Written by Carolyn Wamalwa 2011-12-26 11:01:00 Read 1721 Times

   Bun.

Q: Briefly describe who Kenneth Lusaka is. Kindly highlight on Date and place of birth; age group; Family profile; parents, children, wife.

 A: I was born on 18th September 1963 to the late Nelson Wesonga of the Batecho clan and Rhoda Namaemba of the Tachoni clan. I have been married to Margaret Nafula of the Babichachi clan for the last 23 years and together we have three children; two girls and one boy. I am a staunch Anglican having been baptized as a baby at the Kamukuywa Anglican Church. 

Q: give an account of your Education background/academic qualifications.

A: I attended Kamukuywa primary school and sat for the Certificate of Primary Education.  I joined Kibabii High School for my “O” Levels, Friends’ School Kamusinga and Chesamis high school for my “A” levels. I was admitted to Nairobi University for a Bachelors Degree in Government and History where I graduated with a Second Class Honours upper Division. I later joined Europe’s leading centre for development studies, The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Hague for a Master of Arts Degree in Public Policy and Administration.

Publication: “Decentralization strategy in Development: an appreciation of the District Focus for Rural development.” A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Arts Degree in Public Policy and Administration.

 Q: what about your Work experience; what specific positions have you held, key deliverables, achievement and challenges.

 A: I am a career Civil Servant, having been first appointed District Officer in Keumbu, Kisii. This was a large Division then which at the time was reeling under serious power supremacy battles.

I managed to provide a united front for the government of the day to work with and was later transferred to Muhoroni. I also worked in Homa Bay, Siaya, Gucha and Koibatek as District officer

 I was later promoted to be the Personal Assistant to the Provincial Commissioner Rift Valley before being deployed as District Commissioner in the expansive Kajiado District. Here I aggressively fought against early marriages; insecurity, and the problem of group ranches.

I was transferred to Marakwet where insecurity posed by cattle rustling was rife. My last field posting was Murang’a where I worked at the height of the outlawed Mungiki menace. I dealt with this very conclusively.

 I was appointed the first Secretary Provincial Administration when the post was created under the government of the grand coalition.

 I was appointed Permanent Secretary for Livestock Development in 2009. Under my watch, the ministry has made several milestones key of which was the move from position 43 to 12 under the Government’s Performance Contracting ranking.

 The Ministry has done away with outdated legislation and passed key Bills such as The National Livestock Policy.

 My tenure has also seen the revival of the Kenya Meat Commission and the creation of two new Parastatals namely:

 The Leather Development Council (LDC) vide Legal notice number 65 under Cap 359 (Hide, Skin and Leather Trade Act) through Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 28 (Legislative Supplement No. 19) of 7th May 2010; and The Kenya Animal Genetic Research Centre.

 Q: During your service in the provincial administration, what did you deem progressive, what better practices did you learn that could be replicated locally?

 A: In my line of duty, I have toured a total of 21 countries mostly on benchmarking and I have amassed vast experience especially in the field of Agriculture, Livestock and irrigation which will be very useful to the county. I have also attended several short courses some of which include:

• Management development program for Administrative officers – ESAMI
• Strategic Leadership course – KIA
• Mainstreaming the Millennium Development
• Food security

 Q: What is your Vision for the region?

 A: Poverty eradication, self employment, and food security. The first Barclays bank in Kenya was opened in Bungoma and this is a sign that the county was “bankable’ way back then. It is my belief that with a clear vision, team work and the correct structures, Bungoma will become a better place. I believe in Bungoma County, the people of Bungoma are a great people. But I believe Bungoma can and must become better than it is today: better schools, better hospitals, better ways of tackling unemployment and subsequent dependency, improving our GDP, of building a modern County capable of competing with other Counties, of equipping ourselves for a new world order in a new constitutional dispensation.

 Q: Are there any key community projects which you have initiated/ success stories?

A: I have spent a lot of time conducting needs assessment. I have in the pipeline several self support projects that will favour women and youth and these will be rolled out at the beginning of the year.

  Q; Have you conducted an on ground analysis, engaged the local people, have you talked to them? Have you scrutinized the reforms they are dying to have, to be incorporated in you manifesto

 A: Yes, I did a SWOT analysis in order to establish my suitability to the governorship. I have done a needs assessment and I know what kind of leadership the people of Bungoma need. Apart from the analysis, I am a local of Bungoma County having been born and brought up there. Even after going away to work, I have maintained my roots and I am thus no stranger to the problems that the County faces.

 Q: What according to you is the place of the youth, what plans do you have in store for them. Whose total population is approximately 365,624 in the county? What of school drop outs, do you have specific numbers; do you have an idea of where most of them have ended up?

A: Youth are the future of any country. Any idea of national development without a strategy which evokes the active participation of youth in it is a myth. National development is essentially like a relay race; the older generation keeps passing on the baton to the next team in line.

According to statistics, Bungoma County is composed of 56% youth. This underscores the importance of youth participation especially in the face of a new political dispensation. What Bungoma has in plenty is potential and that is why the Youth is top on my agenda; the youth stand for actualization of potential. The young have been known to have dreams, passion, hopes, inspiration and motivation. They are mostly impatient, dynamic, wired to go, bubbling, enthusiastic and mostly seen to be “living in a world of their own”. This enthusiasm and fire is what I plan to regulate and channeled to make it constructive and harnessed.

This surplus power must be exploited for the welfare of our county, with proper guidance and direction to bring you into the forefront of national development. Your participation is not only needed, it is crucial. Participation means taking part in decision making about the future; making decision means taking responsibility for whatever risks are involved in the outcome of these decisions. I have divided the youth into four tiers; the elite youth, the mature youth, the out of school youth struggling to earn a living, and the youth still in school. I have also set out different engagement for each of them at their level.

 What I want to see most of all is our youth being usefully engaged instead of being used as stooges and hired as goons by the political class only to be dumped until the next elections. In  my campaign, my engagement with the youth will remain purely above board as I have established mentorship links between them and the older members of Bungoma County as a means of providing a midwife entry into adulthood. 

 Q: What do you believe you will make different of the region/county, How do you plan to address the diverse issues given the cosmopolitan nature of the county as well as addressing disparities?

 A: Considering that Kenya’s current economic growth of 6.1 % has come primarily through rapid utilization of existing capacity rather than efficiency gains or much new investments, my plan is to institute measures aimed at cushioning our people from existing constraints to future growth, such as inflation and encouraging more efficient use of resources. Bungoma has a notably low saving ratio as opposed to the expenditure in the same area around the same time. It is my wish to encourage savings as opposed to spending. 

 Tourism will be a leading sector in achieving our growth. Bungoma has many potential tourist attraction sites that are yet to be exploited. The niche products initiative in the tourism sector of vision 2030 aims at providing 3,000 beds high-cost accommodation for tourists interested in cultural and eco-tourism, as well as water-based sports and related activities. It will initially target four key sites in the Western Kenya and I aim to ensure Bungoma County is one of these sites as we have these cultural sites already.

 Q: What measures would you put in place if elected to promote entrepreneurship?

 A: This I will do by inviting investors most of whom have met in my line of work, to come and invest in the county. Vision 2030 encourages SAGAs to divest as a means of easing the burden of investing from the shoulders of the government. This will be easier to achieve with devolution because we will narrow down into a smaller area.

 I have considered the varying needs of the county; where some need roads, others need access to credit; others need value added to their products to make them more marketable; while yet others need market for their ready products. I will not blindly begin a process if I cannot see how it plays fully to the end. As I mentioned before, my leadership must be visionary enough to see what the rest do not see. What I do not want to create is dependency on credit and outside assistance. We must be willing to look inward into our resources to see how best to pull together for a better county; that must remain the vision for all of us.

 When I compare Kajiado where I have worked with Bungoma, I see no major difference. I am thus convinced that the disparity in the percentage of those living below poverty line should not exist – 11% for Kajiado and 52.9% for Bungoma. The key lies in FOCUS; our people must focus on creating wealth especially by focusing on savings, inbred development, and maximizing available manpower.

 Q: Were elections to be held today, how prepared are you?

 A: A campaign is much like an examination. I have never in all my life seen a candidate who says “I am ready for the exam”. What I would like to say is yes, I am as prepared as my opponents are.

 Q: On what party/platform do you intend to front your candidature?

 A: My opinion on a choice of party is solely based on facts. I want to brand myself first before I identify with a party. I do not want to be a liability to any party and as such, I am still busy packaging myself to make myself an asset to whichever party I run under.

 Q: Who will you have as your running mate as per the constitutional requirement, given the office that you intend to run for.

 A: I have received many requests from people who want to be my running mate. For me, a running mate must be a branch – able to grow and bear fruit, not a trunk- already trimmed and cut off the main tree. I would wish to work with someone from the minority groups; women, people with disability, someone from the marginalized communities and if God is gracious to me, someone who encapsulates all these.

 Q: What is your view on the debate concerning the suitable election date? August or December 2012.

A: What we require is ample preparation. If CIC and IEBC gave us the thumbs up that August gives them enough time to prepare for elections, I shall be ready. There are serious constitutional, managerial, financial, social, and structural considerations here; it is not a debate that should be determined by ayes, nays, or on any other euphoric platform.

Q: What inspires you to run for office now?

A: It is a call to do what I do best; serving people. I have been a public servant for the last 24 years; I do not know anything I love doing more. In all my capacities, I have created and watched projects grow; I have nurtured new Divisions and Districts and watched them grow. I did this in many areas of this country and I feel highly indebted to the people who brought me forth into this world; Bungoma county residents- to come back and put all that I have learnt into the county of my birth.

 Q: What do you wish could be done different by the current and/or past leadership of the region?

 A: I wish that we would be more people oriented in our leadership. That we would learn to listen more than we talk. But above all, that we would embrace transformational leadership; seeing what our people cannot see yet. My best example is: Three people are cutting wood; the ordinary person says: I am cutting wood, the manager says: I am carving wood, The leader says: I am building an antique coffee table. He sees the end through the road. He simplifies the shared vision and articulates the vision clearly and gets his followers buy in that early. As leaders, we must see better and provide a clearer road map.

 Q: What is you take on social media as an effective platform to engage your support base? Are you an active user?

 A: Social media is here to stay. It helps increase recognition, increase engagement, encourage comments, provides a forum for information exchange. It is a Social Capital as it gives opportunity to initiate debate, influence followers, and to post key thoughts on leadership. I use social media to engage different people at different levels.  

 Q: Which projects under vision 2030 are/ will you have in the pipeline for implementation in the county under your leadership? What of the state of poverty in the county, do you have the statistics/ patterns/ margins? How do you intend to bridge the gap?

 A: Kenya Vision 2030 is the new country’s development blueprint covering the period 2008 to 2030. It aims at making Kenya a newly industrializing, “middle income country providing high quality life for all its citizens by the year 2030”. The vision is based on three “pillars” namely; the economic pillar, the social pillar and the political pillar.

Flagship Projects for the Agricultural and Livestock Sector relevant to the County will be as follows:

Bungoma is largely an agricultural County. Vision 2030 aims at raising incomes in agriculture, livestock and fisheries by processing and thereby adding value to products before they reach the market. This will be done through an innovative, commercially oriented and modern agriculture, livestock and fisheries sector.

 (i)Transforming key institutions in agriculture and livestock to promote household and private Sector agricultural growth; (ii) increased productivity of crops and livestock. Introduction of new land use policies through better utilization of high and medium potential lands, prepare new lands for cultivation by and by improving market access to small holders through better marketing; Preparation and passage of consolidated agricultural policy reform legislation; Development and commencement of the implementation of a 3-tiered fertilizer cost reduction programme; improvement of  value gained in the production and supply chain through branding Kenyan farm products; planning and implementation of 4-5 Disease Free Zones and livestock processing facilities to enable Kenyan meat, hides and skins to meet international marketing standards.

Flagship Projects for the Environment

The Flagship environment projects for 2012 are: • The Water Catchment Management Initiative – rehabilitating the 5 water towers (i.e. Mau Escarpment, Mt. Kenya, Aberdares Range, Cherangany Hills and Mt. Elgon);

 Q: What lasting solution do you intend to bring to book in efforts to address disputes facing key sectors in the county?

 A: There are several underlying factors as to why these projects have stalled or are unable to be revived. So much water has passed under the bridge and what was viable a decade ago may no longer be viable now. I am in the process of analyzing these projects and until my due diligence is complete, I am hesitant to comment. What I must say though is local industries are key to the development of the region and I shall strive to bring up even more. I do not want to give any false promises because I have chosen to have an honest and realistic manifesto; my word will remain my bond and I will not lie to my county men and women just to earn their votes.

 We need to think outside the box though and think of other cottage industries that we can initiate and run successfully even as we strive to revive the existing ones.

Some of the disputes mention have policy issues surrounding them but have been politicized beyond measure. In a case like Kibabii, it is still possible to have both the college and the University if careful thought is given to planning and evaluating best practices. We need a University but we cannot afford to lock out those who cannot make it to university and whose best bet is the middle level college. If we aim at all inclusiveness, we must carefully think through this.

 Q: What about the sugar industry and other key agricultural industries. Why are the headquarters including the Kenya Sugar Board located in Nairobi, far away from the main industries and primary resources? What can be done to correct this?

 A: I have said this before and I will say it again; devolution is not a one stop solution to all of Kenya’s problems. One dimension of devolution is Administrative decentralization which is the transfer of the responsibility for planning, financing and management of certain public functions from a central point to field units. This is aimed at strengthening field administrative units but cannot work for all sectors of the economy. Some of these key bodies may have to remain in the capital city for a while. What I also do not believe in is that for these institutions to work, they must have a physical presence on the ground. I am a strong believer in systems that have working structures as opposed to individuals who support a system to work what we need are proper structures not physically present offices which may not work.

 Q: How do you intend to attract investors to the county?

 A: Investors look for one main thing; Return on investments. They go for the bottom line and are after creation of wealth. The emerging trend the world over now is the concern for going green – that is engaging in best practices that conserve the environment, and corporate social responsibility – which looks at ploughing back a percentage of the earned profits into the community. I have done an analysis of the economic trends of the county which I intend to use to woo the investors in various forums that I shall launch when I begin my campaign. I promise to put into place structures that will ensure their investment is safe. My main targets are the sons and daughters of Bungoma County who live outside the county either within the country or in the Diaspora.

 Q: Concerning extravagant cultural practices such as funerals, how do you intend to influence the mindset of the locals to adopt less costly practices that will help them cut down on unwanted costs?

 A: All over Africa, we mourn both as an honour and respect to the dead and acknowledgement of pain for the surviving members. Actually what we consider excessive mourning in Kenya is nothing compared to countries like Nigeria where the dead are buried even after one whole year of mourning. Death is a painful moment and if the attendant ceremonies can help alleviate the pain of loss in any way, then we should condole with the bereaved. My concern would be the direct burden on the bereaved and the lack of consideration of what their needs may be after the burial. All I can say is that we need temperance not abolition of ceremonies. Let us keep it small and spend more time talking to and condoling with the bereaved.

 Q: How do you intend to address the interest of the minority groups found in the county, the Teso, Tachoni, communities from Mt. Elgon? What avenues are you using in your efforts to reach out to them?

 A: The whole essence of devolution aims at correcting this historical anomaly: Under Objects of devolution (1 0 8 Constitution of Kenya) [Rev. 2010, the constitution proposes devolution:

(e) To protect and promote the interests and rights of minorities and marginalized communities;

(f) To promote social and economic development and the provision of proximate, easily accessible services throughout Kenya;

(g) To ensure equitable sharing of national and local resources throughout Kenya;

As a governor, my first duty must be to protect the same constitution that has put me into the position of power. I am working closely with everyone in the County but I am also not oblivious to the special needs of my county men and women who through no fault of their own, have endured years of harassment and fear. It is my humble prayer that normalcy will return to this area sooner rather than later. I also acknowledge the poor infrastructure in this area and commit to making improvement in this area my key agenda. The region is fertile but cannot rely on its produce for sustenance because of the poor road network.

 Q: What of the women who are politically sidelined?

 A: I have the utmost respect for women and my favourite book on the challenges of women the world over is “Half The Sky” by Dunn and Christoff. I believe that women hold half the sky and our society is what it is today because of the strength of the woman. I am a strong supporter of the “Girl Effect” initiative of the World Bank and I am looking into strategies of co opting models that have worked in other parts of the world especially in as far as micro finance and cottage industries are concerned. Women drive the economy silently and the sooner we realize this, the safer we will be as a society.

 Q: What are the challenges that you are facing in your quest to gain grounds in the county before the general elections.

 A: My biggest challenge so far is the fact that I am seeking a seat that has no predecessor thus by and large, I am not only campaigning but also educating the electorate on the meaning and the role of a governor. Secondly, Governorship is largely a management job and yet we are using a political process to fill the post. The people’s expectation is different from what the job entails and matching their expectations to the reality on the ground is a big challenge.