Are NEP's Youthful Leaders Engaging in Premature Triumphalism?

 I pose this question because The Standard's Boniface Ongeri & Isaiah Lucheli wrote a piece titled "Youthful Leaders Have Grand Plans for NEP."


Given that elections are a little over a year away, Somalis in NEP must now decide what sort of counties they want to live in. We could go on with the status-quo and remain retrogressive  in every economic and social indicator. Or, we could free ourselves from the shackles of clanism and actively set about creating the sort of society that other Kenyans envy and want emulate.


Great Societies are created by, among other things, the coming together of civic groups, educated youths, philanthropists and governments dedicated to working for their people. And for NEP, given all the decentralization the new constitution affords us, this is surely the moment. The chemistry is right.


What then is needed to get the chemistry going? We need educated leadership whose sole interest is driving up economic growth, reducing red tape and appropriating development funds where they will yield the best results while offering citizens the most convenience. Above all, we need leadership that will foster a sense of self confidence in Somalis and attract financial investment in our livestock industry and farmland along  The Tana. We need leaders who will promote education over illiteracy, self-sufficiency over perpetual dependence, cohesion over disenfranchisement and most importantly leadership that takes advantage of our religious, cultural and lingual homogeneity instead of dividing us into clans and sub-clans.


What we don't need is another politician who talks big but thinks small and our leaders have been the worst offenders when it comes to this.The season of aggrandizing politicians and derelict citizenry should be over.   Our current political leaders, with notable exceptions, are perhaps the least impressive in Kenya. They are pathologically incapable of seeing the big picture. Evermore relying on connections and bribery to maintain their seats while delivering nothing. They never preach self sufficiency or urge the Somali investor class to build their home province instead of putting billions into Eastleigh  and never bring to the floor legislation of any significance.


In the past ten years, Garissa has come far but we are still unable to take pride in our achievements because many of us consider them an ascent from jaw-dropping badness to mere mediocrity. This is why, I am pro-youthful leadership and an end to our decadent political system.However, for all the talk of "youthful" leadership, I have to say, besides Abdikadir Mohammed of Mandera, I'm yet to be impressed by any the so called youths. Garissa's mayor has been a big turn off for a lot people and has seriously undermined the youth agenda. His self-confidence has tipped into insouciance and neglect of duty. While he is not evil intentioned, most of his administration has been plagued by incompetence. Even failing in things as mundane as garbage collection.


The Standard quotes Khalif Abdi who gave an accurate diagnosis of why enthusiasm for youthful leadership is waning.

Some residents say certain youth elected into leadership roles have failed to meet expectations."They had the opportunity to prove to the skeptics that they were up to the challenge but some have been a big disappointment and embarrassment to the youth fraternity," Khalif Abdi Farah, the coordinator of Northern Forum for Democracy said.Khalif explains the difference between the old guard and the youth was that the elderly leaders were easily accessible and selfless, but the youth were selfish and poor managers."Some of the youthful leaders are already under probe for misuse of funds while others have accumulated questionable wealth and are living beyond their paltry pay," Khalif added

In conclusion, even though this is a boon time for youthful leaders, I would urge those seeking positions of power to not succumb to premature triumphalism. Pay attention to detail, convince us you are the right people for elected office, articulate your views without pandering to clan overlords, come up with manifestos that will get us drooling and go above and beyond in courting the votes of elders and youths alike. Finally, make sure you are educated and have an impeccable record as far as personal integrity is concerned. Trust me, nobody wants to unleash a bunch of half baked, khat addled youngsters on the public. If it means seeking non-glamorous positions such as becoming a councilor to gain legislative experience, do so. You'll be all the better for it! 


That's my two cents worth! 

Garissa, Meet Ahmed Nadhir Omar!

 I don't care much for the numerous pin-heads throwing their hats into the Senatorial and Gubernatorial races coming up in Garissa. Many of them strike me as vintage politicos, by which I mean they resemble the kind of candidates fronted by 'macawis' clad old men whose loyalties are readily available to the highest bidder.

Its no secret our current political discourse is pervaded by insufficiently intelligent old men committed to the traditional clanism paradigm. These men offer nothing but run-of-the-mill destructive politics and policy.

So as is clear to everyone but the alligator residents of the Tana River , our county needs change and a clear break with its personality (and clan) based politics. Conventional candidates in unconventional times is not what we need.

This is where young and previously untested candidates come in. Ahmed Nadhir Omar is a Gubernatorial candidate with impressive credentials. Listen to a speech he gave to a gathering of Garissians and make up your own mind about him. The videography is lame and the delivery was less than stellar but such are the pressures on those unfamiliar with public speaking.

The speech comes across as a brass-eared political consultant's idea of what the disengaged voters of  Garissa want to hear. Despite its generic and diagnostic nature, I was (mildly) impressed.



Note: I understand any mention of a particular candidate on this blog might be misconstrued as an endorsement or even a plug, so let me go out on a limp and categorically state that in this case it's not. Until we know more about this candidate and his plans for action, I will hold my cards close to my chest.

Garissa's Greatest Football Coach; Abdirahman Bilal alias JB

 Even when outside the confines of Garissa Primary School field, Abdirahman or as he is fondly referred to by his friends Gerard/JB, creates a stir. Most Garissans are familiar with this broad shouldered master of football and mind games. He single handedly transformed Sunnah Boys from a minor league outfit to the city's most coherent and tactile group.


 In his wake, junior kids crowd around him to listen to the dry, politically incorrect humor that drips from his mouth. He has a flair for the dramatic much like his hero, Mourinho of Real Madrid, even though he models himself after Arsene Wenger. This modern day renaissance man is a comedian, a tactician, a master manager and a hafidh. He mastered the Qur'an at the tender age of 11, graduated in the top quartile of his class and gave the city some of its best footballing talents. 


Gerrard Occupies a rarefied place in the pantheon of Garissian celebrity. He is a manifestation of the wonders of  madrassa and the 8-4-4 system perfectly meshed to produce a man of many abilities and talents.  He has ascended to the top through grit, sword and an understanding of human psychology that many don't have.


When he is not on the field, he can be found among his friends in Bulla Sunnah.

Quick Hits: Youths Storm Municipal Council Offices & Nurses Assaulted in Sakuri

 This morning, my inbox was stuffed with e-mails from readers informing me about what some of them termed 'a revolutionary fervor' bubbling in our city.

Yesterday, about 8-10 youths from the Northern forum for Democracy(?) were arrested and arraigned in court after they  stormed the Garissa Municipal Council offices. All of the accused youths were released on free bail and will have allegation against them heard by a judge at a later date.

Does this represent a break with our passive past? No one can conclusively say so but we hope this heralds a  change in the fear pyramid where citizens move to the top of the hierarchy.


                                  ****

In an eerily similar circumstance, a bunch of youth were arrested in Sankuri and are now facing charges of aggravated assault causing bodily harm and forcible confinement after they severely beat up two nurses at a dispensary in the village and locked up a third in a room.

The nurses have been brought to Garissa General Hospital for treatment. Its not clear what led to this act of random violence. Sources I've spoken to claim that some one who was claiming to be sick played a major a role.

In any case this was highly unnecessary and avoidable. Attacking healthcare workers for no reason is not part our culture.
We wish both ladies a quick recovery.

Nairobi Star: Garissa County Teens Elect Their Governor

 The national council for children will provide an opportunity for teenagers to debate and take part in decision that affect their lives, according to a children's officer.
Garissa children's officer Bishar Abdullahi said the forum will give children a chance directly take part in issues that have an impact on their lives.
He made the statement in Garissa during the election of Garissa County governor, deputy governor and regional speaker at the weekend. Children from Fafi, Ijara and Lagdera attended the election meeting.


He said: "The Kenya Children's Assembly will enhance child participation in matters affecting them and act as a medium to articulate the various issues raised by children, especially in matters concerning education, health, protection from violence, abuse, exploitation and HIV/AIDS."


He gave the example of Northeastern province where FGM is a common practice. Children will now get a chanto the young ones saying that because they had not been given a forum to talk about it, it was becoming difficult to weed it out.


He went on:"It cannot get any better for you than this, for once you have the opportunity to interact with your colleagues from other parts of the country and share with them your experiences, not forgetting that you will have the opportunity to directly interact with your leaders and tell them your problems." He challenged the children to come up with idead that could be implemented to make society a better place for all.
Newly-elected 15-year-old governor Khadija Jibril, a Form Two student in Ummu-Salama Secondary School, said the children's council was long overdue and that it would go along way in empowering children with knowledge and skills on rights and responsibilities.


The concept of children assemblies aims at inculcating in children principles of participation critical in promotion, inclusion, equality and development of democratic values in children. Every county will have its representatives in the national assembly.

Disclaimer: Post taken verbatim from The Nairobi Star. The views expressed here in do not reflect the editorial view of GCB.

Garissa Youth Rally Against Drug Abuse

   Hundreds of peaceful youth staged a protest against the proliferating use of drugs in Garissa- coinciding, fortuitously, with the Easter Weekend when a lot of non-muslim Garissians engage in heavy drinking. The procession marched through the streets of Garissa chanting anti-drug slogans and raising awareness on the detrimental effects of drugs on health.

Who better to adjudicate matters of youth morality, disputes and problems than the youth themselves. This effort also helps re-inforce the Ulamaa's stance on drugs since reaction to them has always swinged between hostility to downright mockery.

After the procession ended, groups of youth went back to their bachelor pads for a well-deserved 'miraa chewing session.'  [ I totally made this up]

To see my past rantings on drugs and drug-addled youth, go here and here

Generation Druggies

 Several years back, my father who usually spent most of his time outside Garissa, couldn't believe that most kids my age rarely engaged in drug abuse. He was bizarrely amused by the fact that young 'druggies' were referred to as "chokora', 'steam' , mainly so outside the mainstream they were the classic uncool kids of the 21st century.

 How things change! Now binge drinking, marathon miraa chewing and chain smoking are more common a sight than a stray cow in suq mugdi. More shockingly, this behaviour transcends gender. Its no longer unholy to see girls from NEP & UMU de-skinning miraa twigs.

Yesterday, an anonymous tipster informed me of a young girl who was admitted to Garissa general hospital for alcohol poisoning. The transformation is now complete. No longer is sobriety considered cool. Now its all about getting a temporary high from bhang (marijuana) puff and miraa juice. Immorality and  social decay are more pervasive than ever.

How did end up here and what are the consequences? I'll let you mull that while I try to figure out how to interact with the drunken fools that are too vegetative to use the internet. And by the way, next time someone asks you why NEP's KCPE & KCSE scores are down the toilet or why very few of our students matriculate in national universities, you know the answer.

Let me know what you guys think in the comments section.

What is wrong with our Youth?

 What is wrong with our youth? They seem to be happy with their position of irrelevance and actually seem to thrive on it. The lack of ambition on our streets is depressing and besmirching of our honour . Everyday more and more of our vaunted future leaders join the ranks of dropouts, drug addicts and live-at-home 25 year olds. The best of what Garissa produces are those who dream of leaving Kenya for 'greener pastures' elsewhere (read; Europe & North America).

This is a scathing indictment of a culture that does not place any value on academic success, celebrates mediocrity and is hopelessly divided by the most primordial of clan loyalties.While the dynamics at work in Garissa are similar to those in the broader region, our contentment with failure is peculiar and perilous. Improvisation, can-do-demeanour and  an aggressive entrepreneurial spirit used to be an integral part of the collective Somali psyche. One didn't need to have a fancy degree to start a successful business. Our parents did it without ever knowing how to balance a financial sheet. We have no excuse not to. Most of the claustrophobic stalls in "Suuq Mugdi" are owned by foreigners. The construction industry imports labour from elsewhere because we are too classy to do such menial work. Clerical jobs are all held by senile retirees and our political system is the preserve of a few families.

This society will not change until its youth wake up from this prolonged sleep. Garissa's youth can do better, NEP's youth can achieve much more. The real challenge we face today is how to revitalise and empower our youth. Hope, self reliance, private enterprise and pursuit of happiness should be the new paradigm that predominates in Somali Kenya. Waiting for others to uplift us out of our current predicament will never materialize. So to you, the youth of Garissa, being apolitical, sitting around waiting for Dualle to get you a job or a ticket to Europe is delusional. Think of how you can replace him or hold his feet to  fire.

Good Luck.

The Garissa Youth Express

 One of the many readers of this blog sent me this video which I found truly inspiring. It's so good to see some of our young boys and girls taking charge of their destiny and deciding to get involved in the leadership of this beautiful city. Come 2012, I hope to see at least 75% of positions at the Municipal level filled by 21-35 year olds. After all this age group predominates the voting bloc in this city. Should this sleeping giant wake up and realize the power that they wield , it will mean a new dawn for Garissa.


Garissa Youth Days from Alicia Sully on Vimeo.

Finally, I hope to categorically state that I'm not in anyway involved with G-Youth. However, I wish them nothing but success.

The Untamed Beasts of NEP

      Shoot me for being a believer in fairies and I'll die believing the people of NEP have their better days ahead of them. The current brain-dead leadership in our region will not steer us to the promised land. I'm sure most of us would welcome any phantom over the current cadre of MPs who have lowered us several rungs below where we were in 2000. Between the last three MPs, we've heard ministers, assistant Ministers and generals who've held position of power and wealth. Where did all this great power and influence take us? An infrastructure worse than that of Ancient Greece,perennially failing schools, super-high unemployment and a lack of basic needs. A Leaddership that has encouraged and at times bank rolled intra-tribal conflicts for their own political gains. A power hungry class that divides people into class and clans to exploit them.

    Maybe this is the time for the Achebe reading youth of Garissa High, Umu Salama and Wajir High, who wouldn't mix well at the privileged tables but are bound to be an improvement over the current illiterate and socially connected class. This is time for the youth to vie for positions of leadership. Its the right time for 25 year olds from Nep who hold University degrees but are held in doldrums of despair and hopelessness to take up their rightful position in society.

I wish they would run and if they do, I'll wish them the very best. I hope no one goes to a voting booth to cast their vote for an incumbent.Its time for unleashing the untamed beasts.
Currently there are a number who are considering vying for positions. The likes of Devii, Sadeeq, Salah and numerous others who have decided to put themselves on the line for the greater good of the common class. Kick out the old guard for the fresh blood has far greater things to offer. Let the revolution start.