From: Faulu Suba

The politics of development and poverty eradication is one that evokes emotions in Luo Nyanza. this is understandable given the long years of neglect and politics of exclusion in the past. However, with devolved funds now distributed throughout the nation, government neglect is no longer an excuse. What then will be the excuse for underdevelopment?

Is it culture, laziness or just sheer bad luck as claimed by some people? I am saying no, it is not culture, it is not laziness and it is not bad luck but lack of knowledge, skills and the right attitudes and mindset for pragmatic resource management. This is characterized by poor stewardship of personal finances, family finances and community resources.

Luo Nyanza people are known to come together only to consume or to politic but not to save or invest. They are adept at mobilizing people for social events but not for business events. This is the reason we do not have investment vehicles in Nyanza.

Not only that but our people are also competent analysts of national political situations and prescribing national solutions but very poor at analyzing socio-economic situations in their backyard. This is one reason leaders from Luo Nyanza will ably put the national government on its toes but fail to reign on CDF and LATF fund embezzlement in their constituencies and districts.

In addition, the synergy of pooling resources together is seldom appreciated by the people and leaders of Luo Nyanza. That is why able business people cannit grow their businesses beyond certain limits for fear of pooling resources with other investors. Personal/or individual tag on a business to most of our people is preferable to company or corporate tag. It is also the very reason, our MPs cannot pool ideas with other professionals for feaar of loosing the individual MMps tag on development projects.

Another missing link is the appreciation of the benefits of delaying aggrandisement. A graduate would rush to buy a fuel guzzler as soon as he gets a well paying job and religiously drive it home every month to impress villagers. This is normally done at the expense of savings and investments. Another instance is the renting of mansions in ‘posh’ residential areas instead of paying deposits and mortgage for the same or less expensive units.

There is also what you call HAIL THE THIEF SYNDROME. Those thuondi who have been entrusted with managing resources on behalf of the community are hailed when they have channeled them to their own stomachs and built rotund body shapes and their pockets to entertain many women and sycophants who cheer them on to contest political seats. People who eat from their sweats are seldom cheered because they have no ill gotten resources to waste on the cheering squads and cheer leaders. Thay are often taunted with questions like WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR THE PEOPLE?

Assistance to the people is equated with handouts of ‘coins’. A contribution of an idea is seldom rarely considered a worthy contribution. Besides, contribution of resources which the cheerleaders’ hands have not blessed by pinching off portions is not also considered a contribution towards development.

The last thing I present to you is the old juok profession which is characterized by superstition. This is an impediment to putting issues in their right perspectives and often prevents correct causal-effect analysis. You would therefore hear many complaints of a child not doing well in school because of being bewitched, a business collapsing due to an evil spell on the owner. A woman failing to conceive because of non-observance of some taboo. As a result many would be investors fail to invest due to this or that taboo or due to fear of evil spells being directed at them by a jealous neighbour. Some opt to invest in some far flung places like Australia which are beyond reach of the evil spells.

Dear my fellow Jaluo, what do we do? FIRSTLY, LET’S PRAY AND SUBMIT TO OUR ALMIGHTY GOD TO PROTECT AND SAVE US FROM THE EVIL SPELLS AND LET’S ALL EMBRACE AND SUPPORT FINANCIAL LITERACY AND EDUCATION TO CHILDREN, YOUTH, WOMEN, WAZEES AND LEADERS through our schools, churches, barazas, talks and all other forms of communications so that we can make better consumption, savings and investments decisions.

With devolution your well being is in your hands!