Western Kenya must visualize a new future and resist being trapped in its past

The Counties of the former Western Province namely Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Vihiga and the contiguous County of Trans Nzoia must stop, desist, resist, the lazy temptations of being a slave of their past, being romantic about the past, stewing in the necessities, grind of the present and envision a bolder, secure, functional, wealth-creating region with new economies driven by new industries.

The death of Mumias Sugar Company Ltd that occurred now going to four years-and pending the burial of that company-and the noises being made about its resurrection is a plain denial of reality. Isn’t it being absolutely foolish for the elected leaders of the region to imagine they can resurrect Mumias?

The death of Nzoia Sugar Company Ltd and Mumias Sugar Company Ltd epitomizes the sheer economic incompetence of those who have prowled the elective political landscape of the Counties of Kakamega and Bungoma where the two companies are based. Was it not political expediency that made elected leaders of Kakamega pretend that it was not their former ODM Nairobi Governor who presided over the economic cannibalization of Mumias.

And how has Nzoia Sugar Company that was financially sound during the tenure of the Chairmanship of Mzee Burudi Nawera hardly five years ago descended into financial immolation, insolvency but for world class mismanagement under the watch of Joash Wamang’oli as Chairman? The future of Western must be envisioned afresh with new thinking, new bravery, and the sugar industry does not offer that new Western. We must wake up to reality.

Western must think, design its own future and banish the illusion of the Lake region bloc as those are traps by its neighbours who have economically, politically enslaved it, subjugated it, exploited it and manipulated the region to continue that political and economic enslavement.

Western must think for itself, rediscover itself, reinvent itself, re-imagine itself and transform, metarmophosize, itself so as to make the living conditions of its people better before it jumps into economic, political liaisons that are clearly to the detriment of the homeland. The gene that must be harnessed is to aggregate the right human capital of thinkers, doers, visionaries to reconstruct Western from the ashes of its past and present.

The decade of 2010 to 2020 is slowly ending and truth be said this may be a lost decade for the region, be it politically, economically, socially. Those who think the decade has been stellar go on top of Mount Elgon and tell us what transformation the region has witnessed and we will celebrate that transformation. Brave men and women must be prepared to accept the reality, the truth if they have fallen short. The decade 2010 -2020 may only be Glorious to the Thieving public servants and elected leaders who have plundered the ordinary citizens taxes to fatten themselves and their families. This thievery, vampirism must be defeated for the region to truly rise.