- Every Kenyan has a right to participate in governance and enjoy its benefits, as enshrined in Article 56 of the Constitution.
- Nomadic and pastoralist communities also demand fair compensation for land repurposed for wildlife conservation, he adds.
Image: HANDOUT
For a long time, Kenya’s Marginalised, Indigenous and Ethnic Minority Communities (MIEC) have longed to be fully involved in the country’s national discourse.
However, this has somewhat been elusive as they remained, to a larger extent, disengaged from the key processes of governance nationally.
Regardless of one's background, every Kenyan has a right to participate in governance and enjoy its benefits, as enshrined in Article 56 of the Constitution.
This constitutional provision serves as a beacon of hope for minorities and marginalised communities by ensuring their right to representation in governance and other critical areas of life, access to exceptional opportunities in education and the economy, equal employment opportunities, preservation and promotion of their cultural values, languages, and practices, as well as reasonable access to essential services such as water, healthcare, and infrastructure.
However, despite their potential to contribute significantly to the economy, many of these communities face severe challenges, including hunger, drought, inadequate education, and job opportunities.
This demographic group, for example, faces educational challenges as they often lack essential infrastructure including; Technical, Vocational Education and Training Institutions (TVETS) among other resources as sharing processes are characterized by malpractices such as poor distribution of education funds; County Development Funds and Equalization Funds - in essence escalating educational disparities.
"Chiefs discriminate against us during the vetting stages of bursary allocation, thus marginalising us even further," laments Mr Paul Kenduiywo, a representative of the minorities from the Sengwer community, which is integrated into the larger communities in Trans-Nzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet, and West Pokot counties.
More so, obtaining a national identification card, Kenduiywo claims, remains a significant hurdle, especially for border stateless communities like the Makonde of Kwale, the Pemba of Kilifi/Mombasa/Kwale, and the Shona of Kiambu. Lengthy and cumbersome vetting processes complicate the issuance of this important document.
Nomadic and pastoralist communities also demand fair compensation for land repurposed for wildlife conservation, he adds.
"We need to be compensated for the land taken for wildlife rehabilitation, and human-wildlife conflict must be addressed as well," emphasized Mr. John Kassim from the Saghala and Pare communities of Taita Taveta County.
However, all is not lost. “The government acknowledges the challenges and has taken significant steps towards addressing them,” says the Director for Minorities and Marginalised Affairs Unit Mr. Josphat Lowoi Lodea.
Among the key initiatives the government has and continues to implement to improve the welfare of minorities and marginalized communities, Lowoi says, was the official step where the Unit “I heard was reorganised and established a new within the Executive Office of the President last year under Executive Order No. 2 of 2023."
The move, Lowoi notes, led to the appointment of a leader from the Ilmanyang minority community from Turkana County, ensuring that these communities are not left behind in the national development agenda. The appointment, he says, was met with widespread acclaim.
"We appreciate the appointment of one of our own and hope to see more representation of ethnic minorities and marginalized communities when names are constantly officially published in the Kenya Gazette. We want to actively participate in national decision-making processes and ensure our voices are heard,” Daud Buchi said during the recent 2024 MIEC Annual Convention in Nairobi, themed "Justice and Fairness."
“We believe that we are equally qualified and understand our issues better than anyone else,” Buchi said and expressed deep gratitude to the government for acknowledging the existence of the Marginalised, Indigenous and Ethnic Minority Communities and addressing their long-standing challenges.
The convention, which brought together leaders from over 80 minority and marginalized indigenous communities, served as a platform to address the persistent lack of economic empowerment that leaves these communities feeling sidelined and forgotten.
The communities called for decentralisation of the Minorities and Marginalized Affairs Unit to the county level, arguing that its current impact is limited to the national level.
The leadership of MIEMC reiterated the need for the resolutions from the convention to be converted into a memorandum to be submitted to the president via the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service.
The urgency of mapping and identifying bona fide Indigenous national ethnic minorities was emphasized to address exploitation by migratory minorities settling in their counties. “Section 97 of the County Government Act already covers these issues, but further clarity is needed,” Buchi said.
The Minorities and Marginalized Affairs Unit is developing a National Policy (Draft Bill) on the Promotion and Representation of MIEMC, which will be submitted to the national assembly to fully implement Articles 56 and 100 of the Constitution.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to justice and fairness, as outlined in the Constitution.
Counties were called upon to foster synergy and work closely with the unit to ensure the inclusion of marginalised Indigenous ethnic minorities in governance, reinforcing the need for continued attention, and action to address their pressing issues.
Office of Government Spokesman/Content Development Desk.
Sheilla Tamnai works as a volunteer at the Office of Government Spokesperson.