There is nothing as bad as a political broker looking for relevance or a job. Would sell a mother to get what he wants. The whole of Kenya are masses of poor sprinkled with a few islands of prosperity. Kisumu is not a special case. I once lived along Thika Road in my campus days and all I remember along Githurai are masses of Kikuyu youth sitting the whole day or sleeping by the roadside smoking and chewing miraa and engaging in petty crime. In my campus days, you didn’t carry a phone to that place otherwise you’d be robbed openly. Go to Makueni, Murang’a, Kisii, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kwale, Turkana, Nyandarua etc and you are treated to sights of mass poverty. Of poor struggling Kenyans trying to eke out a living. Why do you want Kisumu to be a special case?
Did you know:
• Kisumu has largest mall developments outside Nairobi
• Booming real estate sector
• A vibrant retail scene that is only getting better
• Fastest expansion in consumer spending in Africa
• One of the fastest growing aviation industries in Africa?

It is true there are social problems that need to be solved. But don't use them to score political points for selfish gain. Kisumu's rise is unstoppable.

This guy is a fool. Some of us work in the Audtor General Office. What we see, if we were in the Developed World where whiste-blowers are protected, uhuru the drunkard PResident and ruto the thief would be behind bars now.....

This guy should either be with the people of Kisumu or just look for a job in Jubilee openly. If you registered an NGO with funding from Sweden to "develop" the area, you already had a job. Unfortunately, you wanted politics and spent your money. If the people rejected you and you only managed about 1,300 and now you want to give them to Jubilee for more cash so be it. Writing this article is seeking attention from Jubilee. Just walk over to Tuju and you'll get all the cash for your personal development. Sweden might cut off your funding. I am not sure by mentioning Tuju or Anyang Nyong'o, this will help you in any way. You are already a political reject/outcast in Kisumu politics. Overall, you sound defeated.

This article has sprinkles of objective observations and a compelling personal story, but it's substantially erroneous on fundamental social-economic and political facts. For starters, Kisumu is a city, and not in name only, but it's actually the third most developed city in Kenya, after Nairobi and Mombasa. It's also worth noting that other significant urban centers in Kenya like Nakuru and Eldoret are far more cosmopolitan than Kisumu and therefore to attribute Kisumu's economic activities to a demographically insignificant cosmopolitan constitution is clearly erroneous.

The author is oblivious of the fact that 90 percent of Kenya's fresh water fish landings are sourced from lake Victoria, and that; 90 percent of Kenya's fish exports are owed to the Nile perch of lake Victoria. In essence fish from lake Victoria contributed about Ksh 31.5 billion to the Kenyan economy in the year 2016, given fisheries account for 0.5 percent of Kenya's GDP that currently stands at about Ksh 7 trillion.

The top three oil producing countries in the world are Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, nonetheless, they are all importers, to some limited extent, of refined petroleum. So, the fact that some tilapia from some fish pond in Central may find its market in Kisumu is no different than crude oil from Equatorial Guinea finding its market in the United States.

The ethymology of Kisumu is Kisumo, which means trading hub in luo. Therefore Kisumu's development is underpinned by vibrant exchange of goods and services that isn't exceeded by any other city in Kenya besides Nairobi and Mombasa. Anybody with rudimentary economics knowledge knows that, absent a purchasing power enabled by private or public charity, to buy something you must sell something. The assertion that Kisumu imports goods without producing anything to pay for those goods can only be true, if Kisumu was a city that subsists on welfare from the government, which even according to the author is far from the case as he himself has implicitly admitted to have joined jubilee so as to get the so called pork for Kisumu. Never mind that the constitution obligates the government whether Jubilee or Nasa to undertake equitable national expenditure and ensure equitable servicing of national fiscal obligations.

No doubt, there is a lot that can be done and should be done by ODM leaders in Kisumu to improve the human development index of Kisumu residents. Nonetheless it must be noted that the unemployment rate for Kenya is 40%, and this figure is not even substantially a consequent of a disproportionately high unemployment rate in Kisumu compared to other parts of Kenya. More so, the last time I checked Kisumu is part of Kenya and therefore it's turning logic on its head to attribute social-economic failures to the opposition yet it's the government that controls the national treasury and public service apparatus.

But what has Raila in his private capacity done for Kisumu? I will submit an excerpt from an article that appeared on this Daily on August 18, 2012, titled Kisumu Molasses plant: How did the Odinga's get it? It's neither exhaustive of what Raila has done, or what ODM leaders have done, but serves to negate the assertion that the opposition leaders are not development conscious.

"It also began the search for investment partners.
Eventually, Energem would take a 55 per cent controlling share, and the
Kisumu Development Trust (with directors the late Joab Omino, former
Rarieda MP George Ngure Odeny and current chairman John Otega) would
hold five per cent on behalf of local people who had come together to
raise shs.1.8m towards the project. Spectre would retain the remaining
40 per cent.

The rehabilitation project resulted in the commissioning of the plant in 2004. The yeast plant was completed in
2006 and the factory now produces industrial ethanol for blending with
liquid (bio-fuels), potable alcohol for beverages and chemical
industries, carbon dioxide, bio and organic fertiliser, and yeast.

At the height of the factory’s operations, a daily output of 60,000 litres
was achieved, but the current precarious state of the sugar industry
has affected this. Nevertheless, the company employs directly some 500
people and indirectly another 200. At the height of its operations, it
remitted an average of shs.1.2 billion to the exchequer each year. It
also exports to the Comesa countries.

The owners of the Kisumu Molasses Factory have a strong sense of corporate social
responsibility and the factory has partnered with local schools to build
laboratories and boreholes, and to provide electricity and clean
drinking water. The company conducts a free medical camp every three
months, bringing in doctors and buying medication, all of which is
provided free of charge to the 6,000-plus local residents treated. It is
also helping in efforts to control and eradicate water-borne diseases
in the area.

So, from a derelict, rusting, useless hulk to a fully functioning industry bringing benefits to local residents
through employment, education and health, and when in full operation
contributing more than a billion shillings annually to the Treasury, the
Kisumu Molasses Factory has been a huge success story."

Raila, Baba, Jakom is an enigma. Tibim Tialala.

Unfortunately common sense is not common

Pole Dianga. You are speaking to a people who have been brutalized by the Odingas for over 60 years. That’s all they know. If Baba says they burn their houses, they will do it.

Enjoy your 30 pieces of silver in peace.

Diang'a, I'm in awe. I've always said Njaruos need to abandon the 'Ujaruo' mentality to become Luos. That way they will start to see Raila as their enemy and NOT saviour and join the rest of us in Kenya for development.

Btw, don't these guys get tired of always voting for a loser? I don't think I'd vote for the same guy 5 times na hashindi. I'd rather write my name of that ballot paper!

Kisumu has the greatest opportunity of any town in Kenya.Through lake victoria,it can trade with Tanzania,Uganda,Rwanda,Burundi and DRC.Kisumu has an INTERNATIONAL airport.If Kisumu had good politics and enterprising people,it could be the industrial hub of Kenya.So unfortunate Odinga dynasity has held onto the people there since 1930.

They even had a man who was so proud to be called Rt. Honourable PM. If he only encouraged them to panda cotton mzuri, kisha awawekee EPZ zones hapo, the would be clothing everybody all the way to DRC Congo, na vile waCongo wamependa kung'ara (kama Wajaka)!

Lakini hawajui kiendapo kwa mganga hakirudi!...lolest

There is a lot of stupidity and communist ideas among Luos.

Let them keep voting for their god, our God requires no votes; he anoints, like He has anointed Uhuru!

I can imagine the potential they have. Imagine wako na an Intl Airport kwa hio border! Wako na fresh water lake hapo, no need to sink boreholes! They should be in the front line exporting horticulture all over the world.

Luo nyanza mps claim they have tyranny of brains which as the article shows has never been put to good use.

This is the type of article that pleases a particular people in this country. The issues raised are not unique to Kisumu. Kabarnet town(Headquarters of Baringo County) produced a President who served for 24 years. How rich is the town? That is just but an example. There are several towns I've been to in this country but have nothing to show for even after 50 years of being in Govt.

You are very right. Kyuks might love to read this, they also have a similar story of their own, but the subject here is Kisumu. Problem is when you take everything from a tribal perspective, whether kyuk or luo. If it was Garissa I bet they would have different opinion.

Issues probably not unique.
But in Baringo and other places, the people are determined to make a change for themselves via the ballot.
Same cannot be said of the Odinga cult.
Even with arable land all over, all they do is sit idle waiting to blame Kikuyu at the end of 5 years.

You are right my friend. I watched a clip made in 1982 that assess the situation after the coup attempt and the issues discussed there are the same today. It talks of the fear of violence, food insecurity, population growth, poverty, government incompetence, etc. Its the same story even today so i think Kenya will never change or make progress regardless of who is in power. That is the bitter truth.

Can you honestly compare Baringo with Kisumu? You're one of the Odinga blinded fools that has refused to see the truth. Moi didn't even leave an Intl Airport in Kabarnet. And FYI, that place is crazy dry (ARID)!

Kisumu had such potential were it not for poor leadership,sijui niseme. Hata smak you are too lazy to fish/ even farm; zinatoka Central! Mko na shida na hamjui!

Truth can be terribly annoying.

A very good article. .. as I have always said...get rid of the perrenial loser who continues to hold Kisumu and luo nyanza as a whole hostage and Luos will be free and they shall be free indeed.
Luos should emancipate themselves from ojingas slavery and Kisumu will be the city that it deserves to be.....

The problem is not unique to Kisumu. The only problem unique to Kisumu is that in Kisumu the same losers that have been representing that area in 2002 are still getting voted for in 2017.

Having lived in Nyanza, I have only applause for this article. The writer has elaborately indicated what's the problem with Nyanza. After this election, we need a Marshall Plan for Luo Nyanza. Isolation shouldn't be the way to go.

But as the writer puts it, the leadership is the failure. It needs removing and decoupling from development matters. It will be a steep climb but it will be worth it.

Your so called having lived in Nyanza has taught you nothing.You have ended up confusing what he word development is.

It has taught me a plenty lot. What's happening there is a tragedy and those living there don't deserve it. We need to think soberly how to change things there. Again there's nothing to gloat or be defensive about.

Change what, like how to tell people from your place that fish are not snakes and they shouldn't almost kill each other when scrambling for them? There is nothing to gloat and be defensive about your tribal rants here.

The tragedy is what is happening in Kenya right now. By the way, there is not much difference between the residents of Kisumu and folks from Central and Rift.

Trust me. There is a tonne of a difference. Those income differentials don't just appear. In my community we have a saying - You will be built for using the posts that you gathered yourself Basically, assistance can only come from what you already have. If what you have is weak or insufficient, then the help given will reflect what you have.

I can bet my right foot that Nyanza people aren't lazy. I know that because I lived with them. They are just overwhelmed by everything around them. I once watched a farmer in Siaya set up a greenhouse and really had to improvise. And it was painful. This guy got some exotic vegetables and planted them. Having grown up in a farm (and practically broke my back picking French beans) I could immediately pick up some problems with his setup. And I asked myself, where is the extension officer. Because I can bet that the guy was just around watching this farmer blundering. That angered me. Why would we watch such effort go down the drain?

At that level, that farmer and myself are in the same party, same ideology, even same religion. I compared it to a time we were given faulty seed. The uproar was immense. From MPs, community leaders etc. I heard that same story repeated in anger for a decade. I believe someone was transferred or lost their job. Why isn't that anger being channeled appropriately in Nyanza? Where are the people who can mobilize these farmers? Where are the leaders?

These guys instead follow Baba and sing pak ruoks and hallelujahs for Baba. They forget who really is their boss. Further still. To increase despondence, they lie to their people that Nairobi is responsible for their plight. Utter rubbish! If you don't have revenue, does it matter if 12 divided by 2 is 5 or 6? You don't have 2 in the first place!!

Nyanza needs serious people who want to uplift the place. Not make it Baba's playground.

This is probably one of the most sobber analysis of the Lakeside town I have ever read. It's moving and factual. But like one individual stated, our allegience is to our tribe first and foremost.

Kisumu can never develop as long as the only major activity that the locals engage in is demonstrating and looting businesses

One day the very same goons will undress this old mad man in his retirement and frogmarch him in the same streets he was always leading them in riots once they come to their senses.

It is a known fact that the best way to controll people's minds is to keep them on an ending poverty, this is what Raila has done. The poor Luos cannot even see it and will never wake up from their slumber. If Raila was a politician from Central or many other parts of the country, he would have been rejected along time ago. The article is true and correct. Tuju tried very hard to develop Ralienda, he brought water and electricity but Raila rejected him and asked his goons to uproot the water pipes and the electricity poles, no one raised a finger and Tuju was rejected, this won't happen anywhere else in Kenya but Luo Nyanza. The LOP ( Lord of poverty) is correct and well earned but who will ever help Luo Nyanza ? Keep them poor and tell them it's because they have never been president of Kenya and for that keep them blind folded.

Waaah...what as a visionary man but you will not make it outside ODM.

The piece is aptly laid out but i fear you will be 'crushed or suppressed' by the Odinga die hards who nothing but his word resonates in their lives! Sad!

It can't be that bad, at least there still is something to steal.

So why did Mr dianga invest in kisumu if he had already identified the problem. Why throw she 3 million down the drain campaigning for jubilee when you know you can't win. Why did you not put that money in a green house that you advocate and create even 3 jobs? What has jubilee done for losing now that you claim it's development minded?

He felt, out of conviction, something needed to be done and he did it. The only people who agrees with his vision are 1000 plus people.

It has been clearly indicated that "any member/leader who has ever come up with idea(s) of empowering the people or is independent minded has ended up being crushed or suppressed". People like Orengo and Nyongo who previously couldn't stand RAO's political views had to compromise their values for political survival......what Kisumu has now is a bunch of bootylickers who can't dare stand for what is good for their people.

Orengo and Nyongo are not investors. You and this dianga man are just spreading cheap propaganda

Investment doesn't equal a big visible warehouse or supermarket. What do you think of his law firm.

It is a shame you can claim to have schooled yet you can't be rational. What about that good village neighbor of yours who may not have got the opportunity.....? Kweli wafuasi wa hiki kimutu munakuanga na kashida.

the neighbour who hasnt gone to school is you. I dont expect you to understand my comments.

It is always good to try out, there should all trials to help these guys. Dianga tried his bit.

have u ever heard of dipping the stick to test the depth? he prob.. did that....i dont know who u are talking abt tho ...

He probably did. Very speculative. If he did he would have said so

Nice Article chief

Nasa protesters on Friday left a trail of destruction in Kisumu after taking to the streets to push for reforms at the electoral commission.

The demonstrators broke into and looted Tumaini Supermarket and vandalized water pipes belonging to Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company

Ati fish from central? If this is the case, Luo Nyanza is doomed as long as ODM is holds sway. Siasa mbaya maisha mbaya. Moi decreed!