New dawn for Nandi County: Online interview by Dr Seronei arap Chelulei Cheison for EmoPolitics Blog

A map of Nandi County

Brian of an online blog, Emopolitics, recently contacted me with a list of questions for an online interview.

EMOPOLITICS: In a nutshell, who is Dr. Cheison? (Family, origins, present locality and profession, any other information you would deem necessary for the electorate).

SCC: That is quite a bulky question there! Well, let us begin with the first question in CRE at Form one: Who Am I? I was born Barnaba Kibet on Tuesday February 20^th 1968 at my grandmother Opot Tera’s house just above Chererees river at a place called Chebinyiiny in what is currently Tindiret District in Nandi County to the late Joseph Kiptorus arap Rugut and Julia Chemoso (nee Chebo Koisamoo). Notably, my maternal grandfather, Surtan arap Koisamoo, was a Maotiot to Koitalel Samoei and his "court" tree-shade (Ketitab arap Koisamoo) still stands at Taito right below Taboiyat Primary School in Nandi Hills. I was later given the “kureneet” name Seronei after my grandfather’s brother (Nyongi Seronei). I dropped my Baptismal name Barnabas at Kapsabet Boys after reading the literature set-book “Betrayal in the City”. In that book, a “meeting” was called in Kafira and the first item on the agenda was “Africanisation of our names”. A good number of us changed our names as a consequence. That is how Barnabas went. Because the exam registration could only take three names, I kept Seronei arap Chelulei Cheison. Obviously I was given the name arap Chelulei after I went through the Nandi right of passage in 1986, although I had been instructed by my paternal uncles to register it as I reported to form one in February 1986, well before I was initiated, in November of that year. My family and I are born-again Christians. We fellowship with the Pentecostal Assemblies of God in Kenya.

My father was the first-born to Taprandich Ngeny (nee Chebo Kap Mutwo) the first wife to mzee Kiprugut arap Ngeny. My family is Kap Matelong, the sub-family is Kap Cheison. We are Kipkenda. Kap Matelong live all over Nandi and beyond including Chepalungu and Trans-Mara and Laikipia. We trace our origin to Kapsile in Aldai before migrations north to Tindiret and Nandi as well as diaspora. I have six siblings, three brothers and three sisters. I am the third-born. My brother David Kipkemboi arap Torus is a farmer, and lives at Cheptabach. Indian-trained Daniel Kimutai arap Rambaei is an administrator at Moi University. My immediate follower Mrs Sally Cherobon Butia is a teacher, married at Kipsigak in Nandi. Many people probably know my younger sister Philister Cherotich, a woman with a remarkable history. She has been speaking on Kass FM and in many other fora encouraging the girl-child. She was a mother at 16 and two children later at age 28, she decided to go back to primary. She took her class eight exams, went on to Moi Girls High School and at 32 she sat her KCSE. All the while the girls did not know that they were in class with such an elderly woman! Philister is winding up her Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nairobi. The Daily Nation covered her story on March 25^th 2005 and I couldn’t help shedding tears as I read it in China. You may read it too. Our pair of young guys Michael Kipketer arap Rotich and Catherine Chesang were not lucky to go beyond primary school and live humble lives at home in Cheptabach.

I am married to the most patient and loving woman I know, Ednah Chelimo Soy. She is a former student of St. Joseph’s Girls High School, Chepterit and a graduate of Moi University with a B.Ed. (Science) in Home Science and Technology and a recent graduate with an MSc in Sustainable Resource Management at the Technical University of Munich, Germany. We have three beautiful blessings, Felix Kiptoo arap Bett is 14, Felicia Cherop is 11 while the little Heinz Kipchumba arap Mugun is fast approaching three. Ednah worked at Kapchorua Tea Estate and taught at Kapnyeberai Girls High School shortly before the family joined me in Germany in August 2007.

I went to Chemenei Basic School in Uasin Gishu while living with my maternal grandmother with whom I had emigrated to Mogobich (between Cheptireet and Plateau) when I was five years old. I never saw my father between 1975 when we left Nandi till early 1978 when I returned home. All this while I was with my grandmother herding cattle for neighbours as their kids went to school, until my mother came visiting in 1977 and demanded that I go to school. I went back home in 1978 when our last born was born but I had to literally run away from home, walking on foot through Kapchorua, Kibabet (where a tea plucker gave me a polythene apron to put my blanket and books) on to Ogirgir and Mogoon. I burnt charcoal at Mogoon as I waited to go to Cheplelachbei Primary. It was not to be. Grandmother came for me and I went on to Uasin-Gishu again in August 1980. Between August 1980 and January 1981, I had to burn charcoal from huge wattle trees which were being felled by the wind. I needed money to buy school uniforms because it was not possible to ask my parents for any. I went back to class four in January 1981. I was top of my class throughout thereafter till class eight in 1985.

After Chemenei Basic School, I was admitted to Lenana School but ended up at Kapsabet Boys in 1986 reporting on February 11. I also topped my class of 125 from form two till form four. I had a lot of problems raising my fees but my patient headmaster, John Peter Makenzi, allowed me to study and I cleared my balances 12 years after my KCSE in February 2001 as I cleared to pick my certificate. I sat my KCSE at Kapsabet Boys High in 1989 and joined Egerton University in 1990 for a BSc in Dairy Science and Technology, a course that was meant to train managers for Kenya Co-operative Creameries (KCC), which collapsed before we graduated. I went for an MSc in Food Science & Engineering and majored in Enzyme technology at the then Wuxi University of Light Industry (since renamed Southern Yangtze University and now called by its Chinese name Jiangnan University) in Jiangsu Province of the Peoples Republic of China between 2001 September and July 2003. Notably, I completed the MSc course in half the stipulated time. I was home for seven months and was recalled to take up the “Outstanding Foreign Student Scholarship” for my PhD beginning April 2004. I completed the program in another record-setting 30 months to defend my dissertation in December 2006, exactly two months after I had been offered the opportunity at the elite Technical University of Munich to both head a Junior Research Group and pursue the German Post-doc training for University professors, called Habilitation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habilitation). That was from February 1^st 2007. That means that currently I work as a research scientist/Postdoc fellow at the Technical University of Munich where I supervise doctorate, masters and undergraduate students as well as lead active research (see my research homepage). I also teach Enzyme technology, functional foods and innovative technologies as well as speak at conferences and seminars (this year, 2011, alone I was privileged to speak in conferences in India, Greece, Switzerland, USA and here in Germany while my students spoke in China and Croatia. I am also an active author with peer reviewed papers in scientific journals and a book chapter (Chapter 5: LC-MS(/MS) of Trypsin hydrolysed Proteins. In: Letzel, T (Ed.). Protein and peptide analysis by LC-MS: Experimental strategies. Royal Chemical Society, Cambridge, UK. Pp 352, ISBN: 1849731829) this year. I have been honoured twice, in the Marquis Who is Who in the World in 2009 and in the Top 100 Scientists in the world in 2009. I also earned a bonus and recognition as a Premier Scientist of the TUM in 2010.

EMOPOLITICS:You have offered yourself to vie for the Office of Governor of the County of Nandi, What has inspired you to do so? What is your primary aim and vision for the county?

SCC: To be sincere I had never thought of myself outside science since a brief but disappointing dabble in politics in the 1990-2000 decade. To deal with the first part of the question (what has inspired me) let me say that I have all along carried the burden of leadership of our people from my days at University when I penned several “Letters to the Editor” to several local dailies including the Daily Nation, Standard, Kenya Times, People and Weekly Review. Those newspaper cuttings touching on anti-corruption, land-grabbing menace, problems with Nandi Politics, compensation by the British for the murder of Koitalel, complete lack of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by the tea estates in Nandi as opposed to what they do in the greater Kericho for example gave me good exposure while cementing people to push me to politics. But then by 1996/1997 when the strongest push came, I was single and had no family and no house/home. I declined. People asked me to help get someone to represent us in parliament. I played my part but was disappointed to realise that Realpolitik was different from the aspirations of the people.

From those writings you’ll notice a trend: activism and championing of our rights has been with me from the time I noticed that I was a squatter because my father was a squatter and his father before him was one too. Another thing is my conviction that bad politics cannot be changed from outside. It is dirty because the players are dirty, rules cannot change them. In as much as I could sway some things while some political leaders listened to my word, they always reneged on their promises as soon as I was out of sight. An example is a plea I made at an harambee at ACK Sinendet in 1997, in which I asked the political leadership in Tindiret to push for the establishment of a Tindiret Constituency Bursary Fund to be funded by the Tea Estates. Although the concerned people played a game for the gallery, nothing has happened to date. I have always been consumed by some inquiry into “what went wrong”. The Nandi people, for example are reputed for courage and conquest. We were dreaded by our neighbours for cattle raids and war. We expanded, and drove away others who wanted the fertile highland on which we settled in. That land was not obtained just like that. It was a product of resilience and tact. Even at independence, if we disregard the holocaust of colonial occupation and forceful evictions, we still could make it to the tops: Kenya attained independence with five black advocates. There was one son of Nandi, Jean-Marie Seroney. I keep asking myself, where did our community lose the steam? LEADERSHIP. I know it is not easy and with electioneering people tend to promise anything and in most cases deliver nothing. I offer something to Nandi: MYSELF and my energy and commitment. As a team those who join me in service would be accountable directly to me, and together to the people of Nandi county. Nandi has to revive the spectre and glitter again. In sports, academics, business and politics. That is what will change us. We have to re-invent our expansionism and utilise it in business and new frontiers. We ought to redirect our inborn prowess and spirit of a fighter to combat threats like poverty and over-dependence on harambee.

As complained before in my long essay one finds that in the greater Kericho, the tea industry participates in very remarkable CSR including the education of TWELVE university students, support for secondary schools and that huge hospital called Uniliver Central Hospital. In Nandi, there was NO such thing until someone decided to take some knee-jerk reaction to construct some school called KTGA Taito Secondary School. Obviously, to date there is NO support for the kids of the squatters whose land was grabbed by the settler farmers in order to create the multi-billion shilling business that is our VERY important tea industry. One wonders why not? LEADERSHIP! Since these things could not be done by others, I thought, why wait for anybody else who don’t seem to have the passion to DO it when I can as well be the one doing it. That is how I found myself in the mix!

Then the new constitution with the devolution provision came to me as a God-sent opportunity because for long I was tired of being a captive of a centralised system which had little use for the periphery. I supported the constitution as a son of a squatter to whom Chapter five Article 65 speaks. I longed for the day that the people of Nandi county, not some wheeler-dealers with unfettered access to Statehouse, would determine how to relate with those investors. A time when no land leases would be renewed to those obnoxious 999 years without any questions BUT a time when WE, the citizens, would interrogate someone on how he/she plans to plough back to society in exchange for extended leases and investment in our land. On leadership I had a feeling that we had too much intolerance for divergent views. I lived at a time when people had their wives transferred because their husbands did “not toe the line”. I believe in FREEDOM, and I don’t consider pluralism as a threat to our progress. I wanted to be part of a partnership that recognises that everybody has something that they can bring to the table. I wanted to change the politics from “me, myself and I” to “WE”. Those who know me privately and publicly would tell you that I believe in consultation. That doesn’t mean someone decides for me. But I love to include everybody in the decision-making process. It brings about ownership, people own the PROCESS and they can identify themselves with the PRODUCT. I see myself as the team leader, a captain so to speak, with a team that deserves to be heard and seen! I believe that one cannot continue complaining about bad leadership when you know you can solve it by leading!

The second part of your question asks about my agenda (aim and vision) for the county. This is my burden. I carry a thought these days that says “I am not afraid of my opponents, I am afraid of getting the endorsement”. My MAIN aim is to nurture a corruption-free and progressive society that espouses individual freedom with responsibility, respects the democratic rights of each other and embraces a patriotic attachment to the work ethic in order to grow wealth. But what use is it if people work only for those efforts to go to waste? That is where leadership comes in! Governorship entails mainstreaming astute leadership a leadership with a clear touch on the people who are led. That is where I see myself. Not as a super-governor but as a partner with whom the county cabinet and the representatives can do business. This devolution requires, not demands, a Governor who is accessible and easy to deal with but a respecter of processes and the rule of law. The Governorship is also charged with the task of resource mobilization and allocation. I have heard people say “we need a manager for our resources”. I say that is very true. But what do you manage if the resources are not sufficient? Do we really expect to have a demi-god of an imperial Governor who would, unilaterally and single-handedly, dish out candy bars and development without consultation? That is a fatal interpretation of the spirit of devolution as envisaged in the constitution. In my understanding, I see myself as a leader. In my position as the Governor, I’d employ a county minister of finance, somebody with the requisite training in finance. In fact I shall be looking for a skilful person who can write project proposals and drive us towards third-party funding because whether we admit it now or later, the devolved funds are not enough. That is where resource mobilisation and a high profile local and international relations wizard would be required to mop up funding within and beyond borders. Effective service delivery demands on-going research, monitoring and evaluation as well as a continued engagement with citizens in order to establish a barometer to gauge the effect of the Government efforts.

Nandi County, for starters is NOT a monolithic society. We are diverse culturally, ethnically and socially. Such a stratified society takes more effort to unify, yet the diversity is a huge source of strength. But that is possible if we approach that unity as a “unity in diversity”, we espouse a Nandi County in which the minority Okiek and Luhya or Luo feel as included as the Kipsigis and Terik and the Nandi. We cannot afford to segregate against anybody anymore. This is the reality and we must live with it. The constitution protects the rights of everybody. That is the Rainbow Society that I wish to lead, the diversity which to me is a recipe for spice and progress rather than an excuse to hate. WE must play inclusion politics. It is OUR County. There is ONE Nandi County for all of us. That is why, as per the constitution, all those people who live within the borders of Nandi County, including ethnic minorities, must be included in government. I make that pledge, that I would ensure that we al feel part and parcel of Nandi Kaburwo. This is because I also expect the Terik in Vihiga to be catered for in Kakamega County. This is because I expect the Nandi in Laikipia to be catered for in that County and that is why I expect the Kipsigis in Narok South and those Kalenjin people in Trans-Mara to be included in Narok County Governance. It is no longer “us Vs them”. It is ALL of us. The deadliest of wars in Kenya have been fought because of the struggle to control resource allocation. Devolution was meant to ease that. But it won’t be done if we take power from a president who could decide what was good for which region, and give it to a Governor who “knows” what is good for where. I am not saying a Governor would have no knowledge of places. But the cake which comes to Kapsabet must be divided out in a manner that is inclusive. To achieve that, the division process has to be negotiated and inclusive.

Now I carry about seven or eight CORE desires, which are encapsulated in my long essay. I have stated before and I could reiterate for your blog: Kenyans did NOT wish to devolve from an imperial president only to have an imperial Governor. In my DNA runs a commitment to power-sharing and I recognise the pivotal role to be played by the county representatives, the true grass-root leaders who should partner with, not serve, the Governor and the Executive in service delivery.

Education: With the elevation of some schools to National School status, we have to shift focus to Primary schools. Just ask yourself, what happened to those primary schools of yesterday (in whatever locality), which were able to post incredible results. Where did they go to? Can something be done in order to help that mama mboga, tea plucker, casual labourer etc whose child (the only hope for ever breaking from the imprisonment of poverty) goes to the local primary school. Where did our public primary schools lose the steam. Reality check: Not every parent can afford to send their kid(s) to the not-so-cheap private schools which are currently posting better results. In addition I am thinking the county would be tempted to go along what the Chinese do, something like 10-20-100 (which would read like in ten years we develop Kapsabet Boys-like schools (at least 20 of them) and another 100 or so model primary schools. Still on education, I’d think I was among the first to propose that Nandi needed a Nandi County University, call it Koitalel Samoei University or Jean-Marie Seroney (not related to me) University but we have to have a way of dealing with the ballooning demand for university places. On education still, I consider it possible for Nandi County to have a county scholarship scheme to be funded by a number of well-wishers including through CSR as well as innovative fundraisers. On external education, since we don’t have enough education places locally in Kenya, we ought to optimise the route of athletics scholarships which has opened doors to over 1000 of our students to American universities. My leadership recognises the need for synergistic engagement between our local and diaspora sons and daughters and I seek to aggressively promote this option to ameliorate the burden of lack of university places in Kenya as we reach out to entice those private investors who are willing to come and invest in high education institutions in Nandi County.

Dealing with roads and infrastructure. Nandi has about 273km of what you’d call major roads and 234km of what you’d call minor roads. For those roads to be useable, we need to either upgrade them to all-weather bitumen roads or at least work on some form of better murraming. It still remains unclear whose responsibility the roads construction is but it is my priority to work on tapping the leadership of the  County at whatever level to mobilise resources, from the central government as well as the donor community and development partners in order to develop a reliable roads network. It is not cheap but it is doable, with the right mindset and priorities as well as skilful fundraising. If we work on good roads networks, we should be able to reform our transport sector to make it consumer-friendly. This includes the use of timed buses (either owned by the county government or the private sector) operated on specific routes. I long to see order in the public transport sector, and I keep wondering whether we need to introduce a “departure on schedule” for public transport vehicles, reduce the parking boys menace and redeploy that labour to more productive use. It is a discussion which I am willing to engage in.

Agro-industrialisation of our farm produce as well as engagement in contract farming. Since we produce a lot of milk (sadly I don’t have the figures since the Kenya Dairy Board and the individual milk processors have never answered the question on how much milk we produce), we need to upgrade from chilling to processing. The value chain must be tethered within the county in order to create jobs as well as spur other spin-offs that come with it. Fruit and vegetable processing remains another huge potential area as is the urgent need for a milling facility.

Sports, Culture and Tourism. With the Koitalel Museum, and another 65 tourist attractions in Nandi County, we stand at the Vanguard of massive new frontiers for tourism development. What we do with that potential, ecotourism included might make the difference between making Nandi County a destination for tea, sport, game and cultural tourism. On culture the museum offers a potential for monetisation of our culture, spurring research into linguistics and anthropology as well as other important aspects of our identity as a people. The eyesore that is Kipchoge Keino stadium needs concerted efforts to build it. Do we register Kaburwo Sports Ltd, partly owned by the County Government and with shares sold to the residents and athletics? Do we let Kaburwo Sports Ltd own the Stadia in the County? It is a crying shame that the home of Kipchoge Keino, Wilfred Bungey, Peter Rono, Henry Rono, Pamela Jelimo and Janeth Jepkosgey among others has no sports facilities to show for that talent. Still on sports, isn’t it time we thought about diversity into tennis and other sports with huge monetary benefits? How do we monetise the Kass International Marathon which starts at Chepterit and ends in Eldoret? Do we just clap for the athletes, who sleep in Eldoret and travel in the wee hours to the starting point, or are our investments ready to provide housing and other facilities. These and many other issues which have the potential to change our income-generating equation require urgent attention. I have talked before of the possibility of a “Kalenjin Week” to fall and climax with the Koitalel Anniversary, on October 19^th annually. In that week, we have each and every Kalenjin community show-casing their culture, music and food. We have a thematic Nandi Village with all those plants named in both Nand/Kalenjin, Scientific and common names. We have our traditional house with all the parts named. Incorporate holiday language courses so that when kids close school they have a week of intensive language classes offered by native speakers. And many more activities. Think of souvenirs and postcards etc sold at each of the tourist destinations. I am tempted to think we’d have to purchase a site-seeing bus with clear circuit routes, into which you can hop and ride though designated tourist sites. I shall appoint a keen tourism expert to help develop and monetise our potential as a tourist circuit.

Dealing with history. Historical injustices visited on the Nandi people by British occupation, the displacement of the Talai people etc must be addressed. I consider myself as a better agent to deal with these because I have written extensively about them and it is time someone stepped up the fight to deal with that history once and for all. The legal framework for dealing with this has been built into both the constitution and the National Land Policy. What needs to be done is to domesticate that and move on.

ICT is the engine, together with Biotechnology, of the world of today and the economies of what is collectively called BRICs. Can Nandi County be the Silicon Valley of Rift Valley and Kenya? It can if we think of some huge potentials that exist in software engineering and especially now with the explosion of mobile telephony. As some of your readers are aware, I have challenged our people to at least make Mobile Smartphone Apps for the Nandi/Kalenjin Bible, Dictionary and games to aid in language learning. If we see the potential in this frontier, we see social blogging (like what you are doing) and move on to monetise our online experience rather than merely consuming it. In line with the ever-changing environment, I shall strongly advocate for eGovernment to enable people from far-flung areas to access government services without the need to travel so far. Some of the simple things which are done here in Germany can be domesticated in Nandi County so that instead of applicants moving all the way to Kapsabet to obtain application forms, those can be downloaded from friendly websites.

Youth and Gender parity. I have made a commitment to give Nandi County a woman for my running-mate because I believe that our ladies are not AOB. They are the centre of our agenda. They are our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters. In recognition of the role that women play in our lives, I commit myself to the formation of a government that takes cognisance of the women and youth (under 35-year olds). The future that “they” have been talking about is NOW. I want to catalyse that process that is aimed at the realisation of the dream by our youth to be part of our leaders TODAY. There are many other issues which are captured in my essay and I invite your readers to interrogate them.

Others (Including quality healthcare and financing, security, motivation for teachers in order to turn around the number of kids who move on from primary schools to secondary as well as from secondary to colleges and universities, provision of a conducive environment to attract investments in order to create jobs as well as ensuring that devolved funds are not spent outside the county unless it is absolutely inevitable. I see us as a county that should encourage our youth to invest both within and without the county and rest assured that where the county government seeks the services and goods, first those businesses with a physical presence in Nandi would be given priority. In addition, I hope that my exposure, first in China and now in Germany and Europe, would offer my county government some good leverage in seeking development partners for the myriad challenges we face: transport and infrastructure, health, sanitation and clean water, green energy sources and further education). We might have to think of making it compulsory that people who live in Nandi subscribe to one form or other of health insurance. We are investing too much on the dead, at the expense of the living. Tany Kina Dairies has a scheme in which those who supply milk are provided some cover. We need to shift the burden from families to Health Insurance.

EMOPOLITICS: You have termed yourself a Liberal Democrat. What, in brief, is your political philosophy? Which Politician, locally and internationally would be the ideal example of your political philosophy?

SCC: Yes I am a liberal democrat because I believe that there are rights which are God-given and which are non-negotiable. Look at the American constitution. The opening of the United States Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, states as follows:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Everybody enjoys a constitutional right to choose. Choice must not be deprived, neither can it be denied without trampling the rights of another. That is why I like saying people have a right to choose or oppose me. It is a fundamental right, it is non-negotiable. I like to consider myself as a social democrat, I believe those who have, ought to take it upon themselves to help those who don’t have but in a way that industry and self-esteem are not compromised.

Many people influence my thinking. I read widely. Benny Carson and as I read each of his pieces I wonder whether his story is not my story. A powerful message, I have personalised his believe that “education is the most powerful (socio-economic) equaliser”. I’ve read Nelson Mandela and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi), I have listened to Martin Luther King Jnr and I love the ease with which Barack Obama goes about his work. I am fascinated by the numerous success stories from family-owned businesses in Germany and I keep asking myself what philosophy drives them. I’d like to borrow the emerging trend in which relationships are shaped more by “economic diplomacy” rather than political diplomacy. It is about interests and in a devolved system, nothing is more important than inter-county relations and protection of traditional markets for our produce as well as critical economic areas surrounding Nandi County. Sadly few Kenyan politicians inspire us today because we run a system which destroyed independence and nurtured sycophancy. However, a few people like Jean-Marie Seroney left an indelible mark in my life from an early age. Bishop Alexander Muge, though not a politician showed us how Church can supplement the state in nurturing enterprise and pursuit of social justice.

EMOPOLITICS: No one can argue with your Academic credentials. Politics however, can be a different cup of tea. Do you believe you have the political mettle that march your excellent Academic credence? Do you consider your Academic experience a political asset?

SCC: I try not to refer to myself as a politician but it is inevitable. Now, I am not new to politics and those who know me will bear witness that when push comes to shove, my opponents must prepare for a very tough political battle. I am very educated, no doubt. But I don’t come across as your typical nerd. In school I was never an obligate bookworm. You'd find me cheering the National Ball Games competitions in Kisii at Cardinal Otunga Boys a fortnight to my KCSE. I was a lead cheer-leader for the school voleyball team, venting with the loudest voice when most of my competitors would be escaping the games period to pour through one more page. Did you know my nickname in high school? Ileet! I earned it due to sports cheerleading.

I have been a leader from a very tender age. At Chemenei Basic School, I started off as the compound prefect (in charge of cleanliness) at class five in 1982. In class six I was made the deputy head prefect and in class seven I became the school headboy. That was in primary. At Kapsabet Boys, I was not a prefect in only one out of the four years at school. In fact at form two, I was made the dining hall captain in charge of two other prefects (one responsible for the kitchen and another for the dining hall). This was a time when we had both the 8-4-4 (including me) and the last A-level system. In form three I was the house captain for Solai house with two prefects, one in charge of Maiyo Dorm and another in charge of Cheruiyot Dorm. You will find the history we left in school: Solai House might not have been the cleanliness champs but we retained the academic trophy for as long as I was the captain. At University I became the chairman of Nandi University Students Association at Egerton (NDEUSA). This is an organisation that somehow defined my politics in Nandi as well as selfless service to people. We had so many cases of students who didn't have fees and risked being sent home. I used my influence and negotiation skills to get them fees. Notably, during my tenure, and I don't know how this was done, students came together and collected books worth about KShs 40,000/= (by then a lot of money). Then we reached out to various donors who sponsored a series of high profile tours to schools as far flung as Kamasai in Mosop to Chemase in Aldai to Henry Kosgey Secondary School Kibukwo in Tindiret as well as Kapnyeberai, Kosirai and Chepkunyuk. We spoke to students and awarded what was envisaged to be a great inspiration to students: The Jean-Marie Seroney Academic Award (a certificate of merit really for the most improved school in Nandi). There are records of very successful involvement of members in meetings and activities.

In fact I think people tend to ignore the academician in me in many instances because I connect with people irrespective of their standing or educational background. So, yes, I might not match my academics in politics because it takes more than me to achieve success but where the results depend on my input, I offer the assurance to Nandi County that I shall post a clean A on whatever I touch. It is simple to see why. I never do things that I know I am not good at. But when I take on something, I don’t go with half my energy. I give my everything.

Would my academics be an asset? Yes. In more ways than one. Living away from my family and friends in China and Germany for ten years has done some things to my personality. I have become patient, tolerant and I have a whole wide view of issues and events. In academia my work is constantly reviewed, my teaching is constantly under scrutiny from colleagues, superiors and students. That has changed my demeanour a lot. I don’t know how many people brought up in the traditional environment where they consider themselves superior can stand criticism from students. Most would take that as insubordination. It has taught me tolerance. I get criticised each day for decisions I have made in the past, my reaction is tempered with grace. I shall be criticised each day in office, that requires measured reaction and an understanding. My education has offered something else. Having been educated in China and Germany, this gave me an international touch. Let us say I could not take Nandi to China, not to Germany. But we can bring Germany and China to Nandi. How? By taking what is good and doable, developing our own hybrid which should help us. Let us look at my having gone to school in those countries as offering a certain identity which would sell with them as development partners. I think we saw in the dream team case, where every donor was angling in to have Kenyans who went to school in their countries in critical sectors of government. I think Nandi County would be blessed if China and Germany (and the European Union) would accept my reaching out to them for partnerships in business and investments as well as the many other solutions to our numerous challenges. That is an asset to the county. As a leader, my rise to the Governorship would also be the strongest message to the poor people that hard work has the capacity to transform our lives. What better teaching aid than the former herdsboy who would have risen to lead us! It would be a confirmation of Martin Luther paraphrased“We have been able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope”. Replace “mountain of despair” with “squatters” and you get the powerful message. Success needs a face and a name, that way it ceases being an abstract concept.

EMOPOLITICS: In brief, Which are the issues that must be urgently addressed in the county by an incoming Governor? Have such issues been mishandled before? What will you do differently?

SCC: I believe agenda number one would be to form an all-inclusive government cognisant of our ethnic, age and geographic realities in Nandi but without compromising the need for quality service. Healing the county from the likely divisiveness of the electioneering would be a priority as I reach out to all the people to synergise the manifestoes and dreams for a better Nandi. In this regard, I consider myself as a team leader, a leader at the top of a team with relevant training to lead (1) education (2) agriculture (3) finance (4) transport (5) land (6) culture and tourism (7) healthcare and health institutions and other departments which fall under the devolved government. Getting the right people to head these departments is a task I am currently dealing with, receiving recommendations from people. I seek result-driven people who know that we are under constant review from the electorate. The biggest challenge is how to optimise revenue while sealing leaking areas through which meaningless or less urgent expenses have been bleeding the county.

On work, I shall need FACTS and FIGURES on (1) assets (2) land (3) schools and colleges (4) public health institutions and other properties that the county government inherits from the existing framework. Obviously most of these are covered in the census reports. In this way shall have a good idea where we are starting off. This is what “thoroughness”, for which the Germans are reputed, and a trait I have studiously acquired is required. Background check, or “Grundlage” as they call it. So that we move from the known to the unknown. I shall be in a better position to determine whether there are cases of land-grabbing that need to be reversed, for example those schools which lost land to greedy people.

To be honest, there is no template for governance, since the devolved government is a new phenomenon. However, I bring a strong scientific trait which means constant evaluation and review (both internally within my cabinet and external by the county assembly and the public). Anybody who has reached me would tell you that one “weakness” which I have is that I consult a lot, That is indeed a great asset. I don’t believe that we can achieve much without involving others. But that does not take away my role as the ultimate decision-maker. I promote accessibility by the citizen, and rapid response by the government. People who have issues have had to fill in forms, write letters or make phone calls and then end up “going to Nairobi or Kapsabet to follow my letter”. That has to stop. Where I am at the moment, if someone has an issue, even a tax refund issue, a quality control measure ensures that government employees respond within a set time to an inquiry, even if the answer is a NO. If people have to travel all the way from Kamwega or Mombwo or Kipsartuk or Kameliil to follow an application then that is a sign of a dysfunctional government. I shall not allow that and I am sure the people of Nandi County won’t consider that to be anything but a slap in the face of the acclaimed benefits of devolution.

I shall be different because my government shall be in constant touch with the people, regularly consult with the assembly and the national government.

EMOPOLITICS: Are you aligned to any existing political entity in Kenya? (Entity= party/ person). Have you chosen the party that will act as your vehicle in the 2012 Elections? Why have you chosen to align yourself to the entity?

SCC: At the moment no I am not and I like to remain so. Political parties in Kenya are yet to entrench the culture of ideological differences. There is too much of big-man stamps and this is not good for democracy. I would like to see a scenario where parties stand for completely delineated ideologies, for example complete federalist Kenya versus unitary etc. The second problem is that with the disappointment of the 2007 elections and the damaging fall-out by the main shareholders like ODM means that we continue to see many people undecided on where to go. I have had to weigh many things: What if the drag in UDM goes either way, that means if it is not settled amicably I would have to shift again! The other reality is that we have people scattered all over: remnants in Kanu, some in PNU, others in Narc-Kenya and the countless other emerging parties. I see the Governor as a unifier, Samburto if you like the Nandi word for it. So regarding party affiliation, I shall feel the ground and let the people tell me where they wish me to go. But let us remain alive to machinations like people with more money than I being in a position to buy direct nominations etc. The second challenge I’d like to throw to my Countymates is the need for us to play what I call “Jewish wisdom” of ensuring we are in a position to align ourselves with the winners in order to access and tap into more resources. The Jews all over the world are not found in the opposition, they have a way of aligning themselves with the winner, be it in the USA or wherever. That way they can push their agenda WITHIN government. Of course they have the money power. We need to adopt that line of thinking as we ask ourselves to think beyond the 15% or so devolved and focus on “what happens with the money that remains, 85%? I could have answered in a politically correct manner. I chose not to, because I wish to cultivate a culture of honesty with the people I shall work so hard to lead. I know what this means for opportunism and people who are ready to spring on this and milk it. No problem. I think Nandi is wishing to elect a CEO who is not a prisoner to anybody else EXCEPT the electorate. I won’t hide behind anything in order to avoid scrutiny. I want to put Nandi County IN government in 2013. There is nothing more for the Nandi to prove by being in the opposition. If you want us to prove our test of manhood and hardiness, we did it by fighting the British with bare hands! There is ONLY one thing that Nandi has to prove: to be man enough and consign poverty to some depot beyond our borders. We need less courage than the one with which we fought colonial infiltrators. Nandi shall rise again. That I KNOW.

EMOPOLITICS: The County of Nandi is as diverse as it is huge. Given the years you have spent abroad studying and working, are you still in touch with the socioeconomic issues that may require quick solutions if ascend into office?

SCC: This question takes us back to several realities. Let us say I have been out for close to ten years now, five each in China and Germany. “In touch” is a question I confront each day. Sometimes I think I am more Nandi than most of my contemporaries who have grown up and lived all their lives in Nandi. I never lost my language and cultural attachment to Nandi, my education notwithstanding.

YES I am in touch and I am alive to the challenges that people encounter each day in meeting their school fees, medical, transport, farm produce prices, cost of inputs and erratic weather. I think in all honesty, for anybody to say one is out of touch merely because of geography and physical distance is dishonest at least and hypocritical at worst. For one, media like Kass FM afford us real-time streaming of information and connection to Jamhuri. Secondly, we obviously get access to relatives, friends and my campaigners regularly either through Skype, Facebook, Twitter or telephone. Look at this reality. When I came to Germany in February 2007, I changed my phone. Then I had to transfer the telephone contacts. There were 853 contacts then. That alone tells you that I was in contact with more people then. I am in touch many more today. I talk to people directly, I answer my phone, I return calls and I respond to Facebook messages of whatever kind. Nothing is left unattended to. And this is before I get the honour to account for my time to the people. That number has grown exponentially. My Facebook profile surpassed 5ooo friends a long time ago and I had to create a page to take on the extra people who would like to connect with me. Alright I understand, my mother does not have Facebook. But I could look at the diversity in terms of the people I speak to each day: those from Baraton who need a cooling plant so badly, those from Mosoriot who produce passion fruits and are recording successes in sales, those from Chebarus who are introducing passion fruit farming, those from Chepkikweny in Mosoop who want to expand their school. So many of these needs and cases come to me, some I can address while others I can’t handle so I refer. Take the cases of the Kundos River project and the Keben River catchment area being led by environmental activists Simion Kosgey and Chebwai ara Boen, respectively. They need help because improper care for our forest cover is impacting on the health of the rivers and affecting the ecosystem. The people at Kiptenden are struggling with the conservation of the Sitatunga, and the pressure of brick-making and illegal hunters. What do I say about the potential to generate and distribute power at Diguna missions in Tindiret and Kilibwoni. Add that to the countless number of people who contact me through my blog, desirous to go for further studies abroad and those others who have one challenge or another. In fact on average, I answer three emails each day, that excludes the Facebook inbox messages, from people who are either writing their CV and need me to correct it for them, or writing their proposals and they wish me to revise for them or simply inquiries on “what do I do if I want to study in Germany”? I get to talk to new people each day who are excited that they have heard about me and my desire to lead us but can’t get to see me. I maintain my Kenyan telephone number, roaming as it were, from Germany and get smses and phone calls. Did I tell you how I chose my Kenyan numbers? I wanted numbers that spell the words ONE NAND, so I got 0702-1-62634. The numbers 62634 spell out the word NANDI on your phone pad!

I patiently assembled a lot of information scattered over several websites and resources e.g on Education in Germany (http://www.Tindiret.com), on Nandi culture and language (http://www.NandiKaburwo.com, http://Language.NandiKaburwo.com and http://www.Matelong.org) as well as Kalenjin language (http://www.Tuiyet.com) etc. Through these resources I get feedback. Look at what I call the most successful project I started (http://www.Labatet.com) which serves as a connection for student athletes and anybody seeking information on Kenyan athletics. Through this portal I spent my own KShs 20000 to get professional interviews which covered the father of Kenyan Olympic medals, Kericho’s Wilson Kiprugut Chumo and the father of the Golden age in Kenyan Olympic Steeplechase, the only game Kenya has never lost a gold since 1968 after Amos Kibwambok Biwott won it for Kenya. I was disappointed to know that he is wasting away at Mulangu, despite that success.

I am in touch. I think to be honest I have gone to more places in Nandi county than most of my opponents. Some of them are leaving their villages in search of votes. I have been to Sing’ore in Sarora as a student. I went to Chemase, been to Chepkuny and Gambogi on the border between Kapsengere and Vihiga. I have been to Sereem, Kiptenden, Sang’alo and Kebulonik as well as my wife’s parental home of Chekumia and Bonjoge. I have been to Sereem and Kiplolok as well as Kelbui. In 1997, I went to every nook and crook in Tindiret and beyond. I feel the needs of our people each day. My parents (my mother at Cheptabach and my mother-in-law at Ol’Lessos) get my regular support and through them I support a good number of others. What shall we say of people who are in Kenya but only go to the village during Christmas? Are they in touch? Reminds me of someone who used to send salamu on Kass FM to someone from Kaptien who had died two months earlier because the sender DIDN’T know, yet I knew that Chief Joseph Rono (RIP) had gone to be with the Lord! Who was out of touch? Long before I had a desire to be Governor I carried burdens for people who contacted me with desires to go for further studies. A day shall come when some of them will bear me witness on the extents to which I went to let them connect with the opportunities which, eventually enabled them to leave for further studies abroad. These days I participated, directly or through proxy, in at least three harambees a week in aid of a church there, a kid going to school here or a university student somewhere else.

I am in touch with needs and challenges. Each day I get to "meet" people who have various challenges, school fees, medical fees etc. Some I help where I can. Others I refer to people we call resource persons for better solutions. I believe the most important way to show that you are in touch is not only to identify with the problems and challenges that people encounter each day. Rather, it is in providing workable solutions. I am in touch with the problems and I am more than in touch with the solutions too.

EMOPOLITICS: The new constitution give special mention to Leadership and National Values. In terms of integrity, First, do you have the spine to face corruption head on? As the C.E.O of Nandi County, what will you do to ensure that the county becomes corruption, tribalism, nepotism free?

SCC: Yes I can be trusted to fight corruption. I have been a fighter against corruption. Consider this. While a prefect at Kapsabet Boys, two cases presented themselves. As a House Captain, we came back from school to find the mattresses had been stolen from the dormitories. One day I launched investigations, followed them up and recovered from a student! The most interesting was this guy who used to steal school books and apparently send them to another school, to his girl friend. I was detailed to recover them. I went with the Deputy Head prefect. We were given KShs 260/= each for travel. Let me just say that I took back the balance of KShs 30/= from that trip and gave it to the Bursar. How many of us would do that? In my writings you’ll find an article entitled “How to End TKK Racket”. Yes, the buck stops with me as the Governor. Any public land which has been grabbed shall be taken back. I played my role as a citizen when, recently, I wrote to PLO Lumumba (while he was in office) to raise issue with the grabbed land at Kiborgok, a scam which involved some elected councillor(s) of Nandi County Council and the employees. We cannot continue watching people pilfer our property. Most of my friends will remember that while I ran a business at Nandi Hills which dealt with stationery supplies, we lost a lot of clients because our competition introduced practices which compromised my stand against graft while transferring the burdens to the parents. I should perhaps mention that I don’t have a Kenyan driving license because of a slight error in judgement by the issuing officers who demanded that I “support my tests”. Even though one can simply “buy” one, I have chosen never to do it. What more evidence do we need to show for a stand against graft. In fact most of the people who would wish to stop me from ascending to the Governorship are those “devolved corruption lords”. For Devolution did not just bring us good governance and resource distribution to the periphery, all the bad that trace its origin to our beloved county would be dispersed, the wheeler-dealers no less. I am ready to face them head-on and I need the support of the citizens of Nandi County to do this.

Regarding diversity, I have addressed it before and it gives me great pleasure to do it again. Nandi County is not a Nandi-only County. We have minorities among us. The constitution spells out clearly that those ethnic minorities must be mainstreamed in government. So yes, I shall strive to wax a society that appreciates the diversity within us but uses it as a source of strength, rather than an excuse for attrition. I advocate tolerance and those who read my writings will have come across my pledge to my opponents to continue playing their constitutional right to oppose. Freedoms cannot be negotiated. I guarantee that. Again I reiterate that I expect our County Assembly to play its role in vetting my actions and those of my officers to ensure that merit and considerations other than nepotism, tribalism, religious affiliations are recognised. Obviously there are sectors of our populations that are disadvantaged, e.g. the Okiek have challenges with regard to the number of educated children. We have to guard against the temptation to have hundreds of “adopted or nominal Okiek” claiming what is not theirs e.g resettlement or a share of the equalisation fund and membership to the Assembly. Masqueraders won’t be entertained. Nandi is notorious for the number of co-operatives which have been raped, run down and the culprits turn around to run for, and are elected into political office. The place of such people is not more responsibility. It is prison cells and remand. I have a message for them: arate biich!

EMOPOLITICS: What are your ideas on the empowerment of young people, women, the disabled and other marginalized members of the county?

SCC: I am afraid to even talk about this but let me say it anyway. It looks to me like the only time the word “youth” gains cloud-status is around election time. I have asked the youth to stop being “youth wingers” and start being “young leaders”. The specifics for the you are drawn from my main agenda. Let us say the under 35s comprise a whole spectrum of people: students in high school and colleges, universities, frsh entrants into the job market and up and coming business(wo)men. To a large extent the central government has devised very good, though inaccessible instruments to help the youth move from job-seekers to self-employed and eventually employers. I have been in constant touch with the challenges enumerated by Hosea Kirwa Serem, the Kabiyet-based Nandi North District Youth Officer and the Nandi-Hills based Thomas Cherwon Chebwai. These two offices are always open as are those in Kapsabet and Maraba in Tindiret and Kobujoi, to discuss the numerous available instruments of funding. Of course there are other bottlenecks like “experience” and getting the right people with whom to form a group.

Whether a youth group wishes to start a poultry farm, or a group of fresh graduates from Kaiboi and Ol’Lessos Technical Training Colleges wish to monetise their skills and start business ventures like electrical installations (Ikweny Electricals is something I like using), these youth must be encouraged to utilise the available funding options. One challenge I got to know from various engagements is “proposals”. I have been toying with the idea that our county Finance minister would have to handle this writing on behalf of groups or provide an officer within the department who would co-ordinate what I call NGO and third-party funding. We have to think of how to cement water wells and ensure sanitation in order to save time for the girl-child and the woman, work on green energy initiatives (solar energy training centres and installation/repair services) etc. Government may not be able to fund all these.

I shall take proactive steps to help with fund-raising for specific projects, including some form of “One-District-One-Product” which would ensure we process at least one product produced in a given district at cottage or industrial levels. I met the disabled persons on December 23^rd at Kapsabet. A number of us have been helping a blind girl since her days at Maseno. Recently a German NGO working through one in Kenya linked me to the program in Kenya which would help her from next year. In fact I’d like to have a member of the disabled people as a personal assistant to the Governor. This way their needs are brought closer to the heart of decision-making. I have discussed with them things like parking spaces specifically designated for “HandiCapable” people, the question of stairs in buildings, seats in matatus and public transport vehicles as well as the possibility to have a day for those of them who make different products to sell, a kind of a “show”, etc. I still remember a family of three with a blind mother and blind kids. Talented but disadvantaged. How do we deal with such a situation? Again it is about information streaming from their office in Nairobi to the periphery and I am happy that one of their leaders, Silas arap Maru of Kapkobiis, is keen to help solve this problem. I met a woman who had to crawl to the stadium, yet there are wheelchairs being offered through their organisation in Nairobi. Sadly I have not been lucky with the inquiries I placed with the various organisations in Germany for sports gear, Braille, wheelchairs etc. Most of them work with established Christian centres.

EMOPOLITICS: Last, How will you ensure good relationship between your office and the National government? How will you encourage direct link between your county and the international community, including members of your county in the diaspora?

SCC: (a) I suppose the link with the national government is catered for in the relevant legislations which were recently published by the Task Force. One great approach is to ensure we reduce hostility and animosity by being tactful. In addition, the Nairobi based officials, MPs, Senator and Women’s Rep, would be a direct link with the national government. I am wondering whether over time we shall have a Nandi County Lobby Office somewhere in Nairobi which would be like a centre to collate and harmonise the agenda for the county as well as push those responsible to provide solutions. I don’t know. But these are some grey areas that would need to be dealt with.

(b)   One of the motivations behind the encouragement to run, if I remember clearly, was a desire by the people who asked me to run for Governor to see Nandi stand at a better place with the Chinese and German/European investors and possible donor agencies. In fact, recently I joked that if I had about KShs 40 billion I would tarmac a good part of the 273km of major roads in Nandi. The huge requirements in water, sanitation, energy, roads network as well as human resource development would not benefit from the KShs 1.8-2.1 billion that we are likely to get. Furthermore, to date, nobody knows what we would need to cover as county governments. In short, aren’t we blessed that these critical development partners are directly linked to my life abroad? The German and Chinese doors are among the first I shall knock on as I seek to build networks to meet various needs.

(c)    The Nandi County diaspora is among those who remit monthly support to their families in Kenya. Even though I don’t have the figures, they are playing a critical role in ensuring their families and loved ones are living and going about their business in a comfortable manner. Look at great sons and daughters like Ambassador Peter Rono of Kamobo and New Jersey and Assistant Coach Ezekiel Kiprono Koech of Sochoi and North Carolina who are doing a superb job in opening up opportunities for our student athletes to study in top American universities under scholarship. Many more unsung heroes and heroines are doing it each day. We applaud them. We need to replicate this story wherever there are diasporans, in Finland, China, India, UK and Canada as well as Australia and South Africa etc. The reality is that we don’t have enough places for studies in Kenya, there are many more out there including the Philippines. We have to create links with those people and view the diaspora as a resource, not a threat.

(d)   Another critical role being played by the diasporans is investment. I shall be more than willing to help develop mechanisms through which people who are willing can invest in our county’s numerous partnerships. A good example is what I talked about later: Kaburwo Sports Ltd. A number of us bought Safaricom shares via EMO. That story, though slow, can be domesticated for Nandi County.

(e)    The diaspora Nandi people are going to be more than investors. They shall vote. That means they shall demand value for votes. No wonder some of the people who are seeking office are afraid. Because these are very active people and now they shall determine the fate of our county politics one way or another.

(f)     Last but not least, the diaspora has been involved in projects. I shall mention the two that stand out. Imani Community Development Inc and Okeer Gaa are examples of what pooling abroad can do to transform the society back home, especially at Kipsebwo in Nandi Hills and Kabiriirsang. I would not wish to pre-empt but you might be seeing a new set of health facilities being run locally but funded from abroad. May I also use this forum to announce that in February 2012, I shall join a team of medical doctors from the USA in several medical camps including in Nandi County. These are facilitated by our diaspora sons and daughters. Let us say everybody is a resource in Nandi County. We have so many needs, we need medical equipment, we need ambulances, we need fire extinguishers, we need scholarships etc. We have seen how the diaspora has facilitated for the twinning of Eldoret to St Paul and Minneapolis in the USA. The immediate benefit was a fire extinguisher. We need that and more for Nandi. We need the diaspora to attract those universities to see the wisdom of local campuses in Kenya in order to save us the capital flight.

God bless you and thank you for giving me the opportunity. I seek your support to say together “It is a new dawn in Nandi County”. Nandi shall rise again! God bless you and God bless Nandi County.