Kitui newspaper: Would it make economic sense?

Would it make economic sense to launch a Kitui newspaper? That is a question I posed to a certain friend of mine, who works as a media consultant in Nairobi. I was considering launching a Kitui newspaper, which would carry Kitui news exclusively. I was now seeking his views on whether such a venture would make economic sense.

The consultant told me that for sure the need for a Kitui newspaper exists. As in, there is a gap that can be filled through a Kitui newspaper. That is because Kitui is a vast county at more than 32,000 kilometers, making it bigger than some nations. People in one corner of Kitui are likely to be hungry for information on what is happening at the other corner, and that is the gap that a Kitui newspaper can fill.

I pointed out that there are Kitui Whatsapp groups and Kitui Facebook pages filling that gap. But the consultant was quick to tell me that the news found in those Kitui Whatsapp groups and Kitui Facebook pages is of unaunthenticated nature – people still need properly filed news reports. And that is the gap that the Kitui newspaper would fill. Yes, there are Kitui radio stations – the likes of County FM, Athiani FM, Syokimau FM and Wikwatyo FM, but these tend to have limited time slots for news. Meaning that people who want comprehensive news would require a local newspaper…

When I gave the whole matter thought, I came to three conclusions. 
That for a Kitui newspaper to make economic sense/to be affordable to the people, it would have to take pamphlet format (you know, like those 10 bob or 20 bob publications you used to find in Nairobi's railways bus terminus). If you make it too expensive, people will stick to the news they get via Kitui radio stations and Kitui Whatsapp groups. 
Secondly, that it would need to be a weekly publication, or one that comes out twice per week. At least that would have to be the case initially. 
And thirdly, it would need to be in the tabloid format, if people are to agree to part with their hard-earned 10 bob or 20 buy to purchase the Kitui newspaper. 
Yet it would also need to have comprehensive coverage, which would make it necessary for the newspaper to have well-connected reporters/correspondents in at least each of the probably 100+ Kitui locations… 
Still, if you can manage to move 20,000 copies of the publication per week at 20 bob, perhaps it can cover its costs and return a small profit on top…

Kitui agricultural training center: how much impact does it have in Kitui county?

Kitui agricultural training center occupies a prime piece of land, close to Kitui’s Kunda Kindu bus terminus and adjacent to Kitui’s Medical Training College (Kitui KMTC). One question that is often posed with regard to the Kitui agricultural training center is as to how much impact it has in the county.

In understanding the impact of Kitui agricultural training center, you have to understand that the people who graduate from the center end up becoming ‘influencers’ in their local communities. Thus, if person X (say, Mutiso or Mwangangi or Mwende) goes through Kitui agricultural training center, he comes out with knowledge on the best crop husbandry and animal husbandry techniques. Then once he goes back to his village and puts those techniques in practice, his neighbors are likely to notice the improved productivity of his farm. And that is likely to push them into adopting the same crop and animal husbandry techniques. And that is likely to have a ripple effect, as more and more people adopt those proper farming techniques from observation… So in this case, you have the graduate of Kitui agricultural training center inspiring people to adopt proper agricultural practices without having to do any extension work directly…

I therefore think that the greatest impact of Kitui agricultural training center is to the extent that the people who graduate from it end up becoming ‘influencers’ in their local communities.  They influence the local communities to embrace proper agricultural practices, leading to improved agricultural productivity. It is therefore easy to see that were it not for the likes of Kitui agricultural training center, agricultural productivity in Kitui would be much lower than it currently is. Still, if Kitui agricultural training center is to have even more profound impact in the county, there is need for more investment to be made in the center. There may also be need to increase the intake, because moving around Kitui county, you still see gaps – as there are still many areas where modern agricultural practices are yet to be embraced. You find people farming the way it had always been done for years, in spite of today's dwidling land holdings.

Kitui assembly: is it a good idea for the Kitui county assembly to ‘work’ with the governor?

One of the enduring debates about the Kitui county assembly, from the time when Julius Malombe was Kitui governor to now when Charity Kaluki Ngilu is Kitui governor is on whether it is a good idea for the Kitui county assembly to ‘work’ with the governor. The Kitui assembly is based in that modern glass building somewhere opposite the Kitui catholic cathedral and before getting to Kitui’s Kunda Kindu bus and matatu terminus.

There are those who are of the view that the Kitui assembly needs to be constantly at loggerheads with the governor/executive, if proper oversight is to take place.

On the other hand of the debate, there are those who are of the view that more meaningful work is likely to be done if there is good rapport between the Kitui assembly and the governor/executive.

My own view on this matter is as follows: that it is indeed necessary for the Kitui assembly to have good relations with the governor/executive, without getting too cosy. You see, oversight doesn’t mean antagonism. It is possible for proper oversight to take place in a non-antagonistic setting. Oversight doesn’t mean hostility. If you have a county assembly that is openly hostile to the governor, then surely that is likely to have a negative impact on development. 

Coming from a colonial background, many of us are always under the impression that you have to be nasty to get things done. And that is the thinking which leads some MCAs to believe that they have to be hostile to the governor for oversight to take place. Yet modern management best practice is to supervise in a respectful, friendly way – thus getting things done without necessarily being too nasty. And that can be extended to county administration – where the MCAs in the Kitui assembly should aspire to undertake their oversight duties without necessarily being openly hostile to the governor/executive. When you come to think of it, that is the only way we can get things done. Otherwise there is likely to be a lot of push and shove, with the citizens being the losers in the process.

So my verdict is that it is a good idea for the members of the Kitui assembly to ‘work’ with the governor/executive, as long as they don’ get too cozy and as long as they don't neglect their oversight work. 

Kitui airstrip: why is it underutilized?

Well, to the best of my understanding, there is one major reason as to why Kitui airstrip is underutilized. It is in the fact that Kitui town is quite close to Nairobi. Therefore most people prefer to simply drive from Nairobi to Kitui, rather than flying. I mean, the journey from Nairobi to Kitui is less than two hours by road – so why would anyone fly there? So you find that the Kitui airstrip only comes to life when there is a VIP who has to be flown to Kitui, and that is only once in a while. It is unlike, say, the Wajir airstrip which is very busy, considering that the distance between Nairobi and Wajir is big enough to warrant flights.

Still, I think that as Kenya’s economy grows, and as the middle class grows, we are likely to witness growing demand for facilities like the Kitui airstrip. That is where, for instance, I reckon that the number of monied people from Kitui who live and work in Mombasa is huge enough to sustain a passenger service. Thus, if someone were to launch reliable flights between Mombasa and Kitui, perhaps they could get a decent number of passengers. Whereas the distance between Kitui and Nairobi doesn’t warrant flying, the distance between Mombasa and Kitui is big enough to warrant flights. Someone could even try Kitui to Kampala or Kitui to Kisumu flights. Kitui is home to a huge middle class that could buy tickets for such trips, which could eventually culminate in the Kitui airstrip being upgraded to a full-fledged airport: Kitui airport…. For now though, and until we get people with such visions, Kitui airstrip will have to continue operating below its capacity. But for sure, as the Kenyan middle class grows, the need for Kitui airstrip to be put into proper use is likely to arise, as rich executives see the need to fly from one corner of Kenya to the other, rather than enduring long, torturous drives.

Kitui bishop: how do I get to see the Kitui bishop?

Well, my understanding is that all you need to do is book an appointment, if you wish to see the Kitui bishop. So you go to the cathedral or to the bishop’s residence, and state that you wish to see him – then you explain the reason why you need to see the bishop. If the reason you need to see the bishop is viewed as valid, an appointment is booked for you and you eventually get to meet the bishop. Sometimes, depending on the matter at hand, you may get to meet the bishop within hours or even straightaway. Or you may end up having to wait for some days, before eventually getting to see the bishop.

How easily you get to see the bishop is likely to depend on a number of factors.

Firstly, it is likely to depend on your standing within the diocese. If, for instance, you are one of the people who hold leadership positions in the diocese, it is likely to be much easier for you to see the bishop than someone who doesn’t hold a leadership position in the diocese. It also helps if you look like an 'important' person, as opposed to if you look like a person who only wants to ‘bother’ the bishop.

Secondly, it is likely to depend on what you want to see the bishop about. The way these leaders operate is typically such that when a person comes wanting to see him, the secretary/gatekeeper sends a message that there is so and so here and he wants to see you about ABC or XYZ. If the bishops sees that what you want to see him about is important, chances are that he is likely to request for you to be let in straightaway.

Thirdly, it is likely to depend on how busy the bishop is. You have to understand that bishops tend to be busy individuals, typically with hundreds of churches and thousands of staff working under them. Thus, even if the bishop wishes to see you straightaway, the circumstances may be such that he is held up in another meeting, or there other people in the queue ahead of you also seeking to see the bishop. So that would then mean that you have to wait.

The most important thing is to understand that the Kitui bishop is not just a man, but an institution with an able team working with him. Thus, even if you don’t get to meet the bishop personally, as long as you leave the matter with the bishop’s office, it is likely to be sorted out soon or later. 

Kitui county tenders: how do I get to win Kitui county tenders?

Well, to the best of my understanding, if you wish to get Kitui county tenders, there are few important steps you need to follow.

First of all, you need to be always on the lookout for Kitui county tender notices/adverts. All worthwhile Kitui county tenders are advertised, and you need to be on the lookout for these ads. They may be in the newspapers and they may also be in the Kitui county websites. So it is important for you to be checking weekly, or daily if you can, for the Kitui county tender notices.

Secondly, it is important for you to ensure that you put up proper bids for the Kitui county tenders. So you attach all the required documents, ensure that you provide all the information that the Kitui county tender committee is likely to require, and ensure that you place your bids for Kitui county tenders in good time. You have to understand that almost all Kitui county tenders have deadlines, and ensure that you place your bid well ahead of the deadline. If you wait for the last minute, you are likely to have a difficult time as the online tender placement systems tend to ‘hang’ at such last minutes as all people try to access them at the same time.

Thirdly, it is important to ensure that you only bid for Kitui county tenders that you have proper capacity to work on. If you bid for a tender that you don’t have proper capacity for, chances are that you will be disqualified, as each tender is carefully assessed for technical and financial capacity.

Fourthly, it is important to ensure that you bid for tenders that are meant for you. Like for instance if you are an able-bodied middle-aged man, and you bid for a Kitui county tender that is reserved for the youth or for a Kitui county tender that is reserved for the disabled or for a Kitui county tender that is reserved for women, you are unlikely to win it. So you need to go through the tender notices carefully, to ensure that you don’t bid for a Kitui county tender that is not meant for you/that is reserved for other people.

It may be important for you to interact with and if possible befriend people who have a track record of winning Kitui county tenders for them to help you understand how the ‘system’ works.

Kitui county KCSE results: A commentary

Looking at Kitui county KCSE results can be a depressing affair. You find a few – typically less than 2,000 students – scoring truly good grades – between A and B+. The sorts of grades that can get the students admitted to university for competitive courses in fields like medicine, law and engineering. Then you have another like 3,000-5000 with decent grades, between B plain and C+. The numbers increase somewhat for weaker but decent grades, like those in the C plain to D+ range. But majority of the students end up failing, with D plain, D- and E. To be fair, this is not a Kitui county thing, but rather a national thing. Yet when you get a chance to interact with the Kitui county students who score those poor grades (D plain, D- Minutes and E) you realize that they are actually not stupid chaps/ladies. They are reasonably intelligent kids, who have been ‘wasted’ by the system.

Most of the kids who get such poor grades tend to be individuals who lack motivation. So you find that those who get As and Bs are not necessarily more intelligent. They just happen to be more motivated to learn. And those who fail are not necessarily stupid, but just lack the motivation to learn. That is why you will find a kid somewhere in Mutha or Tyaa Kamuthanga who knows all players in Chelsea and Manchester United and Manchester City by heart. Yet he can’t apply the same brain to know all the chemicals in the periodic table. The same brain that can master all players in Chelsea can surely master the elements in the periodic table but what the kid lacks is motivation. Many of these kids come from dysfunctional families, where too much strictness has bred a pathological rebellion in them which sees them not exerting themselves fully in their studies...

There is of course also the fact that those day schools in the interior are not very well equipped and some lack adequate numbers of qualified teachers. And the kids lack role-models, as in, they don’t know the end they are working hard at school towards. They don't know how much difference it makes to be a doctor rather than a clinical officer. Or how much difference it makes to join the army as a cadet rather than a recruit. They are not exposed to such things. 
And then there is also the feeling in some quarters that the KCSE exam is simply too hard for the kids, hence the dismal performance countrywide. You can’t dismiss these sentiments when you look at the sorts of questions kids are expected to answer in KCSE – especially when you consider kids in farflung corners of Kitui who lack exposure.  So you find that the KCSE is not just a general education examination, but also a pre-university exam that is too taxing on average minds.

Kitui cathedral choir: why is the Kitui cathedral choir so good?

The Kitui cathedral choir (Our Lady of Africa Kitui Catholic Choir) is truly a world-class outfit. That is the conclusion you come to, whenever you get a chance to listen to them singing in a mass.  Or when you listen to any of their recordings. Listening to the Kitui cathedral choir at work, you quickly realize that it is performance is at par with that of any world class choir anywhere in the world. And that leads to the question as to how the Kitui cathedral choir has been able to attain such high standards.

In my assessment, one of the factors that has led to Kitui cathedral choir’s excellence is good financing. For the choir operating at the bishop’s seat, it has to be well financed which in turn translates into good performance.

Another factor that has likely led to Kitui cathedral choir’s excellence is good leadership. Looking at how well the Kitui cathedral choir is coordinated, you don’t need a compass to figure out that there is good leadership structure behind it all. So that is leadership in terms of the choir masters as well as strategic leadership on the part of the cathedral/diocese which coordinates the choir’s operations at a higher level.

Yet another factor that has likely led to Kitui cathedral choir’s excellence is dedication by the members. Listening to the Kitui cathedral choir singing, you easily see that they must have put hundreds if not thousands of hours into practice, for them to become so good. And that is testament to the members’ dedication. It helps too, of course, that the Kitui cathedral choir operates in an urban setting, meaning that the members are mostly individuals who operate on fixed schedules, which probably makes the scheduling of choir practice easy. And the urban setting also means that the members probably don’t have to travel too far to get to the cathedral for practice. You can’t compare it with a rural choir, whose members have to walk for long distances to attend practice sessions and whose members operate on unpredictable rural schedules.

Kitui catholic choir: where can I get Kitui catholic choir songs?

Last week, I got an opportunity to listen to some very nice catholic songs which I later came to learn were done by the Kitui catholic choir. You only need to listen to the songs for a couple of minutes, to understand that the Kitui catholic choir (Our Lady of Africa Kitui Catholic Choir) is a serious group of singers. Later, I started trying to figure out where I could get the Kitui catholic choir songs.

Someone suggested that I should try the various stores where Kamba music is sold. That there is a good chance of me finding at least some of the recordings done by Our Lady of Africa Kitui Catholic Choir. So I reckon that that is one of the ways in which one can lay hands on Kitui Catholic Choir songs – by visiting the various Kamba music stores.

When I went online to search for Kitui catholic choir songs, I discovered that a good number of them are on YouTube. So this means that YouTube is yet another place where you can find the songs that were done by Our Lady of Africa Kitui Catholic Choir. Just search for ‘kitui catholic choir’ or for ‘our lady of Africa’ Kitui songs and you will find them.

Yet another place online where you may find Kitui catholic choir songs for sale is on the Amazon website. So you just go to Amazon and conduct a search for Kitui catholic choir songs or for our lady of Africa Kitui catholic songs.

There is also the possibility of finding Kitui catholic choir songs on Spotify. Again, it is just a question of going to the spotify website, and undertaking a search for Kitui catholic choir songs or for our lady of Africa Kitui catholic songs.

Whichever approach you use, listening to Kitui catholic choir songs, you soon discover that you are listening to a dedicated and well-practiced group of singers.

Kitui district hospital: where is it and how does it operate?

The Kitui district hospital/Kitui level 5 hospital is in Kitui town. It is somewhere just above the Kitui Kunda Kindu matatu/bus terminus. There is a shortcut that pedestrians use, from Kunda Kindu, through the Kitui county health team offices, to Kitui level 5 hospital. If you are driving, you will need to branch off the highway/B7 road, turn right near the catholic cathedral, then turn right upon getting to the government offices’ road and drive for around 500 meters to get to the Kitui district hospital.

The Kitui district hospital is a big facility, with various wards, specialist clinics, imaging facilities, laboratories and a medical school (KMTC, Kitui campus) attached to it. It has general practitioners (medical officers and clinical officers), a huge army of nurses, surgeons, obstetriacians/gynecologists, orthopedicians, physiotherapists, dentists, psychiatrists and all other sorts of specialists one would expect in a referral hospital. 

For sure, the Kitui county government seems to have made a genuine effort in getting the Kitui district hospital to be properly staffed. Previously, it used to operate as a level 4 facility but was upgraded to level 5 at some point – making it a major referral facility. Which is just as well, considering the huge catchment area that is served by the hospital, I mean, at more than 32,000 square kilometers, Kitui county is bigger than some nations. It can be very unfair to tell someone who has traveled more than a hundred kilometers, say, from Endau or from Mutha that they can’t get the services they are looking for at Kitui, meaning that they have to travel further…

For sure, Kitui district hospital is a congested facility, given the huge catchment area and population it serves. Yet it also has a dedicated workforce and moving around the facility, you get the impression that everything that can be done to help the patients is being done. That said, you should expect to spend quite a bit of time waiting for your turn, especially if what you have is not exactly an emergency. It is not uncommon to queue for twenty or more minutes at the records department, half an hour or more at the outpatient department, and a further 20-40 minutes at the pharmacy. But if you are patient, you do eventually get your turn. There can also be a bit of sharing in the wards (if you are admitted as inpatient), and it helps if you can stay around to assist your patient with basic needs as the nurses are often overstretched. 

Kitui deputy governor: how do I get to see the Kitui deputy governor?

Well, to the best of my understanding, seeing the Kitui deputy governor should be fairly easy, if what you want to see him about is a worthwhile thing. The first step you need to take, if you wish to see the Kitui deputy governor, is figure out where his office is. So you go to Kitui county government offices, and enquire as to where the deputy governor’s office is. If you look like an ‘important’ person, you will be given directions to the Kitui deputy governor’s office without too much ado. If you don’t look like an 'important' person, you may be hassled a bit, before eventually being shown where the Kitui deputy governor’s office is. It is not that the folks there are discriminatory – far from it – it just how bureaucracy works everywhere in the world.

Having known where the Kitui deputy governor’s office is, the next step is for you to present yourself there. Again, things are likely to be easier for you if you give the impression that you are an important person. Like if you arrive at the offices driving, rather than walking. You will probably have to get speak with the guards (which means demonstrating to them that you have a valid reason for being there), to be allowed to face the secretaries inside.

You then need to tell the secretaries that you wish to see the deputy governor. They will in all probability want to know who you are and what you want to see the deputy governor about. Don't take it personally, they are at work and that is their work. You will then be probably told to wait, as your case is handled. Of course, if what you wish to see the Kitui deputy governor is something that can be handled by other officials, you may be directed to the relevant offices. I mean, if the million plus residents of Kitui were all to see the deputy governor, the poor man couldn’t cope... That is why there exists a team around the deputy governor, to handle cases that can be dealt with at lower levels. Still, if your case warrants seeing the deputy governor in person, you are likely to be given an appointment – straightaway or on another date. You would then need to ensure that you are on time for the appointment, in order to finally meet the leader. I guess that is how it works, or at least that is how it is supposed to work, but that is just my thinking.

Kitui diocese bishop: what does it take to be Kitui diocese bishop?

Sometime ago, I overhead an interesting discussion between some two gentlemen. The discussion was on why the Kitui diocese has gone for so long without a bishop. One of the gentlemen was of the view that the reason as to why Kitui diocese had gone for so long without a bishop was because no qualified person could be found. And that led to another discussion on what it actually takes to be Kitui diocese bishop, and by extension why it is so hard to find a qualified person.

Only the church’s top hierarchy knows for sure what it takes to be Kitui diocese bishop. What I know on my part is that one needs to be an exceptional cleric, to rise to the position of Kitui diocese bishop. I mean, it is important to understand that when one is appointed bishop of a diocese like Kitui, he automatically becomes in charge of billions worth of assets, is expected to shepherd over hundreds of thousands of faithful and is expected to manage hundreds, if not thousands of staff. So obviously one needs to be of a very high caliber.

I get the impression that for one to be Kitui diocese bishop, he needs to have excellent pastoral and leadership skills. And obviously one also needs to be  an excellent theologian, because as bishop, one ends up being in charge of other great minds, including the seminaries in the diocese. 
The challenge is likely to arise in getting someone who has the right combination of pastoral and leadership skills. I mean, you may find someone who is an excellent pastor, but lacks the leadership skills. Or you find someone else who is an excellent leader but a mediocre pastor. Yet in a bishop, you need someone who would liaise with the local civil government authorities, someone who would adjudicate on canon law matters and someone who would manage the diocese and preside over important functions. And you also need someone who is acceptable to both the clergy and the laity. So when all is said and done, it becomes hard to find someone with all the necessary qualities, which is why the office of Kitui diocese bishop sometimes takes so long to fill.

Kitui district: just how big is the Kitui district?

Well, the original Kitui district (on which the current Kitui county is based) was a very vast district. It is said to be over 32,000 square kilometers, making it larger than some of these nations you hear about.

For you to understand just how big Kitui district/Kitui county is, you need to travel from one end of it to another. In between, you are likely to cover 150 to 200 kilometers to move from one end of Kitui district/Kitui county to the other. I mean, just think about – moving from one end of Kitui in Mutha to another end in, say, Ukasi. Between Mutha and Ukasi, you are looking at anything from 200 to 250 kilometers, and all that is within the same county. Or take another example, of the distance between Athi (on the Kibwezi Mutomo highway where Kitui district starts) and Endau on the other end of Kitui. In between, you are looking at more than 150 kilometers.

Many people have argued that Kitui district actually ought to have been divided into two: giving rise to Kitui district and Mwingi district (which then at 2010 would have given rise to Kitui county and Mwingi County). The only problem is in the fact that Kitui district previously used to be viewed as a sparsely populated district. Thus, whereas the folks at the top would have seen sense in dividing it on the basis of its geographical area, they used to argue that the population residing in it wouldn’t justify it. But that argument can’t hold water today, given the fact that Mwingi region has grown population-wise to a level where it now has is it 4 or 5 constituencies – Mwingi East, Mwingi West, Mwingi Central, Mwingi North and so on. That is on top of Kitui regions own constituencies like Kitui East, Kitui West, Kitui South, Kitui Rural, Kitui Central and so on. So you see for sure that Mwingi is like a different region within the same county – hence the calls for creation of Mwingi county.

All said and done, the former Kitui district was very vast, and it is hard to understand how the Kitui DC, sitting at Kitui town, was able to administer such a vast region, especially at a time when communication infrastructure was not very well developed.

Kitui east constituency: where exactly is the Kitui east constituency?

Well, to the best of my understanding, Kitui east constituency is the one that covers areas like Sombe, Kyamatu, Mutitu, Malalani, Mwitika and Endau. It is one of Ukambani’s largest and remotest constituencies. 

One of the ways to get to Kitui East from Kitui town is to take the B7 road, then when you get to Chuluni, you turn left and follow that road to centers like Sombe, Malalani, Mutitu and Endau… There is probably another route from Kitui town through Miambani, though I am not very conversant with it so I can’t comment on it. 

Most of the matatus and minibuses serving the Kitui East constituency can be found at Kitui town’s Kunda Kindu terminus. They include the likes of ‘Master’.

The drive from Kitui town to Kitui east (areas like Sombe, Mutitu,  Malalani and Endau) is a brutal affair. Whereas some effort has been made to grade the roads, you can imagine what a 100 kilometer drive on an untarmarcked roads is like. Let’s just say that it is the sort of journey you have to prepare for well in advance. But it is still an enjoyable journey, with beautiful scenery, lots of donkeys and interesting people along the way. Kitui east consistuency has the most hardcore of Athaisu Kamba people, with well-kept traditions. It is arguably in Kitui East that you can find Kamba culture at its purest. At some point along the journey, you will encounter a small isolated tarmacked piece of road. It was set up to help vehicles climb the steep river valley, and though it looks misplaced, it has actually helped people a great deal as previously vehicles were known to end up being stuck there for days whenever it rained.

The current MP for Kitui East is Nimrod Mbai and before him I think was Marcus Mutua Muluvi. This is the constituency that was previously known as Mutitu constituency under Kiema Kilonzo.