The Taita We Want

We all heard of the Kenya that people want, nothing beyond what we already knew, in-fact they wasted so much funds organizing a workshop that was even graced by some 'Kenyans we dont want', the likes of former President Moi and his right hand man Nicholas Biwott among others.

Corruption, leadership, poverty, land, accountability, development, same... same... same.... issues that we talk about everyday were discussed there, again.

Say we lower the scale down to Taita, what do we really want with our region....? What is it in your opinion that can greatly change this lovely home of ours....?

Taita - Taveta: A Region Forgotten

Taita-Taveta could arguably be the richest region in the country. With more than half its land under the wildlife parks of Tsavo East and West generating billions of shillings in annual revenues for the tourism industry. It’s a region rich in mineral resources that have seen a few turn into billionaires. Yet its people still languish in poverty, missing even the most basic of all human requirements.

Farming even for subsistence is a problem. The region which falls under the semi arid zones receives some of the least levels of rainfall in the country. When the rains fall, wild animals from the parks lay in wait for the little that the residents have managed to plant. This is in addition to the security threat posed to people’s lives by the same animals. Compensation is only considered when there is loss of human life and in many cases, it’s not forthcoming.

Levels of education have always been wanting. High dropout rates have for a long time been experienced mainly as a result of poverty. Lack of credible tertiary institutions within the region have played a part heightening this situation as access to quality education is barred by distance and associated costs. The opening of a new campus for Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Voi was welcomed with high expectations; it may take time before any positive effects are felt as the situation is still the same.

‘Poor infrastructure’ as a term can be used to describe the region. Other than the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, the whole region boasts of only 40km stretch of narrow tarmac which is currently filled with potholes. The region’s potential arising from its proximity to the Tanzanian border is highly unexploited. The only road leading to the border has been in a poor state and promises to construct it have never been kept.

Yet leaders come and go, leaving little to talk about other than their inability to improve the status of their people. We remain a laughing stock to the whole country as we have resources that have done more harm than good to us. Who will stand up for this group of forgotten people....? Forgotten until the next election.