Protect Turkana land from speculators

The alleged acquisition of 3.1 million-acre block of land for oil exploration in Ngamia-1 of Turkana County has once again exposed widespread abuse of communal lands.

In Kenya, communal lands ownership is vested in the county councils under the Trust Land Act (Cap 288). However, this kind of land tenure system has for a long time been open to abuse where trust lands are fraudulently sold and sub-divided. I presume this will change after new land legislations are enacted.

With the exposed land ownership of oil exploration fields in Turkana and majority of the local community crying foul, it is unfortunate that Turkana County Council, which is the trustee of Turkana trust lands, has since distanced itself from these accusations and maintained the land was sold without its consent. It is also puzzling how the concerned ministries and authorities allegedly transferred the said rangelands and millions of acres from the local residents to investors without involving the the councils.

Buyers must have colluded with some community leaders and or pastoral group representatives entrusted with the management of communal land resources without following due processes.

But for the economic good of the local community and our country, it is only prudent to refrain from these veiled remarks and shift focus on how to avert the impending trouble with the discovery of oil in Turkana.

LAND DISPUTES

The relevant commissions and civil society groups should immediately initiate dialogue to recommend appropriate redress for the unprecedented land disputes. This will ensure that the drilling and exploration is done in accordance with the law and the blessings of the Turkana County. The processes should begin to create awareness among the residents on the socio-economic and environmental concerns of oil exploration and rights of ownership, revenue sharing and participation in the decisions on critical natural resources management.

The State should pay more attention to the Turkana community who has already lost huge grazing lands to oil exploration. To the best of existing literature, Ngamia 1 area is traditionally known to be a key livestock grazing route for the Turkana when moving southward towards River Turkwel and Kerio in search of water and pastures during the dry seasons.

The land fragmentation due to oil exploration is likely to exacerbate vulnerability of Turkana herders if appropriate supportive measures are not put in place in time.

It should be public knowledge that even with the discovery of oil in the area, pastoralism has been a lifeline of the Turkana community since time immemorial and will still be, in the years to come.

Therefore, the State and concerned authorities should tread carefully on the subject of leasing out huge swathes of grazing lands to ‘oil and land speculators’ at the expense of pastoral livestock production.

Water remains the most priced commodity in the region thus more focus should be shifted towards developing water resources, improving livestock productivity and marketing infrastructures, while at the same time coming up with sustainable livelihood strategies to enable local Turkana residents to tap into the increasing buzz of activities in the area.

Francis Opiyo, Garissa County

Balala should leave Islam out of his fall

I am an old man who has had the privilege of performing the Hajj in Mecca. When President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga recently made a Cabinet reshuffle, I took it as normal power politics. Many of us have been accustomed to such things since independence in 1963.

But Mvita MP Najib Balala and a section of the Muslim leaders, under the National Muslim Leaders Forum, threatened the PM with "the wrath of all Muslim voters at the General Election." They equated his removal to "sacking of Islam" from the Cabinet. I find it hard to believe this.

He called upon Muslims all over the country to vote against the PM whom he accused of "betraying" Muslims.

Which Muslims did Raila betray when he sacked Balala? When did the Cabinet position that the Mvita MP held become the property of Muslims?

I was born a Muslim. I as approach my 80s, I am worried that some few self-seekers want to misuse Islam and Muslims in pursuit of their own narrow political goals.

Muslims will never direct their anger against an individual for sacking another person for reasons that have nothing to do with the Islamic faith.

Muslims should ignore Balala’s woes as his action is haram. It is unfortunate some religious leaders have enjoined themselves in this blasphemy. Let Balala and Raila fight their wars without dragging in our religion.

Al-Hajj Kassim Khatib,

Mumias

Writer owes his readers an apology

Barrack Muluka, a career writer and publisher, is well versed and highly regarded. One would have expected him to be sincere in sharing of information and thoughts.

However, as a reader of The Standard on Saturday, I feel his commentaries on the political landscape were always skewed in favour ofsome politician. The problem is not really in his partiality for that is his right, but in hoodwinking readers that he was neutral as expected of any professional analyst.

His veil was unmasked when he was appointed communications director of a presidential aspirant whom he has always spoken well of in his commentaries.

More appallingly, he waited for this announcement to come from other sources for him to belatedly declare where his heart resides in an effort to do damage control.

Muluka owes an apology to readers as he has always been preaching integrity.

Hamilton ole Parseina,

Nairobi

Why are diplomats meddling in politics?

The move by foreign countries through their diplomats to meddle in Kenya’s affairs is misplaced and an introduction of colonialism through the back door.

This is totally unacceptable and therefore uncalled for.

It was particularly wrong for German ambassador to Kenya Margit Hellwig-Boette to urge presidential aspirants Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto to leave politics and concentrate on the cases facing them at the ICC.

This comes in the wake of the recent remarks by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague. Hague urged Kenyans to mind the country’s international image in deciding Deputy PM Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto’s eligibility to run for president in the General Election.

Hague remarks were patronising, imperialistic and in blatant disregard of the basic tenets of international relations.

And two days ago, Margit told Uhuru and Ruto to shelve their presidential ambitions and concentrate on cases facing them at The Hague. But it is Kenyans who will decide on the fate of the two.

Kenyans have a Constitution, which can guide them on the nature of leaders to elect to a given office. We do not need lectures from foreigners on who we should elect for whatever position.

Foreign countries should not use the ICC issue for strategic interests and dictate the leadership of this country to subvert the political rights of the people.

It is now evident that Hague and Margit’s statements confirm suspicion that the ICC cases against the two were part of a foreign scheme to influence the outcome of elections for the fourth president.

UK and Germany should understand that Kenya is an independent State, and that no foreign country has moral authority to dictate to Kenyans the leaders they should elect.

Stop interference

Kenyans should not allow foreigners to dictate to the country and impose leaders.

Kenyans are capable of electing leaders who are committed to solving the many problems facing them. Foreigners should concentrate on issues affecting their nations.

Foreign countries should explore ways of solving the food shortages facing some countries in the Horn of Africa instead of involving themselves in matters of leadership for their selfish gains.

Kenyans know well who Ruto and Uhuru are and that they do not need help from foreigners to tell Kenyan voters more about the two presidential aspirants.

What happens if Kenya ambassadors to UK, Germany and US for example wake up one morning and call for a press conference asking people of those countries to elect so and so as their Prime Ministers or presidents?

I believe it will not take even a minute for such ambassadors to be expelled from that country over such statements.

Foreigners should, therefore, give Kenyans the opportunity to elect leaders of their choices without any interference.

Joel Onyango,

Kericho

Feedback

Ministers warn against tribal card

Why are some leaders in this country very uncomfortable whenever Eldoret North MP William Ruto (pictured) who is also the undisputed king of the Kalenjin community convenes a meeting to chart the way forward for the community?

Kimaiyo Minanyang, Kenya

Kenya is not maturing politically. I thought those people we called Young Turks were different. They’ve now turned tribalists. We saw them in their true colours recently when they retreated to their tribal cocoons. Others went straight to resurrect dead tribal bodies to try to evade a legal court process.

Justin Peter, Kenya

With the General Election scheduled for March, next year, the emerging tribal groupings – Gema and Kamatusa – are not good for the country and are bound to incite animosity. Nobody wants to see a repeat of what we went through after the 2007 General Election. As Kenyans we should all be united as one tribe for one country called Kenya.

Joseph Kwimba,

Nairobi.

It’s high time we changed our tactics of dealing with politics. Even though ICC might have distorted our way of politicking, resorting to mixing up issues like these won’t help.

Festus Kipchirchir

The recent meeting held by the so called ‘Kamatusa’ leaders is a clear indication that some leaders are deliberately taking us to dark days. Major Seii and his team should not in anyway assume that they are holding entire community in their pockets for political capital.

Arnold Kipkemoi Rono