My Take — Let’s Examine Motives in Fallout Between Nicholas Kut Ochogo and Siaya Youth

Seven months ago Dr. Nicholas Kut Ochogo was appointed Chief Officer in the Department of Youth Affairs, Gender and Social Services in Siaya County.

Dr. Ochogo satisfied the requirements of the vetting committee and even a good number of voters outside of the vetting committee were convinced that here was the man for the job; having undergone a vigorous and gruelling campaign against the incumbent Alego-Usonga MP Samuel Onunga Atandi.

By the time Kut Ochogo lost to Atandi people were still asking who is this stout, diminutive fellow that he should have given the popular Alego-Usonga MP such a run for his money? Those in the know say that Dr. Ochogo failed himself as he took into politics principles of honesty and forthrightness which are never appreciated in the political arena. Kut is oratorically challenged in that he does not know how to sweet-talk. [A bird whispers to me that anyone whose father ran a butcher cannot lie; I’m not sure].

Interestingly the first indications of opposition to his appointment came from a Siaya resident (living in Nairobi) who questioned the credibility of his Masters Degree.

The Siaya resident wrote to the University of Nairobi Senate requiring the Registrar to avail information on the academic background of Dr. Nicholas Kut Ochogo. That information was provided and whereas it proved that Ochogo defended both his masters and doctoral thesis at the university it also revealed the malicious intent behind the request.

The University of Nairobi subsequently issued a warning letter to the Siaya resident restraining him from making a similar request to the Council or sharing personal information of any student of the university on social media platforms.

So the claim that Dr. Nicholas Kut Ochogo is not qualified to hold the office of Chief Officer was trashed by the university he attended as a student and later as a member of staff.

As a matter of fact, the law only requires that for one to be a Chief Officer he must be a Kenyan citizen holding a first degree from a university recognized in Kenya, the rest is added advantage.

The problem comes when the Public Service Board specifies that candidates must have at least five (5) years knowledge, experience and a distinguished career in the field relevant to the portfolio.

Remember we are talking about the position of Chief Officer in the Department of Youth Affairs. Anyone who went to school will know that by the time one graduates, acquires five years experience and a distinguished career in the field relevant to the portfolio, one is no longer a youth but middle-aged.

The successful candidate for the position of Chief Officer could have gone to anyone else but certainly not a youth strictly per definition of sixteen to thirty-five age bracket. And also it’s only one post so there’s no way all the youth can benefit from it at the same time.

So why are Siaya youth so disgruntled with the representation of Dr. Nicholas Kut Ochogo in that docket?

Firstly, the people making noises are strictly not youth by definition but they go by a conglomeration of titles including calling themselves WhatsApp bloggers. These are people whose first and foremost interest is themselves before thinking of youth affairs.

That does not mean that genuine youth should not exploit the normal channels of holding frequent audiences with the Chief Officer.

Secondly, the blunt-talking Kut Ochogo went to a vernacular radio station and said exactly what these people would never want exposed; that the youth of Siaya are keen on handouts and not development initiatives.

Ask any Politician on this side of planet earth and they’ll tell you it’s a fact that the youth today are marauding hyenas capable of anything including fighting for handouts in public places. They even coin for themselves innocuous nomenclature sangwenyas and are proud to be seen as people of loose, nay, uncouth,  morals.

Yes, Dr. Nicholas Kut Ochogo was wrong in exposing the malady that, like a cancer festers on the moral fibre of the youth in our midst. That does not mean that he is not performing his roles as required.

An ol’ saying from the Gem people of Siaya County goes: andare bodho, bodho bodho!

DalanewsKe 

Editorial Sunday 5 April 2024

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