In the past few weeks, Trade Cabinet Secretary Onesmus Kipchumba Murkomen started the much awaited infrastructure development in the volatile North Rift.
He announced on December 3 that construction of the Chemolingot- Kapedo- Lokori Road is on course. This follows the launch of the Kinyach-Kapturo Kabirwek ealy in the year. The road that goes around Chebarcholom Hill in Tiaty subcounty links the residents to the tarmac running from Marigat to Chemolingot. I am sure that majority of Kenyans have no idea where those roads are located an why they are critical
These areas have been known for one thing. Mass killings, mass theft of cattle and ruthless security operations by the KDF, Police and GSU.
In spite of the vast economic potential, large areas of Marakwet, Pokot, Baringo, Turkana and Samburu have degenerated into wastelands.
Following the announcement by the President last year that his administration will take the bull by the horn, his PS in charge of security Raymond Omollo has on several occasions this year assured residents of the North Rift that the old tactics will change, as the Kenya Kwanza administration tackles the menace through a different approach.
The PS said that the government will set up security infrastructure, like training camps and barracks in the region, after the infrastructure is improved.
But, how did we reach a point where huge swathes of the country degenerated into mass killing fields, with zero development for 60 years? While other areas are like Europe?
Well, the Sessional Paper number 10 of 1965 is the root of the mess.
Leornard Mwangangi, a Kenyatta University scholar, makes the follow remarks in his paper titled “Reflections on Sessional Paper No 10, 1965, a government policy paper that widened the economic, social and political divide in Kenya.”
“Sessional Paper No 10, 1965, was a false start for Kenya's economic, political and social agenda, occasioned by the greedy appetites of the Kenyan political elite to entrench themselves at the expense of the Kenyan masses," he writes.
"Kenyans have paid a heavy price in trying to start again, particularly through the long road to the adoption of the 2010 constitution. The way forward is to embrace and fully implement the 2010 constitution and its national values such as inclusivity, public participation, integrity and equity, among others.”
Sessional Paper No 10, 1965, article 133, states that "to make the economy as a whole grow as fast as possible development money should be invested where it would yield the largest increase in output".
This strategy favoured and encouraged development in areas with abundant natural resources and people receptive and active in development. Usually, these are areas where the political elite came from and could influence for more allocation of public resources and services.
This resulted in economic marginalisation of many parts of Kenya, particularly the arid and semi-arid areas, which were thought not to have the potential to yield the largest increase in output, like the tea and coffee growing areas.
However, the arid and semi-arid areas had high potential for livestock production and other natural resources, which, by the time of publication of this sessional paper, had not been well exploited. For years, residents of those areas jokingly say they “are going to Kenya” when travelling southwards.
In short, the political elite of the 1960s adopted a very selfish policy of ensuring that taxpayers' money was invested in their backyard, and abandoned huge parts of Kenya.
With pronouncements from Murkomen and Omollo, it is clear that President Ruto is keen on correcting the mess created by the selfish elites in the 1960s.
Water from Lotikipi Basin Aquifer, for instance can irrigate four million acres without any strain and transform large areas of Turkana, Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet and Baringo into productive farmlands.
All that is needed in desalinisation investment costing less than Sh5 billion and creation of waterways to five North Rift counties costing less than Sh10 billion.
Instead, you find the political elite putting up dams worth Sh200 billion that have very little impact beyond one county.
With this new approach, we will finally see economic justice when the mess of the Sessional Paper is corrected.
The author is the CEO of Health TV Africa. He can be reached at [email protected]