...
written by Hussein Musa , February 05, 2008

Right and wrong in some aspect.The problem with majimbo is more likely to be etc democracy means majority rule ok,Then in Rv kalenjin would be majority by default.In that sense democracy is to blame.Africans are not known to be just or fair so majimbo should not be allowed until people are developed enough.But economic devolution should go ahead at full speed with dismantling of presdental powers with creation of prime minister position & more power given to parliament.Whatever we do western system is largely to blame for present inequality,bigotry and open lies being peddled as truth.

devolution as part of many sol
written by mainat , February 05, 2008

I think we need to handle the issue of devolution with care. Is devolution part of a group of solutions or the only solution aimed at ensuring that Kenya exists as a thriving nation? Which of the many weaknesses that we have as a nation is a solution? And then there is the implementation There is a type of devolution like they have in the UK currently which just about works and then there is the envisaged type which could end up being meaningless layers of bureaucracy. The secret I suggest is have clearly defined roles that have minimal overlap in terms of what they do. My idea of devolution is to deliver local solutions for local problems specifically dealing with distribution and utilisation of resources I agree fully that we should have the provincial devolution with strong economic powers, but we should then have only one or two layers below this and no more. We should have the CDF as it is and then have town councils that will only be in existence based on a town

Sorry, Maina, we suffer a glitch that cuts off comments where there is an apostrophe, dash or quotation mark. Kindly repost your comment taking care not to have such punctuation marks. Our apologies. Eds.

simpler solution?
written by observer , February 05, 2008

If the primary driver for majimbo is the protection of ethnic minority or regions against the tyranny of the majority; then a simpler bi-chamber legislator should be able to address this issue.

The lower house would have a fixed number of say 300 (MPs) seats that would be distributed to the provinces based on population with reallocation being carried out every 10 years after the census. The upper house would then have say 4 members (Senators) from each province totaling 32. All laws (allocations) would have to pass both houses. This way the minority regions/groups would have the same power as the lager groups and the majority groups would not be subjected to the tyranny of the minority groups.

Also the new bi-chamber legislator would have to approve all appointments of senior public servants from a list supplied by the president. This way the president would only forward candidates that were palatable to all involved both from an ethnic/gender/religious perspective as well as professional competency angle.

I am weary of a federal system similar to the one in the United States in Kenya given arguments on how it would be funded and our penchant for creating busy work and inefficient positions in government. How is it that a country like the US has only 14 Ministries when Kenya has over 30? I would expect to see this madness carried down to the jimbo level. Look at how the noble idea of CDF has been turned into just another opportunity for corruption and cronyism. Why should we not just strengthen the existing local government authorities by giving them greater autonomy from the ministry of local government?

Unjust Africans
written by mkosakabila , February 05, 2008

Africans are not known to be just or fair

What?

...
written by Mr. Vikii , February 05, 2008

In my, opinion we have hyped this Majimbo-ugatuzi-Utangulizi-federalism-devolution debate for no apparent reason. The problems we face today as a nation have very little to do with whatever the opposite of devolution is.We have made major devolution strides over the last decade or so and the problem of bad governance, corruption, unequal access to opportunies among the citizenry, political decay etc still continue to be with us;

Moi and Nyachae introduced the concept of District Focus for rural Development in the '90s. According to them, a mere decentralization of the the process of prioritization of development projects and needs from Nairobi to Kitui, Nyeri, Bondo, Kwale and Butere-mumias would solve the problem of underdevelopment and inequality, a very simplistic view if you ask me. Identifying district-specific needs and budgeting for them is not an entirely bad idea, but it is not a panacea to our problems. The failure of that strategy did not suprise me.

Oveer the last six years, the Mwai Kibaki administration has given us the CDF, which is an out-of-this-world idea. The CDF has registered unimaginable success, but the story ends there. The core problems that define Kenya have refused to disappear.

And even when you look at the existence of Provincial Development committees headed by PCs and the District Development Committees headed by DCs, you will agree that the system we have is pretty much a devolved system, both economically and politically. The District Education Board offers a localized solution to the educational problems of any district. All decision making is not at Jogoo House.

The solution to Kenya's problems, like I have always said, is strengthening of institutions, the most important of which are the constitution, the Legislature, the Judiciary,the electoral Commission of Kenya. This should be accompanied by a proportionate reduction of powers of the Presidency. Having a more responsive legislature will guarantee better laws, and an effective check on the executive to curb any excesses from that end.

When that is achieved, friends, we must now, as a people, cultivate a culture that respects institutions and the rule of law. Let's achieve these and you will see a better Kenya.

tut tut
written by Stephen Wanyama , February 05, 2008

When the Bomas people were trying to decide where would they put the boundaries, one Kipkalya Kones ( the man who christened Raila, Arap Mibei, was adamant that Mt. Elgon should belong to the Kalenjin region.

At independence in 1963, Masinde Muliro and other Luhya leaders really wanted that Kitale be not just in Western Province, but that it be its capital. They did not get their way, but even the most mixed rural district in Kenya, i.e. Trans Nzoia, has not known much peace.

I still believe that there are people in the Rift Valley who are very much deluded as to what land belongs to whom, and even worse that there is a link between soil and blood. I found a paper, by a Kenyan writer in the USA, one Dr. Esther Mwangi titled The footprints of history: path dependence in the transformation of property rights in Kenya

re:
written by mkosakabila , February 05, 2008

The District Education Board offers a localized solution to the educational problems of any district. All decision making is not at Jogoo House.

What is the direction of accountability of these board members, downwards or upwards? Who hires (fires)them, even as a crude indicator. Deconcentration perhaps?

vikii
written by gichangi , February 05, 2008

Well, said Vikii. During the KANU days it was proposed that Moi had wrecked the economy. True to the fashion of our ethnicised politics, we ensured that KANU won no seats in LAs in Central and Nyanza provinces for example. A lot of good it did us. There was little if any reform in the way services were delivered from street lighting, garbage collection, road construction, innovations for trade and business licences, attracting investment and so on.
Most county, municipal, town and city councils in Kenya have 100% 'our tribe' boards. There has been a massive increase in the funds available to them, from the treasury, but the mediocrity has remained by and large the same, if not worse. Councillors are devolved government, and councillors do count. Local Government authorities do have a large measure of control over their areas, as do the provincial administration structures.

Our Majimbo fantasy is pushed by that kind of Kenyan, the lazy bum who wants to get a government job, or to get to eat of the public plate. The greater we decentralise the more there is for such people, and the more waste, the less efficiency about. There are very good reasons why we must insist that private enterprise be given centre stage, saidia politics and patronage systems ( look at Nigeria's or the Phillipine's state governments for an example) are going to make us even poorer.

--------------

Where will the money to build up a state like say Luo Nyanza or Ukambani come from? Remember when the cost to West Germany of building East Germany? Even in the UK or in the USA, there is great resentment say from the South East in England, or from New York, Texas and California in the US between the giving regions and the receiving ones and this especially when their political opinions as expressed in voting are so divergent. Now in a country like ours where there are already hatreds chungu nzima where on earth will we get the political will to impose on the people of the Kisii highlands, of Central Kenya and of the Rift Valley the burden of building up Luo Nyanza when these two sides see themselves as existentially adversarial? It is hard enough in older states, wealthier ones, ones unified by blood, history and language, what then of Kenya?

The other thing we forget is that there are in this system no truly fast friends, especially in Western Kenya. Sally Kosgei has been working very hard, as has Jirongo to maintain peace in their areas, but recent, very recent history shows that there are no safe boundaries here. The entire Rift Valley border represents a faultine along which this country could be torn asunder. The Kisii and Maasai, Kisii and Kipsigis, Luo and Kipsigis, Luo and Nandi, Southern Luhya and Nandi, Bukusu and Nandi and in Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu, the rest of Kenya versus the Kalenjin. This makes it very difficult to maintain long term alliances unless we can compel on ourselves the fact that we are one nation, and that our union is indivisible. Today it is the hated Kikuyu, Kamba and Kisii we are fighting and expelling, but there was always similarly good excuse to fight the Luo and to kill the Luhya.

Any attempt to redraw these boundaries will just cause more bloodshed, especially if the likes of Raila and Ruto are still on the scene. Where is Koru? Where is Chemilil? Where is Nyangori? Turbo? Matunda?

Structured Devolution key
written by pndiangui , February 05, 2008

I see what Gichangi is saying about the sensitivity of the boundaries, but I think that if we really want to de-tribalize a form of economic and political power devolution will be necessary. I still think that when we put locals more visibly accountable to their elctrorate , where accountability is within certain rules and regulations underpinned in the constitution , that these leaders will by default help end ethnicity. Because of the accountability deliverables i.e, raising revenues and utilizing it optimamly to the benefits of the Mwananchi, and we teach the mwananchi how to questin these deliverables and compare against other devolved regions , like they were starting to do with the CDF...then we will be moving forward in dismantling tokenism politics which in a sense have been used in engineering the current chaos.

...
written by Mr. Vikii , February 05, 2008

Anonymous, what makes you think anybody wants you to abandon your Luoness? My opinion is that you should in fact double your luoess if that is what suits you. Why should I really care?

Apart from Luoness, Will you please educate me on how Safaricom is Kibaki's source of oppression. And please dont tell me it is because someone said so, unless of course they think for you.

majimbo
written by Ndorobo , February 05, 2008

I think Vikii is onto something. When I look at corporations the world over, when they are faced with a crisis or have been mismanaged to bankruptcy, they simply do not chnage names and have the same set of characters conducting business. Heads roll (not in the literal sense), there is some re-organization and they strive to root cause the problem.
However, In Kenya we do not even bother re-organizing. We just wear a different uniform, or party color, come up with a new slogan and this seems to be enough for one to be cleansed.
So whether we have ugatuzi, devolution, district focus or whatever. If the people leading these efforts are the alumni of Goldernberg and Anglo leasing, why do we expect different results? So, teh RV people are blaming the wrong people. their resources have been misused by their leaders and they are airing their grievances to the wrong people.

Good examples of this abound. Look at the many developments that Tuju accomplished in his constintuency vs. the little that Raila did in Lang'ata? Who got re-elected? yep, the guy who returned money to teh CDF fund. Is this the kind of justice we want?

meanwhile in Central where a number of MPs who were ministers lost in the elections, it was a change of guard and a measure of CDF utilization. Since there were no enforcers of 3-piece, the electorate there had a chance to choose the BEST candidate (with the caveat that he ahd to be a pro-Kibaki candidate). 5-years from today, why would we be surprised if there was more development in central vs. Nyanza and RV where 3-piece was enforced? Even though some of the candidates did not offer the best option?

...
written by mandole , February 06, 2008

Why do I find this a less than true statement by Nanjala?


Majimboism went horribly wrong


Because it is wholly untrue as attested to by history and facts on the ground. MAjimbo as a system was never tried in Kenya, KANU and Kenyatta were united in the one goal of ensuring majimbo did not succeed and starved the regional govts off funds from the center.

Most of the arguments above appear to be premised on that one statement. Truth is we have never had majimbo in Kenya, and perhaps it's time we actually had it and got rid of the present pretense.

Switzerland has it so why cant we have it? After all this Central authority system has gone horribly wrong. We all can see what it has brought us.

re:
written by politicalscientist , February 06, 2008

Why do I find this a less than true statement by Nanjala?


Majimboism went horribly wrong


Because it is wholly untrue as attested to by history and facts on the ground. MAjimbo as a system was never tried in Kenya, KANU and Kenyatta were united in the one goal of ensuring majimbo did not succeed and starved the regional govts off funds from the center.

Most of the arguments above appear to be premised on that one statement. Truth is we have never had majimbo in Kenya, and perhaps it's time we actually had it and got rid of the present pretense.

Switzerland has it so why cant we have it? After all this Central authority system has gone horribly wrong. We all can see what it has brought us.

Actually, the main point of the piece was to open up some debate around majimboism based on the idea that the term has become associated with some negative connotations throughout history. I think that at the time the main fear of the central government was that there was going to be a move towards communism, and that would perhaps open up Kenya to be a theatre of war like the DRC, Angola etc. However, as we all know now with the benefit of hindisght federalism is not communism and its a good middle ground. My main point is that our current constitution whitewashes over our fragmented nature and that leads to tension like what we're seeing today. We need a constitution that celebrates our differences but still manages to unite us - devolution of power (true deveolution of power) may perhaps be that.

On the other hand, is majimboism really a panacea for all that ails our country? I wonder...

Brava
written by Daniel.Waweru , February 06, 2008

Nanjala,

I agree with every single one of your major conclusions. We do need devolution, but wwe can't afford ethic regionalism. Stakes are far too high.

But since I'm me, I'll quibble slightly with one of your peripheral claims, vide

I think that at the time the main fear of the central government was that there was going to be a move towards communism, and that would perhaps open up Kenya to be a theatre of war like the DRC, Angola etc.

The likeliest reason for Kenyatta's and Mboya's eagerness to centralise power was this: they faced great danger from both the left and the right. On the left, communists who, had they been able to get weapons to Mau Mau irregulars, might have been able to cause grave problems. On the right, they faced a threat from the settler right who, by supporting majimbo, hoped to slow or doom the Africanisation of the state. Kenyatta and Mboya did the right thing then. (But my idolatry of these two is boundless; feel free to disregard this!)

...
written by msemakweli , February 06, 2008

Kenya is now a defacto majimbo. It all begun with Central province where they used sophisticated methods to ensure it was an exclusive kikuyu region. Since the 1990s the Kales and the maasai have used arrows and machetes to pushed kikuyu colonization of their 'ancestral' land. Now the luhyas, pokomos giriamas and the rest have join the process of removing what we have come to call madoa doa.

The constitution has to catch up with the reality or puff we go up with smoke. Thank very much to the MP Othaya.

...
written by aeichener , February 07, 2008

On the right, they faced a threat from the settler right who, by supporting majimbo, hoped to slow or doom the Africanisation of the state.

The - resurging - threat from the settler right had already been previously countered (and quashed) by the colonial government. See e.g. the Devonshire White Paper.

It was an outstanding settlers' representative like the 4th Earl of Delamere who personally endorsed the change and black majority rule, and even in 1965 travelled to Rhodesia on a mission to convince the recalcitrant white settlers there. Unfortunately, his moderate voice did not win the kaburus in this differently structured territory, and the consequences we know.

Alexander

majimbo
written by african eagle , February 07, 2008

Where will money to build Luo Nyanza and Ukambani come from? Asked Gichangi.
It will come from Luo Nyanza and ukambani. This is how - Luo Nyanza sits on the shores of the largest lake in Africa - have u ever asked yourself why East Africa is referred to as the GREAT LAKES region. We have the largest fresh water lake on our doorstep yet we have never half-exploited. Fish exports from Lake Victoria brings in about 7billion to the government. every year yet there is no iota of government presence on the great resource. Just because the British had an agreement with the Arabs on the Nile treaty led them not to develop the infrastructure around the shores of Lake Victoria. There are no roads, electricity and other infrastructural developments that could have tapped into the potential of the lake region. The government is able to collect the taxes without investing in it. Imagine how the situation could have been if the mkoloni utilised the lake waters for their interest which were not for the local people. Without contradicting myself, i can insinuate that central Kenya got its fair share of infrastructural development because the mkoloni settled in their lands. This phenomenon is duplicated everywhere in Africa where the colonialists settled in the midst of the natives e.g the case of the Zulu and Xhosa in South Africa. The Xhosa had the benefit of education and exposure from their oppressors and when they got their freedom, it was easier for one of them to rise to the occasion i.e. N. Mandela. It is because they felt the effects of the occupiers directly. The same happened in Kenya. It is around Mt. Kenya that the mkoloni settled and huddled the natives into reserves. the mkoloni built roads, electricity lines, piped water etc. to serve their population. When Kenya got independence, they did not go away with the land or infrastructure that they developed. The Kikuyu inherited these structures and the most unfortunate thing is that the collaborators are the ones who took over. The common Kikuyu did not benefit as much as the sons and daughters of the collaborators. From the above premise, it goes without saying that in Africa, all communities that had a direct contact with the colonialists benefited from the structures they left behind. Otherwise, if it was that other communities are not entrepreneurial, how do you explain the presence of African tycoons all over Africa. The rich in Africa are not only found in Mt. Kenya. they are everywhere. As an afro-optimist, i believe the best days are yet to come to us Africans as our natural resource base has just been scratched on the surface. I always ask myself why is it that people from west of Kenya have their eyes fixed on Nairobi yet if you go further west to Uganda and DRC, there are much more natural resources including land, gold, diamonds, coltan etc. Or its just a colonial hung-over. If we Africans could just open our eyes and stop being greedy and selfish, we could be very far in terms of development. We have been programmed not to see the good around but to awe what our neighbours own.

...
written by 7masters , February 07, 2008

inequality breed hatred and violence.You know why capitalist west has something called welfare state.It cause the elite rich pay poor to stop them being viloence.They also create equal oppurtunies for jobs,education and so on.Leaders are appointed to serve public not the othe way round.The is not unique to kenya it widespread in africa from egypt to south africa.It funny people are confusing kenyan people and state.The wananchi wa kenya are one of life poorest people yet these corrupt elite have bled them dry to bone.It no wonder things are getting out of hand.

...
written by Ngigi wa Kamau , February 07, 2008

Pray tell, msemakweli, what sophisticated methods have been employed to keep Central Province exclusively Gikuyu? Such mythologising has led to the killing of unwanted madoadoa in RV, Nyanza and Western.
To dispel your fears, here are a few infamous non-Gikuyu who own very large properties in Central Kenya.
N Merali - via Sasini Group holds large coffee & tea estates in the Greater Kiambu district.
Simeon Nyachae - owns several flower farms just outside Thika town.
I do not need to mention the thousands of other non Gikuyu who own homes within Central Province.
Ngigi

african eagle
written by Amir Ibrahim , February 07, 2008

But where will the money come from to put up that infrastructure in Nyanza province? What taxes are being collected from Nyanza prince, taxes large enough to build up the province? And why do Kenyans have so little regard for the private sector? The Kibaki government has worked very hard to bridge the opportunity gap, very hard in fact. This whole idea that there are Kenyans who are marginalised is a big fat lie. I will say this again and again, what came of the Youth Fund, the Women's Fund, the cheap, cheap credit? I mean banks are/ were hawking loans and mortgages on the street!! Where is the Kikuyu advantage here?

The Kisii districts and even north eastern Kenya, even Central Kenya are not sitting about waiting for the government to deliver, they are doing it themselves! Luo Nyanza refused to do it themselves, Asians, Kisiis, Kikuyus, Merus and Somalis came to do it for them, and now they have chased them away.

So here the question still stands, where will the money come from? National taxes or something will have t be used to build up Nyanza, to rebuild Kisumu even. Capital from other ethnicities will be most crucial, labour and goodwill, all of it. This is why we cannot afford to alienate one another, no part of this country can do anything by itself, especially not now.

A rose by any other name..
written by Aliosema , February 07, 2008

I too am greatful to Nanjala for opening up this debate, although some readers do not seem to have grasped his message. In my view expressed elsewhere in this blog, the term majimbo is now soiled or should I say bloodied. It can no longer be used to mean anything constructive because it will always be associated with the near destruction of Kenya. A rose by any other name smells just as sweet so if there is really a good case (I am not convinced) for ethnic regionalism lets make it convincingly. And here I mean so that Kenyans are convinced that co-habitation with other Kenyans is part of the construct of ethnic regionalism under discussion. If anyone can offer a term that describes this, then perhaps we will get back on the right path to devolution, in the same manner that harambee as a concept got us on the right path to cooperative development and nation building.

excuse me
written by Stephen Wanyama , February 07, 2008

What does the nature of our government, i.e. centrist versus federalist have to do with the nature of our economy?

Like Amir says above, the very idea that Kenya is a run-away capitalist state is a lie. The State sector in this country is extremely large, taxes are high and many non-productive people and regions get a lot in transfer funds from the central government.

Even more importantly, there are very few capitalists in this country. All our heroes, from Wamalwa, to Kenyatta, to Musalia, Raila, Moi, Nyachae, Michuki, Kibaki and so on are most certainly not capitalists. They have grown wealthy by stealing or privatising public assets and resources and not by creating wealth. Maybe they do that now, but that is certainly not how they started out. There is a big big difference!

...
written by manta ray , February 07, 2008

Stephen, Aeichener, you will still find people on this forum who just don't get it, even after your very astute comments.

There is indeed an extremely difficult task in getting Kenyans out of the morass they are in and to see things with your clarity because many, especially so-called "highly" educated ones, are the major purveyors of ignorance to their less endowed brethren.
However, that is not say that the problem can never be overcome. It surely will, as long your wise perspectives keep coming.

re: african eagle
written by Wuod Aketch , February 07, 2008

So here the question still stands, where will the money come from? National taxes or something will have t be used to build up Nyanza, to rebuild Kisumu even. Capital from other ethnicities will be most crucial, labour and goodwill, all of it. This is why we cannot afford to alienate one another, no part of this country can do anything by itself, especially not now.

Nyanza is known to pay the highest taxes in Kenya and get the least served. I dunno why.

re: re: african eagle
written by Cicero , February 07, 2008

Nyanza is known to pay the highest taxes in Kenya and get the least served. I dunno why.

That is not true. Nyanza does not get taxed more than any other part of the country. The Kenyan tax system is not based on 'provinces' so i wonder how one would even be able to make that determination.

can you tell us in what specific area "nyanzians" are more taxed than the average Kenyans? is it on the VAT, Income Tax, Property Tax? It should be pretty easy to point out any lack of uniformity in the tax code...please point them out to us.

No business, we are Kenyan!
written by aeichener , February 07, 2008

Stephen is entirely right. Unfortunately, a "businessman" in Kenya is not the same as an entrepreneur in the European, Asian or American sense of the word.

A businessman here classically is more of a rent-seeker: someone who has political connections and club friendships, thereby gets an offer to fill, subcontracts to it to another one (in the shadow) who does the actual work or makes the product, but our "businessman" gets his income as rent from mediations and dispensed opportunities to feed on.

This also explains why numerous Kenyan Indians are not quite as business-savvy and eager as one might expect them to be, in comparison to their astute brothers beyond the Ocean.

A.

...
written by Dalani , February 07, 2008

Businessman in Kenya no different than a businessman anywhere. Alex you are looking at it through the lens of nepotism and corruption as some kind of normalcy in Kenya. I don't buy it..I know there are real entrepreneurs in Kenya who are READY to conduct business anywhere in Kenya and Tanzania and Uganda etc... which has nothing to do with political connections or gangsterism but simply talent and service and supply finding demand whereever that may be.

The so called businessman you are referring is nothing than what in rich countries is know as corporate welfare cases not worthy of the title of entrepreneur.

African Eaglets
written by Dalani , February 07, 2008

Now the public good:

That is biggest challenge of all in India , China and Kenya also and many other countries:

Taxes are levied and business is booming and opprtunities exist yet there is still poverty. How to insure that infrastructure is built and schools run and hospitals staffed in all regions? Some fairplay and a level playing field is required. SChooling for example: Do all regions have access to schools in Kenya? equally?

...
written by Dalani , February 08, 2008

majimbo makes no sense to me:
reason 1: It is separatism based on greed that will benefit only rich foreigners:
Luos live near Great Lakes
Another tribe lives on land with oil
majimbism says you build a wall of intolerance and exclusion between the two now guess who will sell to who? the tribe with oil will sell to some rich country and the Luos living near the Lake will never see any of that money.

Now imagine the EXACT opposite of majimboism:
the Luos and some other tribes are neighbors and even intermarry adn mingle in a UNIFIED COUNTRY. Now the oil money is taxed some of it to build schools and roads etc..anywhere in that country benefitting many more than a handful.

that is exaclty the situation in countries that are considered rich. China was once a collection of tribes so was Europe ..Today do they practice majimboism??