Some of the leaders from the Kuria Community who have been driving a hard bargain for Migori County leadership positions, and making threats of possible armed struggle to realize their demands, have come out in the open.
The committee, led by one time MP and Assistant Minister Shadrack Manga, and whose patron is area MP Dr. Wilfred Machage, were in the news on Tuesday demanding that the leadership positions in the devolved government be shared on a 50-50 basis with the Luo.
The Standard Newspaper on Tuesday carried a story on page 29, saying indicating that the Kuria community wanted the positions of governor, senator, deputy governor and a post they called "chief secretary" to be shared equally between them and the Luo.
"The constitution calls for equity in leadership and resources," Manga was quoted as saying. The former assistant minister could have been speaking for himself following reports in Kuria that he is interested in being elected senator.
There is serious division among the Kuria leadership with the committee being seen largely as a Machage outfit and composed of some of those who vehemently opposed the constitution. A few of them are moderates. On the opposite side are those who feel they are being sidelined by the MP and his core group in the affairs of the constituency and the community and who supported the constitution.
There is also the Kuria Professionals, who have taken a less combative approach and have been involved in their own consultations on the fate and Kuria's participation in the county.
There have been county consultations since October last year and the Manga Committee pushed the same hardline arguments, even indicating that it would suffice to negotiate among the MPS alone and that they had consulted the Minister for Public Service Dalmas Otieno. It has also been clear they have been seeking to solicit the support of the Abasuba and the Luhyia in Uriri, campaigning on the platform of "consolidating the votes of the communities who have been oppressed by the Luos over the years."
The County Consultative Forums have been led by Migori Civic Local Affairs Network (CLAN), a local organization that has worked on governance, human rights and service delivery monitoring issues since 2001. It needs to be said that the Manga committee made very difficult demands during the consultative forums, even locking out Migori CLAN, were paying for the meeting bills, out of two of the forums meant to develop consensus among them.
Similar but more open meetings were organized for all the other constituencies, namely, Migori, Nyatike, Uriri and Rongo and Constituency Committees established. The Kuria team led by Manga argued they did not want to be treated as a " constituency" and later chose not to attend County level meetings unless the "entire committee" was invited, even where, for logistical and practical considerations, the numbers per constituency had to be limited.
Fortunately despite their attempts, other Kuria leaders chose to be part of the consultations and have participated in building consensus on key issues. The consultative forums have focused more on getting the people to understand devolution, mapping out conflict issues, patterns and strategies for conflict mitigation, resource mapping, monitoring the process of constitution implementation and developing strategies for investment.
The County level meetings were attended by key leaders among them all the District Commissioners, and the Regional Commissioner for South Nyanza Mr. Erustus Ekidor. The MPs who were all invited, skipped the forums, with one excuse or being busy, on foreign trips or some other reason. Machage attended one of the Kuria meetings and it was clear from that point that fro the committee, consultations among stakeholders other than with the MPs was not useful.
All this work is now being put in jeopardy by the hard positions being adopted by the Committee led by Manga, and which has the support of the MP Machage, whose outrageous demand for the extension of the Kuria territory to cover the rest of the County up to Awendo and Rongo in the per-referendum period, brought tension.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission, will if not careful, play into the hands of this group and alienate a bigger section of the County stakeholders. But the stakeholders have so solidified and remain so focused that any attempt to reverse the gains made and undermine the level of consensus reached will not be welcome.
The latest consultative meeting under this framework was done on September 21 bringing together civil society groups to create one solid platform for dialogue. The committee put in place to work nout modalities completed its work on October 3, yesterday and it had the participation from Kuria non of who have taken the strident position now emerging from this group led by Manga.
The committee, led by one time MP and Assistant Minister Shadrack Manga, and whose patron is area MP Dr. Wilfred Machage, were in the news on Tuesday demanding that the leadership positions in the devolved government be shared on a 50-50 basis with the Luo.
The Standard Newspaper on Tuesday carried a story on page 29, saying indicating that the Kuria community wanted the positions of governor, senator, deputy governor and a post they called "chief secretary" to be shared equally between them and the Luo.
"The constitution calls for equity in leadership and resources," Manga was quoted as saying. The former assistant minister could have been speaking for himself following reports in Kuria that he is interested in being elected senator.
There is serious division among the Kuria leadership with the committee being seen largely as a Machage outfit and composed of some of those who vehemently opposed the constitution. A few of them are moderates. On the opposite side are those who feel they are being sidelined by the MP and his core group in the affairs of the constituency and the community and who supported the constitution.
There is also the Kuria Professionals, who have taken a less combative approach and have been involved in their own consultations on the fate and Kuria's participation in the county.
There have been county consultations since October last year and the Manga Committee pushed the same hardline arguments, even indicating that it would suffice to negotiate among the MPS alone and that they had consulted the Minister for Public Service Dalmas Otieno. It has also been clear they have been seeking to solicit the support of the Abasuba and the Luhyia in Uriri, campaigning on the platform of "consolidating the votes of the communities who have been oppressed by the Luos over the years."
The County Consultative Forums have been led by Migori Civic Local Affairs Network (CLAN), a local organization that has worked on governance, human rights and service delivery monitoring issues since 2001. It needs to be said that the Manga committee made very difficult demands during the consultative forums, even locking out Migori CLAN, were paying for the meeting bills, out of two of the forums meant to develop consensus among them.
Similar but more open meetings were organized for all the other constituencies, namely, Migori, Nyatike, Uriri and Rongo and Constituency Committees established. The Kuria team led by Manga argued they did not want to be treated as a " constituency" and later chose not to attend County level meetings unless the "entire committee" was invited, even where, for logistical and practical considerations, the numbers per constituency had to be limited.
Fortunately despite their attempts, other Kuria leaders chose to be part of the consultations and have participated in building consensus on key issues. The consultative forums have focused more on getting the people to understand devolution, mapping out conflict issues, patterns and strategies for conflict mitigation, resource mapping, monitoring the process of constitution implementation and developing strategies for investment.
The County level meetings were attended by key leaders among them all the District Commissioners, and the Regional Commissioner for South Nyanza Mr. Erustus Ekidor. The MPs who were all invited, skipped the forums, with one excuse or being busy, on foreign trips or some other reason. Machage attended one of the Kuria meetings and it was clear from that point that fro the committee, consultations among stakeholders other than with the MPs was not useful.
All this work is now being put in jeopardy by the hard positions being adopted by the Committee led by Manga, and which has the support of the MP Machage, whose outrageous demand for the extension of the Kuria territory to cover the rest of the County up to Awendo and Rongo in the per-referendum period, brought tension.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission, will if not careful, play into the hands of this group and alienate a bigger section of the County stakeholders. But the stakeholders have so solidified and remain so focused that any attempt to reverse the gains made and undermine the level of consensus reached will not be welcome.
The latest consultative meeting under this framework was done on September 21 bringing together civil society groups to create one solid platform for dialogue. The committee put in place to work nout modalities completed its work on October 3, yesterday and it had the participation from Kuria non of who have taken the strident position now emerging from this group led by Manga.
BOARDER POINT HOTEL-ISIBANIA 15/10/2011 at 0900 hrs.
ReplyDeleteA meeting was called, for purportedly Kuria leaders. It was expected to focus on devolution, chapter 11 of the new constitution. I marshaled all my resources and training; acquired from the numerous workshops that I had attended before, and the experience and understanding that I had cultivated in the dynamic political sphere both at local and national levels.
I sauntered into the conference hall at the Border Point Hotel trying to keep time.
Finding a handful of participants, I selected my seat and sunk into the comfort of the premises.
I was called outside and asked who invited me, to which I responded that a Kuria lady, Jane Moronge, in Nairobi had asked me to represent her as she could not make it home.
"This is a meeting meant for only the leaders from the BAKIRA CLAN! I am sorry there seems to be some mix-up. Kindly just greet the participants and...sorry just leave",said the usher.
I was tongue-tied!I just couldn't find words to respond; me, a Kuria being discriminated by my fellow Kurias just because I belong to another clan, a Mugumbe and not a Mukira? Oh no!
I went inside, took to the floor, and said; "I am sorry, that I seem to have gate-crushed a meeting not meant for all. I am sorry that I am a black sheep in the midst of white sheep. I wish you well and bye", I said; very hurt and concerned. Concerned that the Kurias have been echoing fears that the Luos will discriminate against them, marginalize them and have no time and space for them. Yet they can do exactly that to those they perceive as being not of their group. What a shame! In that meeting there were people with degrees; some with big appointments. How can someone of such a character stoop too low!
Later it emerged that this was a meeting meant to ensure that this particular clan clinches the top county positions! Talk of devolution, and there is very wrong understanding; that devolution also means devolving clan/ethnic identities to as far as possible.
On whose behalf were they negotiating for the positions?
Now I know how Rose Parker (a black American) felt when she was asked in public bus to give the seat to a white man during those dark moments of the American History.
With my resource of perceived ID, my passion for one united county and rich training acquired with support from the EU through KAS, I walked out, though not having taught/shared anything but having learned so much about 'my people', for free and within such a short time- a record 7 minutes!
What an experience!
CRY OH MY BELOVED KENYA; A HOME FOR SO MANY YET ONLY FOR FEW.
Firsthand Experience:
From George Chacha,
Peace Expert- Nyanza - Kuria
Partnership for Peace project
EU and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung