Educate pastoralists on BBI proposals, Northeastern elite told

The elite from the Northeastern region has been urged to sensitise their community on the content of the recently released BBI report.

Speaking to the press in his Garissa office yesterday, Supkem national organising secretary Abdullahi Salat said more than 80 per cent of the population in the region is illiterate and cannot understand the document. He said the majority of the residents, who are pastoralists, are constantly moving in search of water and pasture and have little or no time to read the document.

“It’s true they are telling us to read the document but the reality on the ground is different. Unlike other regions, illiteracy is higher [here]. Some even don’t know how to write their names, leave alone reading. How do you tell such a person to go through such a document complex as this?” Salat said. 

“It’s for this reason that we are urging our elite, who include lawyers and other scholars, to come from Nairobi and the rest of the country and take our people through this document, including using the local FM stations, which are popular with the people.”

The cleric said the report should capture the interest of each region’s economic strength. He said for Northeastern, this revolves around livestock, yet it has not been given the attention it deserves.

“Over 80 per cent of residents in Northern Kenya depend directly or indirectly on livestock. We want this particular area given priority with clear policies on how not only improve the sector but add value to the livestock products that will translate into improving the livelihoods of our people,” he added.

Salat urged the political class to put aside their political interests.

“In as much as representation is good for our people, it’s also important to ensure that we come up with inputs into the BBI document that will improve the livelihoods of the very people we intend to represent,” Salat noted. 

He lauded the recent stand by leaders from pastoralist regions, saying their unity was commendable.

On Tuesday last week, the Pastoralists Parliament Group (PPG) and the Frontier Counties Development Council (FCDC) who met in Nairobi, demanded to be heard by the BBI steering campaign team before the final report is tabled for the referendum. 

The leaders, including governors and MPs, said their grievances were not incorporated in the report, despite airing them out when the BBI team was collecting views from the public. 

The leaders represent more than 10 million people residing in 15 counties and represented by 109 MPs. 

The leaders called for the establishment of the Livestock Marketing Authority, with vessels for exporting live animals to competitive markets.