Every Kenyan political cycle carries the ever winding, intrigue filled quest for Luhya unity. The 9th March 2018 handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader not only spelt the death of NASA, whose architects included Luhya political heavyweights Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang\’ula, it also presented fertile ground for another stab and the ever elusive Luhya unity. Unlike previous stabs at a common Luhya political front, this time the architects chose to precede the rhetoric with some truisms. The Full text of the second press statement Mulembe Nation leadership forum issued in Nairobi on Friday 12 June 2020.
In the statement find commentary and prouncements on: Marginalization of the Lake Basin Region, Mount Elgon Region, North Rift and surrounding regions; declining state of Western Kenya economy and complicity of the State in the matter COVID-19, a call for equity in governance and equity in distribution of resources among others.
Second press statement Mulembe Nation Leadership Forum
We assembled here this morning as leaders from Western Kenya, with few of our friends from other parts of the country, in what we purpose to be a regular meeting of leadership minds. In these meetings, we purpose to compare notes and thoughts on various aspects of our people\’s lives. We will particularly focus on the unfolding character of governance and of the political economy in our country – and its implications on everybody. Without apologies, we will also significantly ask what they mean for our region.
Yesterday, 11 June 2020, was budget day. The Honorable Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Mr. Ukur Yatan, gave the estimates for the period 2020-2021. He gave the way forward for the political economy in the coming days. We will subject the budget speech to further and deeper scrutiny. We will make our deeper pronouncements on it in the coming days. For now, however, we want to raise the red flag on the marginalization in the budget, for the Western Kenya economy – and indeed the entire Lake Basin Regional economy.
State of the economy of western Kenya: Sugar woes and a neglected blue economy
We note with proud concern that the sugar industry, that has been the mainstay of our economy in Western Kenya remains marginalized. Not a single word of hope has been given to the sugar farmer and to all those whose lives livelihoods have been defined around the sugar industry – from Awendo to Nzoia and from Mumias to Ramisi. We are left wondering whether this is a factor of the State giving up the industry, or is it erroneous human omission, or deliberate marginalization? Whatever the case, this must corrected immediately. We call about parliament to attend to this concern.
Read more commentary on the sad state of western Kenya\’s economy
- The tragedy of Western Kenya NCPB depots: A Tale of Sadam’s Fate, Ghanaian Folk & Mayi Muro
- What a time in life to be a Bukusu Small Scale farmer!
We also note that nothing that could imbue us with hope has been said about fishing and fisheries. The Government has previously foregrounded marine life as the next frontier of economic investment and growth. We, the leaders from Western Kenya, would like to fully understand what the blue economy should mean for the people of Western Kenya and the entire Lake Region.
Second press statement Mulembe Nation Leadership Forum on Western Kenya\’s marginalized health sector
Marginalization of entire populations in the country continues to be a matter of proud concern to us. This is not just about our Western Kenya region, but other regions too, including marginalization of the urban poor throughout the country. We take note, for example, that while the Health Sector in the budget has taken a formidable allocation of funds, the mainstay in this budget is focused on the Nairobi Metropolitan Area. While we appreciate the fact that this is the epicenter of the new coronavirus menace, we also wish to state the fact that the Nairobi Metropolitan Area is not Kenya. Let all Kenyans benefit from equitable budgetary allocations in all sectors.
We also remain concerned about the plight of farmers and pastrolists. In recent years, farmers have had very little to motivate them. They have had serious challenges with farm inputs and with markets for their produce. It is a big irony that the country sometimes goes through waves of staple food shortages, while farmers are lumbered with staples that they cannot sell, due to terribly low production prices, set by the state. This matter requires urgent addressing.
Western Kenya the gateway: Uganda, international trade and logistics
Meanwhile, Uganda remains Kenya\’s foremost business partner in our region- and indeed one of the foremost globally. Again its a matter of great irony that the communities living adjacent to the Kenya Uganda border are among that benefit least from the cross border trade between the two countries. This is true all the way from the Nyanza Lake Basin Region, all the way to the greater Mount Elgon Region. This anomaly is a factor of the underdeveloped economy in the Lake Basin, the North Rift and Mt. Elgon Regions. A deliberate blueprint to revamp the regional economy, all the way from the Central Rift Valley, the North and South Rift, the Lake Basin and Western Kenya, is of paramount urgency. In the coming days, we are going to push hard for this, both at the level of the National Government and Devolved Government.
A journey through history, stories from trade along the Kenya-Uganda border
We are concerned about the state of overcrowding of trucks at the Kenya Uganda border. If the cause is fear of the new coronavirus disease, then our people who live adjacent to the border have every reason to be very afraid. The possibility of a terrible outbreak of the covid-19 disease in Western Kenya is very real. We call upon the Kenya Government to move swiftly to decongest the affected border points. This must be a matter of priority. We will closely monitor the developments and will not hesitate to address them again, should the situation persist.
Meanwhile we remain concerned that the rehabilitation of the meter gauge railway from Nairobi to the Uganda border has remained a singsong. If the railway were functional, it would ease some of the pressure on road transport of heavy goods. It would also decongest the roads and make them less accident prone. We call for expedited action here. Indeed the region must also benefit from the extended Standard Gauge Railway. National resources must serve the entire nation.
END OF STATEMENT
Western Kenya Political Leaders present at the Second Mulembe Nation Leadership Forum
Drawn from across the political divide leaders present included: Musalia Mudavadi, Moses Wetangula, Chris Wamalwa, Mwambu Mabonga, Catherine Wambilianga, Christopher Aseka Wangaya, Justus Murunga, Malulu Injendi, John Waluke, Benard Washiali, Beatrice Adagala, Alfred Agoi, Ayub Savula