Open Letter to the President: A cry of a Turkana - request to spare Hon. John Munyes Kiyonga from the looming cabinet reshuffle.
Dear your Excellency,
I take this
opportunity to thank God for your election and re-election in 2013 and 2017
respectfully. It is a good sign from God and the people of Kenya that, they
have trust in your leadership.
It is with this Noble trust that, I would like to request
your Excellency, to listen to a cry of a Turkana in the message below by
pardoning and sparing Hon. John Munyes Kiyonga, the CS for Petroleum and Mining
from any axe that will befall any CS in the looming Cabinet Reshuffle.
Your Excellency, Turkana has been marginalized since time in
memorial. The colonial government, didn't want Turkana people to be involved in
any form. Whether in Government or any developmental agenda. This became public
through a policy session paper No. 10 of 1965, which indicated that, "Non
interference and non involvement of Turkana in the Government".
Through the successive Governments, Turkana community has
remained in periphery of any Government development or appointments.
The first President of Kenya, was once a resident in
Turkana, where he served his jail term in Lodwar and Lokitaung respectively.
After release from prison, His Excellency Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, became Kenya's
first Prime Minister and subsequently the first President of the Republic of
Kenya. Even after seeing how Turkana remained marginalized, he chose not to
step into Turkana soil again and forgot the existence of Turkana.
The Turkana people, saw light of the day, through arrival of
the Catholic Missionaries of St. Patrick Kiltegan. Schools, Hospitals, Water
and Rehabilitation projects, were the core of the Catholic Missionaries, to
uplift the suffering of Turkana People.
A second chance, through God, came to Turkana through,
President Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi (famously known by Turkana people as,
"LOBOYEL"). Moi connected Turkana to the rest of Kenya in 1982 by
opening the Kapenguria - Lodwar road. Before that, the Turkana people and their
barter traders used Uganda route, via Lokiriama to Amudat in Uganda, to
Kacheliba in Kenya, then to Kitale. That is why the Turkana call the rest of
the country, "Kenya" while talking to Kenyans from other regions.
Turkana MPs were given mere handouts and Assistant ministerial positions
without portfolio.
In 1997, the Turkana community of North and Central
Constituencies, saw that, unless we change the the KANU leadership in Turkana,
the Turana people would remain marginalized, underprivileged, underrepresented
and poor in the Kenyan Government. Through opposition ticket of Ford Kenya,
Hon. John Munyes Kiyonga and Ekwee Ethuro were overwhelmingly elected, beating
the then KANU powerful District Chairman and MPs respectively.
Since then, Turkana begun to see light at end of the Tunnel.
In 2005, the then President Mwai Kibaki, did the unthinkable. He appointed Hon.
John Munyes Kiyonga, Minister for Special Programmes. This was ever, the only
powerful docket, a Turkana man, had seen and realized in his lifetime. He was
later moved to ministry of Labour. In 2013, Dr. Richard Ekai was appointed by
your Excellency President Uhuru Kenya to Thailand as an Ambassador. Same year,
Hon. Ekwee Ethuro was elected, Speaker of the Senate through your blessings.
God had realized and came to the rescue of Turkana Community.
In 2013, devolution became another God given opportunity.
Turkana is realizing the fruits of devolution, since there was none to talk
about, unlike other counties in Kenya.
It is from the above enumerated problems that I felt
honoured to address this piece to your Excellency, to pardon and spare, Hon.
John Munyes Kiyonga from the axe of the looming cabinet reshuffle. If you sack
our only son, the Turkana Community would have no one to represent them, in you
Cabinet and Government.
It is said that, if you sack one common Turkana from job,
you would have killed 100 people who are dependent on him/her. If you lay off
Hon. Munyes from his position, you would have rendered 1/4 (250,000 people) of
Turkana community, helpless.
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Thanks your Excellency, for giving me audience and hid to a
cry of a Turkana. God will bless you abundantly, as you ponder on the looming
cabinet reshuffle.
Thanks in Advance.
Peter Moru Lokuruka
Resident of Lokichoggio, Turkana County
Contact No. 0724175860
Email: morupeter@gmail.com