Hon. Eric Simiyu Wafukho
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Kenya’s governance culture in which public functions such as Madaraka Day Jamhuri Day and Mashujaa Day are held in different parts of the country is a noble one and it should be encouraged both now and in the days to come.
I support the practice of National Government , and the Presidency in particular , regularly going on week-long working missions around the various regions of the country and holding Cabinet meetings outside of Nairobi.
This practice is a catalyst for building national cohesion, enhancing appreciation and understanding of the design and architecture of democracy in which people are sovereign and providing opportunity for National Government to interact with the public and get feedback on its performance.
Such encounters between National Government and Presidency in particular , and regions are not walks in the park given the level of awareness , exposure and history that the communities have and can sometimes be lethal as the regions measure the level of commitment by Government to fulfill their pledges and address the needs of these regions.
Most political processes of antiquity were generally driven by loud person- centered conversations whose aim was not to address the deep-seated development priorities of the community but to use political placebos of eternal launches and re-launches of peripheral projects without significant budgets as poverty traps designed to consign the community to eternal vulnerability and perpetual dependence, while seeking political mileage in the process.
Any smell of this and regional engagements become graveyards of political hegemonies. A carefully structured engagement and collaborative synergies with County governments and adherence to the rule of law are critical in managing messaging and declarations made while in the regions.
My advice to the National Government is to use the Regional Development Charters signed with Regions and the overall Medium Term Development Plans and use Regional engagements to give account of how these plans are being implemented.
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Hon. Eric Simiyu Wafukho
Leadership and Governance Consultant
Sewafukho@gmail.com
