IF NOT NOW, IT IS RIGHT NOW

IF NOT NOW, IT IS RIGHT NOW

There is time for everything. Time to laugh and time to cry as the good book, the Bible, says in Ecclesiastes. This is the time to say enough is enough. The time has now reached for the people of Nyanza especially South Nyanza to chart a way forward – a way out of poverty, negative politics and underdevelopment.

Watching Miguna Miguna read some statistics from a research carried out by Synovate on Jeff Koinange Live sprung me into action. Miguna talked facts that most of us do not want to be touched or just take for granted. The Odinga family has made Nyanza lag behind in almost everything.  Their politics of dogmatism, intolerance and mass sycophancy is stinking. It is time to look at ways to get out of this quagmire once and for all.

Miguna said it clearly that Raila is chasing a mirage; there is nothing near the truth as that statement. Raila will never be president of Kenya. The Odinga family made a mistake and they are hell bent to drag many people into their failings. Oginga Odinga had the chance to be a president but threw it away. Raila had a realistic chance of being a president in 2007 and followed exactly what his father did. Kenya politics is very dirty. It is not defined by ideology or economic determinants; it is through primitive tribalism and betrayals. People do make mistakes but what matters is whether they learn from such mistakes. Raila seems to not have learnt a lesson and he never learns from his mistakes. This is why he will never be on that house on the hill as its occupant.

Nyanza is lagging behind in development, be it political, social or economical. This is down to one family which has dominated Luo Nyanza for decades. We have known no development except de-development. Nyanza used to lead in academics; this is a thing of the past now. The region is now experiencing high school drop outs as never seen before, academic performance has hit all time low and poverty is part and parcel of most families in the region. We have never benefited from our politicians when they have been in influential positions.

We are nowadays ranked in the bracket of North Eastern in terms of academics and not with Nairobi and Rift Valley as it used to be. We are leading in mortality rates due to malnutrition and HIV/AIDS. Politically we have been pushed to the back banners. Do you remember the days of Robert Ouko, Tom Mboya, Achieng’ Aloice and other politicians from Nyanza who were endowed intellectually? What we see nowadays are politicians who have no development agenda but just sycophants who hang on Raila Odinga for political lifeline. Most of these politicians have done nothing in their constituencies and counties. They are not wanted by the people and it always takes the intervention of Raila for them to sneak into the elective positions they hold.

We have tried to breed a species of progressive politicians but to no success. All these have been thwarted by people close to the Odinga family. How many politicians have successfully floored these sycophants but to only realize that their nomination forms are no more? Many have tried to bring development but in turn have been called names. Talk of Raphael Tuju, Dalmas Otieno and others. This is a retrogressive kind of politics practiced by those who claim to be championing for democracy. Why can’t we he be tolerant to divergent views and political course?

Let us not pretend Luo Nyanza is suffering from poverty in the same manner as the arid areas of Turkana, Samburu and North Eastern. Luos talk of pride and this is what will take them to the grave at a higher rate than it is doing now. We give birth to many children but most die before puberty. We still hold on to archaic cultural practices which make death the end result. We will never be able to summon numbers to be relevant in Kenya politics and that is the fact.

We have held plum dockets in the government but have not used them to bring development to our people. These politicians have only used these positions to benefit their relatives at the expense of those who elected them. Tell me how many Luos are now heads of government parastatals or big firms? We have the gift of academic excellence but it is not helping us. Our leaders instead of helping have made it harder for us so that they can continue perpetuating negative politics and hold dominance over us. How many graduates from Nyanza are either unemployed or doing menial jobs while those from Central Kenya are holding big positions with average education? They are many and this is because they know how to play their cards well and they are also helped by their leaders who are visionary and progressive.

It is time we face the truth and start afresh by correcting our past mistakes. Let us do away with the Odinga family and try to chart our political future away from their type of politicking. We can use Kisii leaders as a close example. They go to where they can get help and that is translated in their region and people developing. Kisii’s are probably the second or third richest tribe in Kenya. We want a new generation of leaders who will be tolerant to divergent views while at the same time development oriented.

The time to come out of our lull is now. Let us show the world our true worth and stop engaging in theatrics in the name of pride. When push comes to shove we cannot eat pride or playing opposing politics. It is time for each one of us to take a forefront role in reclaiming our past and ensure posterity.

How many universities are in Central or Rift Valley and how many are in Nyanza, Coast or Western? How many kilometers of road are tarmacked in Central or Rift Valley? Compare that to ones in Nyanza, Coast and Western. Look at the poverty index and death rates due to diseases in these selected areas and take your time to see a common denominator of these two brackets.  This is a call for change – KAMA SI SASA NI SASA HIVI.