Nanok: Food security, education my priority

Turkana Governor Josephat Nanok was recently thrust into the limelight when he contested the chairmanship of the Orange Democratic Movement, promising fresh, energetic and focused leadership.

Mr Nanok knows his county, which recently struck oil, faces many challenges but he says he has the courage to deal with them. 

Q: While campaigning in 2007 for election as MP, you said,  “We have resources but we need the right people to help us exploit them.” Do you still hold that view?

A: Yes. That position is relevant today as it was in 2007.  What I was saying is that we have a lot of resources but we needed the right people to establish the quantities and guide how they can best be exploited to benefit people. Time has since proved me right. Out of the eight wells that have been drilled in the southern part of the county, oil and gas has been discovered in six.

Two huge water aquifers have been found in the Turkana and Lotikipi basins, which can supply the country for more than 70 years. Management of these resource to transform peoples’ lives is the challenge.

Q: You are relatively young. What personal values do you bring to this job?

A: Passion, commitment and focused aggressiveness. This will help me address our problems.

Q: What is the problem with Turkana County?

A: First, there is the lack of exposure for majority of our people. Second, we have been marginalised since independence. You know the Nandi and Turkanas fiercely resisted the British colonial occupation though the role of  Turkanas in the liberation war has not been adequately documented.

The British declared Turkana a closed district, which was denied education and other public services. Unfortunately,  post-independence governments did the same.

Third is lack of technology to exploit our resources. People were also denied the opportunity to exploit their resources, which we can now do due to the Constitution. Luckily, our problems are man-made, government-created and, therefore, surmountable if we work aggressively to solve them.

I usually compare Turkana with the Middle East.  But Turkana is not a desert. Trees and other food crops can grow here. With irrigation, we can turn this place into a food basket.

Q What is your understanding of transformational leadership?

A: Providing a vision and rallying people around it. It also involves focusing resources and demonstrating that dreams can be achieved. I believe that we can solve our problems if we pull our resources together and strike a working relationship between the county, national government and private sector. It is a negotiated process to ensure ordinary people benefit.

Q: How will you transform Turkana?

A: My vision is help Turkana grow surplus food, make the pastoralist economy commercial, increase the levels of peoples’ awareness and enhance access to education to build a team of professionals.

Q: There is a lot of pessimism about the discovery of oil in your county. How will you ensure the oil doesn’t become a source of pain and suffering?

A: This discovery is coming at a good time in the county’s history when we have enacted a Constitution.  The 2010 Constitution demands that revenues from national resources be shared equitably. We are liaising with the national government to pass legislations that will determine and reinforce the sharing of oil and minerals in a way that benefits communities.

Q What plans do you have for food security?

A: Out of the 77,000 square kilometres of land we have, 44 per cent is arable. That is sufficient land for commercial agriculture. We have water, which can facilitate irrigation. Our focus right now is on four irrigation schemes in Lodwar, Turkana North, Tirkit and Turkana West.

Q: Turkana has a rich tourism potential. What is not being done right? 

A: Remember Turkana has the oldest archaeological sites, which are very critical for research. It is considered the home of mankind. We strongly believe that Turkana can provide an alternative tourism source.  There is over-reliance on beach, hotel and game tourism. Turkana can market itself as the home of mankind as well people with rich culture. 

Q: A number of Turkana children do not attend school. Why? 

A: It is a pity. That is why education is one of our four top priority areas.  We are investing a lot of money in the sector.  The problem is as result of the marginalisation and neglect that I spoke about earlier, but we hope that we will remedy the situation.

Q: Talking of infrastructure, the roads in Turkana are in bad shape.

A: It is probably worse than that.   The national trunk roads which are under the central government have deteriorated. For example the Kitale-Lokichogio-Lokichar Road is impassable. Of 8,000 kilometres of gazetted roads in the county, only a small percentage is useable.

We are liaising with the national government to ensure that resources are allocated to repair roads. Countries such as South Sudan depend on us for transport of their supplies, thus, bad roads increase the cost of transport, which eventually hurts consumers. For instance, the Kainuk bridge collapsed last week. We are working with the national government to repair it.

Q: What have you covered in health sector? 

A: We have spent a chunk of our budget to upgrade and equip health facilities such as Lodwar hospital where we have constructed a maternity wing. We are upgrading 30 dispensaries to health centres. The county government has also recruited 700 health workers for the past one year. 

Q: What has been the effect of the refugees on Turkana County’s economy?

A: This is positive and negative. Kakuma refugee camp is now hosting 170,000 people. That is way above the 100,000 limit.  This is because of the problems in South Sudan and the refugees who were recently rounded up by government  from  cities such as Nairobi. But we are talking to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). We are glad that with the support of the UNHCR, the region two weeks ago received $17million for education programmes. 

Q: There has been unending conflict between Turkanas and their neighbours in Uganda. What are you doing about the problem?

A: The security situation on the Kenya-Uganda border has greatly improved because of peace-building efforts. We have created a good relationship with leaders from the Ugandan districts that border us and we hope to sustain them. The Kenya-Sudan problem is another challenge but the border with Ethiopia is calm. 

But I think the biggest challenge we have is the inter-county boundaries conflict. Currently, 24 counties have problems with boundaries. That is the cause of the recent flare-up in Wajir and Mandera.

Q: So how are you dealing with conflict over the Pokot-Turkana boundary and sharing of resources around the Turkwel?

A: It is a case of encroachment and sharing of resources. The problem was compounded by creation of too many overlapping boundaries by the Moi regime.

Turkana County boundaries are known and well-documented. We have a legal right to claim what belongs to us. My suggestion is that resources around the Turkwel should be co-shared with Pokot County for mutual co-existence and benefit.

Q: If Sunday Nation were to visit Turkana County after your term ends. What should we expect?

A: A vibrant economy with sufficient food for its people. A more informed community with a strong focus on business, greater investment in fishing and livestock as well as better roads and health facilities.

We are greatly optimistic about devolution. My government is keen to utilse the allocated resources to benefit our people. There is a lot of hope.