Thursday, March 16, 2006
USE THE ARMY TO TRANSPORT RELIEF FOOD
Our armed forces are reputed to be among the best in Africa. It is undeniable that the role they continue to play in peacekeeping in various countries makes us proud. We have managed to internationalize our armed forces to the point where it is, perhaps, the only institution that reflects Kenya positively to the world.
It is however ironic that while maintaining peace in Kosovo, Sierra-Leon, Congo and elsewhere and ensuring that the refugees in those countries receive food and water, their brothers and sisters back home are dying from lack of same supplies. They are not dying because of war or civil strife, but because there is no transport and other logistics in place to ensure delivery of the much needed relief. The stores in Eldoret and Kitale are bursting with excess grain while people are dying a few hundred miles away from hunger.
Over the past forty years of independence, the government has done little in form of communication and road network improvement in North Eastern, and Northern Rift parts of the country. The areas have been left principally as the training ground for our armed forces. The army is a regular visitor and a popular friend of most of the locals. This is why the army should get involved in the food distribution and water drilling in these areas.
There is the immediate need to send food to the remote areas where people are dying daily. The army should mobilize its transport battalion and render support. They are familiar with the terrain; they are disciplined, organized and capable.
The time to demystify the armed forces is now. The armed forces should not be viewed only as a source of entertainment during national days. We should not just take pride in their outward attire and well timed marching and trooping of the color, we should get some tangible benefits from the huge investment that we put in them every year. Yes, the forces should be ready to combat any external threat, but their transporting food to El Wak or Kipini does not compromise their preparedness. Using the Engineering Battalion to drill waterholes in Wajir Bor or Lokitang’ gives them a human face. After all as frequent visitors to those areas they will have assured themselves of regular water supply. The supply branch would involve their personnel in acquisition and distribution of the relief food, and the transport battalion be used in moving the food. The lessons learnt in such undertakings would be important in times of war mobilization. This would be the closest they would get to real situations over and above simulated training, which lacks the perils of nature.
Our armed forces have manpower trained in various fields, they are adept at withstanding adverse weather conditions, and therefore, drilling boreholes and building dams would not be way out of their role. Some people may not be comfortable with the army undertaking such civil responsibilities, but the army is best positioned in terms of training, equipment, manpower and adaptability than any team the water ministry can build. This is not an act of hostility but a civil responsibility, which is consistent with the Force Act.
Perennial famine in our country’s north and northeast will never end if we do not address the issue of water availability. Although we need the short-term transportation of food, the solution lies in provision of water all year round, both for the livestock and humans. Lon- term goals of irrigating the area and tree planting should be in the agenda. While Nairobi is preoccupied with mundane issues of mercenaries and press freedom, people continue to die and the government is clearly not on top of the famine issue. Since the president’s visit to the region last December, the fate of the residents seem to have been left to the NGOs which are handicapped by lack of logistical support. This is no longer news. It is becoming increasingly difficult to retain it in the limelight and give it the thorough attention it deserves. The international community has been given other fodder to chew at the expense of people continuing to die.
If we involved the military in such humanistic endeavors, the subtle suspicion and mistrust between them and the civil in their inordinately large budget allocation would diminish. The military should take the initiative; it is not like the people in those regions care who provide the food. All they care for is the food and water not whether it is coming from NGO or the military. Let us use what we have and save our people from hunger. Right now what we have in abundance is the might of the army in huge trucks being polished and oiled daily for the next Madaraka day parade. Load them with grain and take them to Turkana and Pokot, when they come back beat up, creaking and dusty, we shall willingly reach deeper into our pockets and bail you out. Right now we are penny pinching because we are not sure our money is well spent.
We have not had war in forty years, we pray we have no war in forty years, right now let us fight poverty in our nation, that is the only war most of us will fight in our lifetime. After all, according to Napoleon, an army marches on its stomach, yes you are your brother’s keeper when he is hungry you are hungry or are going to be hungry. Hunger is not a virtue; it does not need to be glorified.
Capt. (Ret) Charles Wairia
USA
It is however ironic that while maintaining peace in Kosovo, Sierra-Leon, Congo and elsewhere and ensuring that the refugees in those countries receive food and water, their brothers and sisters back home are dying from lack of same supplies. They are not dying because of war or civil strife, but because there is no transport and other logistics in place to ensure delivery of the much needed relief. The stores in Eldoret and Kitale are bursting with excess grain while people are dying a few hundred miles away from hunger.
Over the past forty years of independence, the government has done little in form of communication and road network improvement in North Eastern, and Northern Rift parts of the country. The areas have been left principally as the training ground for our armed forces. The army is a regular visitor and a popular friend of most of the locals. This is why the army should get involved in the food distribution and water drilling in these areas.
There is the immediate need to send food to the remote areas where people are dying daily. The army should mobilize its transport battalion and render support. They are familiar with the terrain; they are disciplined, organized and capable.
The time to demystify the armed forces is now. The armed forces should not be viewed only as a source of entertainment during national days. We should not just take pride in their outward attire and well timed marching and trooping of the color, we should get some tangible benefits from the huge investment that we put in them every year. Yes, the forces should be ready to combat any external threat, but their transporting food to El Wak or Kipini does not compromise their preparedness. Using the Engineering Battalion to drill waterholes in Wajir Bor or Lokitang’ gives them a human face. After all as frequent visitors to those areas they will have assured themselves of regular water supply. The supply branch would involve their personnel in acquisition and distribution of the relief food, and the transport battalion be used in moving the food. The lessons learnt in such undertakings would be important in times of war mobilization. This would be the closest they would get to real situations over and above simulated training, which lacks the perils of nature.
Our armed forces have manpower trained in various fields, they are adept at withstanding adverse weather conditions, and therefore, drilling boreholes and building dams would not be way out of their role. Some people may not be comfortable with the army undertaking such civil responsibilities, but the army is best positioned in terms of training, equipment, manpower and adaptability than any team the water ministry can build. This is not an act of hostility but a civil responsibility, which is consistent with the Force Act.
Perennial famine in our country’s north and northeast will never end if we do not address the issue of water availability. Although we need the short-term transportation of food, the solution lies in provision of water all year round, both for the livestock and humans. Lon- term goals of irrigating the area and tree planting should be in the agenda. While Nairobi is preoccupied with mundane issues of mercenaries and press freedom, people continue to die and the government is clearly not on top of the famine issue. Since the president’s visit to the region last December, the fate of the residents seem to have been left to the NGOs which are handicapped by lack of logistical support. This is no longer news. It is becoming increasingly difficult to retain it in the limelight and give it the thorough attention it deserves. The international community has been given other fodder to chew at the expense of people continuing to die.
If we involved the military in such humanistic endeavors, the subtle suspicion and mistrust between them and the civil in their inordinately large budget allocation would diminish. The military should take the initiative; it is not like the people in those regions care who provide the food. All they care for is the food and water not whether it is coming from NGO or the military. Let us use what we have and save our people from hunger. Right now what we have in abundance is the might of the army in huge trucks being polished and oiled daily for the next Madaraka day parade. Load them with grain and take them to Turkana and Pokot, when they come back beat up, creaking and dusty, we shall willingly reach deeper into our pockets and bail you out. Right now we are penny pinching because we are not sure our money is well spent.
We have not had war in forty years, we pray we have no war in forty years, right now let us fight poverty in our nation, that is the only war most of us will fight in our lifetime. After all, according to Napoleon, an army marches on its stomach, yes you are your brother’s keeper when he is hungry you are hungry or are going to be hungry. Hunger is not a virtue; it does not need to be glorified.
Capt. (Ret) Charles Wairia
USA
