Josephat Nanok clinches CoG chair, but will he retain Turkana seat?
New Council of Governors Chairman Josphat Nanok presents a gift to his predecessor Peter Munya at Hilton Hotel, Nairobi, on May 22, 2017. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Nanok's election as governor in 2013 and as the third chairman of the Council of Governors has seen his stature grow.
- Mr Nanok terms devolution “the birth of independence in Turkana.”
- The county has so far received Sh39.4 billion from the national government.
- Mr Munyes has already picked Mr Nanok’s deputy, Mr Peter Lokoel, as his running mate.
Last week’s election of Turkana Governor Josephat Nanok as chair of the Council of Governors continues a trend in which the county chiefs have chosen fearless individuals to lead them.
From Bomet’s Isaac Ruto, who was the first chair, to Meru’s Peter Munya, the governors have always gone for an individual who can stand up against the national government and defend the allocation of resources to the devolved units.
In his first days in Parliament as MP for Turkana South, it was easy to mistake Mr Nanok, a tall, dark man with a piercing stare and tufty beard for a visitor to the House.
That was many years ago. His election as governor in 2013 and as the third chairman of the Council of Governors has seen his stature grow.
But with elections on August 8, will Mr Nanok be a two-month chairman or will the newly-acquired stature propel him to a new term?
DETERMINED TO BE AROUND
This is one key question on the lips of many of his supporters and rivals alike.
But the manner in which he has fought for the interests of the resource rich county shows that Mr Nanok is determined to be around as governor for a few more years.
Between him and that ambition is his key challenger John Munyes, the current senator.
Coming from a county that prides itself as the origin of mankind – it was on the barren lands near Lake Turkana that the fossils of our early ancestors were found – Mr Nanok terms devolution “the birth of independence in Turkana.”
He is proud of the achievements but also acutely aware of the shortcomings, quick to list the former and equally quick to explain away the latter, saying it would be unrealistic to expect the allocations from the national government to have an automatic impact.
FOOD SCARCITY
“I am the first governor. We should realise that we have been having perennial water and food scarcity for decades in our vast region before devolution. The money that we are currently receiving is a drop in the ocean that cannot address the challenges in all sectors,” the county boss said.
The county has so far received Sh39.4 billion from the national government.
The County Integrated Development Plan it had created projected that Sh45 billion was needed every financial year for the county to attain major socio-economic growth.
With its own budget to share and its own government, Turkana has had over the last four years an opportunity to start correcting the errors of past governments and directing resources to where the residents feel they are needed the most.
The governor singles out the health sector, headed by Jane Ajele, as one of the areas that have experienced great change under his administration.
BOOST HEALTH SERVICES
“Health sector has witnessed a 65 per cent transformation through employment of more health workers, construction of health facilities in all 30 wards and co-ordinating with both national and development partners to boost health services,” Mr Nanok said.
He said the devolved unit has been able to provide clean water to 400,000 people and he is aware that not all residents have been reached.
“I don’t want to lie that devolution can be achieved in four years with problems that have been mounting for so many decades. I appeal for proper co-ordination with the national government so that we address challenges in critical sectors,” he said.
In the meantime, everybody, the chairman of the Council of Governors included, has their re-election to seek.
DITCHED FORD-KENYA
His challenger, Mr Munyes, ditched Ford-Kenya last year for the Jubilee Party.
Mr Munyes has already picked Mr Nanok’s deputy, Mr Peter Lokoel, as his running mate.
Besides, he has the backing of the County Assembly Speaker as Senate candidate with MPs Joyce Emanikor (Woman Representative), Protus Akuja (Loima), James Lomenen (Turkana South), Nicholas Ngikor (Turkana East), Christopher Nakuleu (Turkana North) and Daniel Epuyo (Turkana West) all seeking to defend their seats on a Jubilee Party ticket.
Only through the elections on August 8 will the next governor be determined.
