Can we make Siaya a shining example

Friends,
The Governor of Siaya and his Team have invited us to join with them in an Investment Forum to be hosted at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University on Friday the 21st June 2013, and I want to really appreciate this.
I have seen many varied responses from across and again, this is encouraging. But then, there is talk, empty talk and action.
Many of our people are known for the first two. We talk so much, develop many theories and then implement none. As we meet on Friday in Bondo, can we kindly shed the first two elements and engage with the Governor and his Team in Action.
Oto joins in a Clean-up Campaign at Kongowea in Mombasa in 2012. Can we all work for a Clean Siaya where waste is viewed as a Resource?
It is 50 years into Independence and with the advent of Devolution, we have great promise on development. What are the key areas that will inspire and drive this. I want to make mention of three areas I would give much prominence if I were the Governor.
1] Infrastructural Development
You may all agree with me that a County with good infrastructural development will attract quality investors. If the Roads are good and well networked, the power supply is consistent and available across the County, there is proper Town planning and medium of communication is functional, then any Investor would be fine.
He would be happy that his produce will reach the markets in good time.
He will be happy that consistent power supply will not interfere with his production.
He will be happy when we have planned Town Residential Houses with working social amenities.
And he will be happy that he can communicate to his markets at will all the times and any time.
If the Governor and his Team can ensure that the Roads across Siaya, especially the one that traverses Kambajo/Othach/Mago, Kambajo/Othach/Uloma or any other such roads with great potentials in Siaya are done and made motorable, then those who might want to invest in Siaya would be a happy lot.
The Governor and his Team must hence invest in good Roads, Quality Town Planning, good Housing, social amenities such as running water, working sewer systems, efficient medium of communications- phones and internet and open up Siaya to Investors.
2] Food Security and Economic Empowerment
Food is such a basic thing for humanity and in Nyanza, it has become very sad that we are not able to feed ourselves from our own farm produce.
We are spending all our money buying food that has been produced some where else. Can you imagine that we are importing maize, vegetables, onions, tomatoes, milk and all such things ending up enriching some other economies?
The Governor and his Team must ensure that many of our people are motivated to engage in food production. At Independence, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta called on his people to go back to the farms. The Governor must also call on us to go back to the farms.
He must then ensure that local produce is given priority in our Markets and Super Markets. It is absolutely very sad to find our local Super Markets stocking food stuffs imported from other Counties. There must be enforcement on the need to stock local produce as a means to spurring food security and food production.
We also know that our people are not lazy. They only luck incentives to motivate their economic empowerment. The Governor and his Team must hence ensure that funds are made available to traders at affordable interests to enable them stock their wares.
We must encourage the Banking Industry to be more friendly to the small scale traders and as such, we must work as a Team to ensure that devolved funds such as Women and Youth Funds are accessed by many of our people.
We must discourage the many road side baraza's that is creating idleness across Luo Land as it kills productivity. There must be some kind of enforcement that bars idle gossip by the road sides. People must be made to be responsible. Nothing comes easy.
3] Education
Education is very key to human growth.
The Governor and his Team must invest in Education and ensure that our schools are well equipped with modern facilities, Laboratories, Libraries, Books and all that. He must find a way of motivating our Teachers, Pupils and Parents so that we all work towards making Siaya an Educational Powerhouse in Kenya.
The more educated people we have, the more developed we will become. We must be patriots who can give back to our society the best we have tapped from our academic achievements. This is why I have been against this thing called Luo 'Professionals'. This is segregation that belittles others who are also excelling in their various ways.
We are all Luos, and in this regard, we are all from Siaya. We can all work towards making Siaya great without sidelining any segment of our people. We must also desist from talking about the Middle Class as the only people who can invest. The Common Man must not be made a working tool for the so called Middle Class.
Finally, let us not have that mental attitude that we are the only ones who know anything, and that the rest do not know. Let us here from all those who can offer their thoughts on how best we can make Siaya great. I am trying to re-arrange my schedules to enable me be available for this Investment Forum. I bet it will not be a platform where people come with very good English and no substance.
The good thing is, the Governor will be having enough Funds at his disposal to engage.
This must not be a talking shop, and can we be humble and respectful to each one of us as we start on this Journey of Hope across Siaya?

Odhiambo T Oketch,
Team Leader and Executive Director,
KCDN, KSSL, KICL,
Tel; +254 724 365 557,
Email; kimishodevelopment@gmail.com, komarockswatch@yahoo.com
BlogSpot; http:kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com