October 2012 Comment
column
African Eminent Persons Benjamin Mkapa and Kofi Annan on their visit to Kenya last week were snubbed by the President. State House gave many convoluted reasons.
There might have been a simpler reason. Could it have been because Uhuru’s campaign told State House not to see them? In addition to State House, it was only Uhuru who made comments justifying the snub. Uhuru said Annan and Mkapa were “mere tourists who had no right to meddle in Kenya’s politics”. (The Star, 2 October 2012).
Uhuru went on, “My focus is on Kenya, the region (East Africa) and the Continent. No Kenyan or African has said Uhuru [Note the third person reference to himself, like Napoleon] should not vie for the presidency, so the rest can stay away if they don’t want to associate with us.” (Daily Nation, 2 October 2012).
But though Uhuru did not notice it, being too busy choosing which insults to use, Annan and Mkapa are from Africa which he pretends to have a focus on.
Benjamin Mkapa is a past President of Tanzania. He worked closely for a long time with Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, was a highly respected Foreign Minister and has wide Pan-African experience.
Kofi Annan is from Ghana, is the immediate past UN Secretary-General as Africa’s nominee, holding that post for two terms by virtue of the continent of Africa’s turn in that post.
He is the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Uhuru has only denigrated the implementation of African solutions to African problems. Clearly, Uhuru’s ‘focus’ on Africa is mere words.
Uhuru also threw some stones at the US and the UK. It does not help. Rather we should all remember who had a British MI6 member in his Independence Cabinet for a long time, who abandoned Pan-African policies, who forgot the Mau Mau after 1963, who needed British troops to stay in office, and who grew up as the product of all this. Can such products care about former freedom fighters, East Africa or Africa?
It is only when the Eminent Persons attacked the Government, that Uhuru’s propaganda outfit attacked the Eminent Persons. Which is that proverb that goes something like this : Kick the dog and you will soon learn who its master is. Did that come into play?
Has Uhuru’s campaign now become the master of Kenya’s Government in these few remaining months? If so, it explains a lot about what is going on.
If not, Uhuru had no mandate to speak on the State visitors. He is not the Foreign Minister. Yet Uhuru’s advisers, the oracles of bad manners wanted to tell them off : Uhuru thus said, the past help of Annan and Mkapa does not “give them a ticket to be coming here at will whenever they have no other place to go.” (The Star, 2 Oct 2012).
Bretton Woods and advisers to the State Department who naively were impressed last year, should now know better where such a Government will stand, and where it is looking for alternatives: (“friends are many” (The Star 2 October 2012 ).
To run down persons older than oneself and to insult them while they are still within our home as our guests is not African social etiquette.
Those who insult like this and justify it in the name of Africa are out of the African focus they prattle about. If this is what such individuals do when they have a little power, what will they not do when they have the highest office and power? There is no need to change generations, there is need to change manners.
After Uhuru has approved the way the President has treated President Mkapa of Tanzania, Uhuru’s purported ‘focus’ on East Africa and the region is mere words.
It only confirms Tanzania’s suspicions of Kenya’s economic and political intentions of grabbing and acquisition in the East African Community.
Finally Uhuru says, “We will not allow a group of people to sit in a room and decide who will be president of Kenya.” (Daily Nation 2 October 2012).
Exactly. That is exactly what the rest of Kenya is saying : We will not allow a small economic and political elite to sit in a room at State House or at a golf club in secret meetings and decide who will be the president of the rest of the Kenya again.
This small elite has shown continuously that it will never rule in the interests of all Kenyans but only in its own sectoral interests. And Uhuru is their candidate.
The writer is a lawyer
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ODM MOURNS KWEGA’S DEATH
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has received with profound shock news of the brutal murder of the party’s Chairman of the Kisumu Town West sub-branch Mr. Shem Onyango Kwega in Kisumu town this morning.
Mr. Kwega was a dedicated official, who served the party diligently and with loyalty. His killing by unknown assailants this morning outside Mamba Hotel in Kisumu town is a big blow to the party and to the party followers who elected him to serve them as their chairman in last year’s grassroots elections.
His killing comes in the wake of cries of increasing cases of insecurity in Kisumu and it’s environs, a situation that has become a major concern to the residents of the Lakeside town.
We condole with the family of the Late Mr. Kwega and pray for the quick recovery of his wife, who was injured during the shooting and rushed to Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu.
The ODM calls on the government to investigate the motive behind the murder of Mr. Kwega and bring the culprits to book. The ODM also calls on the government intensify security in Kisumu and the surrounding areas to avoid the brewing tension among the residents.
Security is a basic human right and we urge the government to provide security to every corner of this country especially during this electioneering period.
Prof. P. Anyang’ Nyong’o.
Secretary General.
ODM.
29/10/2012.