Poor Vihiga County

Let us start by having a hike across the county. It is a small county and one can reach all corners in a week by only using a bicycle. We are at Kaimosi, the old town. The forest is too small to make an arboretum. The only fenced compounds has owners either working internationally or serving high government positions. They are not many. The one-time missionary college does not match the next home to sharp heads from Chavakali, Nyang’ori, Vokoli, Bunyore and equally best high schools. For a first timer, the place does not match the hype it has in lands away; same as Chavakali. 

Senator Khaniri braggs of Nandi-Serem-Jivaswa road. It could only pass by his gate among other shrub fences. It joins Shamakhokho on Kapsabet-Chavakali road. We will leave it and pass at Senende market. On the road we will see men and women changing vivambo. The cows are as old as children around but with no bodies to show. Hope keeps rearing them.

The sounds of coming and going motorcycles keeps a road user always disturbed in his thoughts lest he finds himself in hospital. Motorcycles have the right of way. They are many in the county than any other economical activity. No helmets are worn and to ask one is to sound foreign. Is it the disposal county of faulty motors in the capital?

Hamisi as a sub county has a legendary story but no building or enterprise to prove it. No businesses are transacted in the buildings that posters seem bigger than. Do people who visit the offices even get help? Or the offices are full of referring?

One lady, a friend, who came around for burial wondered how the whole population of Wengondo and Gisambai, full of stones could be living in mud houses at this time! People don’t even have compounds decorated of stones. We even lack marksmanship on the stones! There are no men who can do art and craft on them for philanthropy or income.

But on the road in Chango are brewing points where the youths and primary school teachers pay tribute every day to burn their desperations away. If a roll was taken in Vihiga County among the male, approximately 90% of its population are active in backdoor alcoholism from an equal percentage unemployed. You won’t cycle long before you find a man on the road asleep apart from the staggering ones. Women of the county are very submissive and most poor.

The role of private sector has been of a struggle. Organisations as VICODEC in Sabatia and Xposha in Chavakali through their various initiatives are limited with expertise among other resources. One program called Healthy Choices run by Exposure targeting the young youths in schools wasn’t taken seriously by participants in one session I attended. For the new supermarket in the area, will the salts not harden on the shelves?

Is Daraja mbili part of Vihiga? The road that connects Kiboswa to Kisumu-Busia road is called what? The junction is in a bad state despite being the main PAG church center. One can’t refresh there for a bottle of soda and snacks. Anyway, the road, well tarmacked, has not opened any enterprise since. It is waiting for Kisumu to get full.

I wonder why people complain that Luanda should be the county’s centre due to its increased business transactions when only one Nissan at a time takes the Viyalo road. There is a difference between administration and business. Give the two supports, not politics.

It gets interesting on the way to Eregi where the county connects to Kakamega. The college has time-in and time-out produced local teaching staff that has only been best in maintaining status quo of poor education around. Avisukha and Vidakho, as we celebrate our Luhya roots, aren’t they the minority groups? Do children from there go to colleges and universities?

We should not forget Chavakali, famous due to the secondary school. Shops are in order, preserving a colonial picture of the first shops. Not even Ambwere’s efforts can change a face of a rigid picture. When the Kakamega-Kisumu road will be fully functional and the county staff bought many cars, traffic will encroach and mothers who sell groceries by the roadside will find customers. Keveye will cease to be a rush point to a stopping point.

The other places are not different. Wangulu, Kima, Vihiga, Mago, Busali, Bugina, Busweta, Gahumbwa, Kegoye, Majengo among other rough road accessed places raise youths who do not know their roots. Youths aren’t occupied. They gather to speculate on reproduction with results being teen pregnancies. And if you ever needed a book shop or a library to study, the county is sorry for you. It is developing.

The county’s primary institutions- families, primary schools, leadership and churches are to pull up their socks. Weak families raise weak children. The tradition of performing poorly in primary schools should be unwelcome. Unchallenged leaders whose every sunrise and set is same should be relegated to advisory committee and not an active one. If the churches were something to change, they would be commissioned to have resource centers and on every gathering instead of spreading myths about God, people should be taught and challenged on better agricultural practices among other growth aimed knowledge.