It is time for Nyanza people to build their Own Empire and Stop Bickering yearly

By Stephen Adwonga

 

This is a testament of my cherished faith to reclaim and transform our homeland ,its rather absurd, that the development agenda so entrenched in devolution is taking a sluggish pace, as our leaders engage in unwarranted push and pull which take centre stage in every platform addressed by them.

My heart mourn for the luo nation, as the very ideals, the basis of which the luo nation has stood for, has been treated with reckless abandon in our engagements in social platforms. Unprecedented bickering, unprintable insults and unmatched vitriol now seem to be the very “raison”’ “detre’ of our once admirable community. Such ideals being relegated to the periphery; our intellect and power of constructive engagement and/or valuable critique have been consigned to the fathomless deeps of everlasting forgetfulness. Shouting our lungs out at the roof-tops with nonsensical and not-so helpful issues have been so centered in our discourses as though the same were to be the founding objective and pillar of our founding fathers. I have always wondered, as I do now; what became of our once celebrated, nuanced, bold, deep and well-on point engagements? Have we let crooks take over from thinkers? Remember, "The society is ruined not by the violating actions of the minority bad, but by the vitiating inaction of the majority good."~Martin Luther King Jnr.

 Our leaders need to resonates with development agendas than parochial talks, embrace change and engage in constructive than destructive politics and shift from politics of personalities to ideologies, and provide leadership that is based on youthful ideas, youthful minds, youthful ideologies, and help our region retain its lost glory, and occupy its rightful economic space and establish a solid socio-economic front for its residents.

Nyanza have had to endure the grinding combination of poverty and inequality, regional imbalances in income, infrastructure and social provisions. Nyanza, just like any other country, what your parents did, the school you went to, your clan, your physical ability and gender determine your chances in life, your educational attainments, your work prospects and even how long you will live. My proposals for accountability, a leadership that is going to create employment, issue based politics and policy based ideas to be used in shaping direction of Nyanza.

As JFK once said, "It is time for a new generation of leadership, to cope with new problems and new opportunities. For there is a new world to be won." As we drive towards a better Kenya, low status is still given to the youth. Existing structures and prevailing attitudes do not provide an enabling environment for youth participation in decision-making, planning and implementation processes. Despite our numerical superiority, we are least represented in political and economic spheres due to societal attitudes, socio- cultural and economic barriers, and lack of proper organization.

With the dispensation of the new constitution and vision 2030 there is therefore need for the Kenyan youth to push for the youth Agenda nationally and most importantly from the county level, youths who are dedicated to increasing political and civic participation; building an inclusive, accountable, effective and responsive county government; and increasing public awareness about the value of participation in democracy.

  ‘Jothurwa’(fellow Nyanza county men) it is time to bring some new approach of governance to the political arena in this our homeland. Something fresh, something positive and something filled with young energy.  And it is time for the young people to mobilize and to build grassroots support to bring a real revolution in this region.

I do recognize the unique social, economic, cultural and health challenges facing young people in Nyanza. These challenges go beyond education, employment or training. They require systemic overhaul. For the wealth of the region lies in the skills of its people and their ability to work together, in the stock of public and private investment it has accumulated, the natural resources within its territory and the quality of its natural and built environment. Sound economic management harnesses those resources, reinvesting as they are depleted, renewing skills for each new generation, caring for and maintaining those resources which are non-renewable.

In an open, increasingly global economy there are limits to what any county government can do on its own to manage its domestic economy. But there are a number of ways in which active government can improve its competitive position.

Our homeland economic landscape is of stark contrasts between rich and poor, rural and urban, poor rural and desperately poor arid rural and for that solid economic growth is crucial for eradicating poverty, but getting economic growth to percolate or trickle down to assist the poor is a perennial challenge. How many children and adults have to die before the fruit of economic growth reaches them?

My intention is thus to stimulate the luo youth to realize that we must take an active interest in county governmental affairs, awaken our involvement in the political process and to promote the reality of acquisition of political power.  It is our responsibility to define the present and future of this Region, we need to hold our leaders accountable through every means, this unwarranted bickering in funerals and public places should stop, development related debates should take centre stage in Our evening Barraza’s, let’s stop mourning over our lost chances or having wishful thinking on the collapse of jubilee governments.  Let’s Centre our discourses in development in Nyanza, especially in agriculture and promoting Tourism.

 
Our governors need to take the lead in ensuring unity in our counties, through cordial relation with the MCA’s, County Executives and county Departmental heads towards achieving a common goal. Only through that, we will then achieve Economic breakthrough with which then I see light at the end of the tunnel, for the house on the hill will be yonder.