To: Jo-Kano in the Diaspora

By: Jerry Okungu

[ Posted On: 2006-11-19 ]

Like the children of Israel, we are all over the world. We can be found scattered all over Eastern, Central, Southern and West Africa, North America, Middle East, Europe, the Far East, New Zealand and Australia, just to mention a few. We are literally everywhere. All we need is to remember our ancestral motherland; the Kano Plains, the land of our ancestors that spreads from the hills of Kericho and Nandi to the shores of Lake Victoria.

When one talks of Kano, one remembers Apondo Disi, Nduru dho Nam Lolwe, Migingo, Rabuor, Nyalunya, Nyan'gande, Nyachoda, Awasi Border, Oren, Ong'eche, Kaswa, Thur Dibuoro, Gee Liech, Olasi, Ayweyo, Kimira, Wang'anga, God Waradho, Sidho Gweng' Lwanda Magere and Legio Maria Arch-Bishop Ondeto.

The clans inhabiting Kano Plains are many and varied. They have over the centuries lived in harmony, inter married, mourned their dead and celebrated success together from time immemorial. There has never been conflict from among the Kano clans even with immigrants from Kisumo, Nyakach, Bunyore and Kisii who came and settled among them in the last 100 years, a remarkable peace record achievement if you ask me.

Whether we come from Ayweyo, Kakola, Kabonyo, Kamagaga, Kakmiye, Kamsua, Kanyipola, Kobura, Kochogo, Kimira, Kolwa, Wawidhi, Wang'aya, Watombori, Sidho, Koguta or Olasi, we are the same family. Therefore the welfare of Kano clans back in Nyanza should be our main concern whether we live in Kenya or not.

Right now we have many social economic and even political issues affecting our development. We have a huge number of HIV & AIDS orphans and widows to deal with. We have old and aging grandparents forced to look after young orphans due to HIV & AIDS endemic. The dying youth have left tracks of land untilled resulting in starvation and abject poverty. Annual floods continue to sweep whatever little left including grass thatched huts and chickens to the lake. School dropouts are high with education standards dwindling by the day. The situation is bleak if not pathetic. There are no roads, school structures, facilities, clean drinking water and preventive health services to talk about. Electricity is unthinkable and beyond the dream of any Kano villager. Yet we have many sons and daughters at home and in the Diaspora that can change all this.

The starting point has to be a sensible, visionary and all embracing political leadership. We need a leadership that has no clan mentality, a leadership that has confidence and does not see imaginary enemies in every dark alley. We need a leadership that does not discriminate, divide and punish. We need a leadership that is not selfish and greedy.

We need a leadership that can harness experience, manpower and strategic thinkers that can give direction to the proper use of resources already available from public funds.

Between 2003 and 2006 Kano region that comprises East and West Kano has received the following funds directly from the Government of Kenya:

2003 Muhoroni and Nyando Constituencies - CDF - Ks. 40 million

2004 Muhoroni and Nyando Constituencies - CDF - Ks. 40 million

2005 Muhoroni and Nyando Constituencies - CDF - Ks. 70 million

2006 Muhoroni and Nyando Constituencies - CDF - Ks. 70 million

From CDF alone, this region has received Ks 210 million in direct disbursement for rural development.

We have yet to calculate another fund called Local Authorities Transfer Fund that is disbursed to the Local Authorities by the Ministry of Local Government. Recipients in Kano region have been Nyando County Council, Muhoroni Urban Council, Ahero Urban Council, Awasi, Rabuor, Miwani and Chemelil Urban Councils.

Other public funds have come through Constituency School bursaries disbursements and Constituency Aids Fund among many others.

It is therefore fair to estimate that Kano Plains has received in the tune on Ks. 500 million in the last 4 years in direct public funding to provide the following in a fair and transparent manner to all corners of Kano, no matter how remote or removed from civilization:

1. Roads
2. Bridges
3. School Classrooms
4. School equipment and facilities
5. Hospitals
6. Preventive Health care
7. Network Clean Water System
8. Provide Electricity
9. Dykes to control Nyando Floods
10. Educate orphans and poor children
11. Widows welfare
12. Increase food production

It is true we need to pull our resources together but let us do so after we have properly utilized our tax revenues from CDF, LATF and other revenues disbursed from the Treasury.

Jerry Okungu
Wuod Kano, Kochogo.
Awasi.

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

Jerry Okungu is a freelance political analyst based in Nairobi, Kenya. Jerry also serves as a Board Director at The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. Jerry has written extensively on issues affecting Kenya and the rest of Africa over the years. Other articles written by Jerry Okungu are available at this location

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