Coastals Are Adjusting To The Rules of Market Economics: What news item does an average coast also look for first thing in the morning these past days? The Chinese Standard Gauge Railway Project? The LAPSET project? Another speech by the so- called MijiKenda kingpins and self- appointed coast kingpin? No. It is the latest news on Jumuiya za Kaunti ua Pwani. Like it or not the Jumuiya initiative is taking hold. However, it seems that some coast leaders and their cohorts can hardly leave exit the leadership arena or even embrace change without starting a new round of rumours of some plot or other against them over position of kingpin of Coast. And true or not these rumours underscore the widespread fear that Jumuiya as a young economic driver is too fragile to survive the pressure of sustained political assualt and that it may after all be declared dead on arrival by the enemies of the Coastarians Coastarians have been led by leaders who appear to be good at eating up bread and other staples right from the shelves, leaving crumbs for the electorate. The most visible benefit has been consumption boom excitedly and readily welcomed amongst the leaders close family and friends. But the Coastarians are aware of basic economic theory that says to spend more one has to work more. Here again, over fifty years of centralist rule from Nairobi, taught Coastarians a clear lesson, they can no longer rely upon the state and its corporations such the Coast Development Authority to improve their lives as HonGideon M. Mungaro naively believe. The new rules of the game have been made by the governors and are here to stay and the Mungaros of this world had better master them. After all, it is not a secret that those who mastered the development bank rules first, and came up with the Rural Urban Bank, Equity Bank, Family Bank etc majorly associated to certain community are far ahead in living standards. Others are working hard to catch up. To survive and prosper in the new devolved system and socio- economic development environment, other counties have developed specific strategies by starting their own regional businesses and joint development projects. For instance counties in Nyanza and Western are jointly investing in the sugar industry, fish industry, cotton industry and piped water supplies industry.Hundred of thousands of residents of these counties are going to try out new jobs created by these mega projects. But above all its learn,learn, learn new pro- active approaches away from old failed approach such as Mungaros belief in CDA. Giddo who is also the MP for Malindi is my personal friend, and politically speaking, he is senior than Gov. Joho. But he has failed to grasp crucial facts about the Jumuiya. For example, right now even those who hate the new reality are losing heart in the idea of active political struggle over supremacy. While the Coastarians are rejecting politics, the smart politicians themselves are now seeking financial independence and by creating Jumuiya most Coastarians view it as, in fact, a necessary step toward achieving financial independence. Who knows? The next step might be the signing of a massive investment agreement amongst the Jumuiya members in which the Jumuiya za Kaunti ya Pwani with its expansive share in the maritime or shipping industry starts ship building industry at either Mombasa or Lamu port. I believe that even if this initiative does not hold, it will not be a disaster like the 50 year plus of the centralist rule. The allegations that the process leading up to creation of Jumuiya was shrouded with secrecy and political undercurrent are pure falsehood, baseless and without base. The truth is that the makeup of the present Jumuiya leadership has all the governors in Coast and the MCAs are already a result of intensive cross-the board consultative approaches among political and professionals. This is not to say any want to lock others out of the initiative, but if your intention is stir up trouble and ensure that Jumuiya is declared dead on arrival by outsiders why should you be offered the red carpet anyway? The remarks attributed to the movers of the Jumuiya to the effect that those opposed to the initiative would be lose their seat was simply a tracer bullet fired in the direction of those still in the darkness like Hon. Naomi Shaban and Giddo to see light. We are enthralled that none of these leaders has the capacity to reverse the trend, for the Coastarians are now aware that to change their lives people are overwhelmingly choosing the instrument of economic, not politics.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 21:14:06 +0000
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