Beyond Ruto's Rhetorics;Triviallizing Manual Labor

[subsaharanite]

There is no doubt in my mind that a sizable populace take Ruto’s oratorial rhetorics as some political or leadership prowess. Some even believe that he can not only make good speak, he is poised to be a good leader too. I want to question his rationale on the stand he has taken on the issue of the failed KKV.

His recent epithets on the KKV issue betrays his inept nature when it comes to world labor issues for stating that in this century, young people should not be engaged in manual labor. This could most certainly be another rhyme that leaders who or pretend to share his vision will sing in the next few days.

Ruto then went ahead and heralded all fields and vocabulary he could muster that are associated with computers including Facebook, Internet, Twitter, Computer, etc. Perhaps in his narrow mind, the youth should be engaged in some sort of IT related field rather than manual labor in general. This of course makes sense to lots of people especially those not so happy with the premier since it portrays the latter as an agrarian and old minded. The question is, who should clear our stalled sewer lines and bushes? I understand Ruto now has and advanced degree, has he developed some new approach to clearing these menaces. If so, can he share it with the rest of the world for the sake of humanity. Here in the developed world, this work is still done manually using essentially the same tools. I still see men in with Slashes and Pangas clearing bushes by the roadside. I still see the drainage guy disappearing down the manhole.

Although designed to provide employment to idle youths, it had a more deeper and noble course of equipping these young people with skills that could make them self sustainable. Perhaps if they could do this work for money, they could not shun doing Jua Kali work. Does Ruto Know that this so-called manual labor actually supports almost 70% of the world? Does the honorable know that many Jua Kali people earn more than an average Kenyan?

Take for example the US, over 60 % of its working population are directly engaged in manual labor that includes, farming, peripheral healthcare, building & construction and Jua-kali like jobs. In fact, farmers in the US spend more time working in the fields than an average computer geek. Farming is one of the most rewarding careers in US. You may argue that it is mechanized but the job is actually the same. Take for example some cowboy out in the midwest, taking care of 10000 cows. These guys know no sleep. They work like slaves running from one corner of the farm to another. At the end of the day, their manual work is more than that performed by average Kenyan manual laborer.

Even people who own no land and just grow their organic foods inside their greenhouses make more money than lets say office girls or computer scientists. Our idle youth could actually find in profitable to venture into these fields rather than using Facebook. Fabricators, who actually perform the same work as Jua Kali artisans make more money than people with advanced degrees. People working in the construction industry as carpenters perform back-breaking work but earn a lot . People survive on even mere cleaning. Ruto should be thinking of how KKV can be tailored in such a way that these manual laborers get paid well rather than losing it all together.

China the world’s factory is largely dependent of repetitive manual labor. The backbone of the Tiger economies is still largely manual labor. These guys still work on their farms and on their cottage industries that produce products for export. The important point is that, whatever they earn from these 'dirty jobs' supports them. Ruto probably owns some flower farm and he is probably making good money out of that. If he only pays his workers some good pay, any idle youth would want that position.

It is clear that in Ruto’s mind, young people should be engaged in white-collar jobs, which most of us aspired when were growing up anyway. Thus, I have no doubt in my mind that while Ruto was studying, he wanted to take up some desk job somewhere and enjoy the fruits of his labor while seated. Ruto forgets one important thing in life, it's not what one does, it's what he gets out of doing it. If Kazi kwa vijana was paying the participants enough money to enable stay off the other side of the law, then it should be encouraged.

The world cannot survive without Pangas and Jembes. We certainly need these people. We cannot all be computer geeks although we do need to learn how to use information available in the net to improve our lives. It is actually absurd that a man who once worked as the agricultural minister is trivializing manual labor.

Ruto May have some bones to crush with the premier, but lets be pragmatic on this labor issue. The world needs more manual laborers than computer geeks.

[job]

Well said!

[joblesscorner]

Subsaharanite,

I like Ruto but that statement of Vijana should not be engage in manual labor just came out wrong.

Good article, well said.

[roughrider]

Ruto is ignorant. This is a big problem amongst Kenya's leadership. I am sad because there is a course called Economics 101 and which is a common core course in many public universities. Ruto must have sat in such a class but things must have gone through one ear and out through the other. In his rush to 'attack raila' he throws out the baby with the bath water.

It's true that most Kenyans live in rural areas. Agriculture is still the sector that employs majority of Kenyans. Dairying for example is a labour intensive enterprise that, according to reports supports up to 2 million smallholder families. It also supports millions of jobs along the value chain. But Ruto should know this because Rift Valley and Nandi District is at the heart of a resurgent dairy industry!

Soma hapa about this interesting project: eadairy.wordpress.com/tag/eadd/

I don't want to talk about housing, roads, agriculture, etc which all require manual labour.

But here is my point: government expenditures such as KKV play another important economic role other than providing employment for youth. They have a multiplier effect on the macro-economy by encouraging consumption. Consumption supports businesses such as manufacturing, textile and services. That is why a good stimulus project aims at building bridges, roads, agriculture etc - interventions that build real things while encouraging consumption. The technology firms that sell stuff will not survive if there are no manual labourers to build the products and support the chain. A vibrant virtual world is supported by real products and a real delivery system!

If you order pizza on the internet, there must be a delivery guy to run errands and bring it to your home. The pizza will have been made from wheat flour which must be grown on a farm with elements of manual labour. Pizza Garden will only be licensed to sell pizza if its premises are clean. Guess who cleans, cuts, slashes, guards?

Think about all the public goods that KKV provides. You need a healthy society to consume. So if the drainage is cleared, or the garbage collected, we perhaps avoided a cholera outbreak. This protects markets for tech companies like Safaricom!

Unfortunately Ruto is asking us to build our house on quicksand. Ruto is selling a ponzi scheme.

[subsaharanite]

Exactly to the point roughrider.

Let Ruto separate his political woes from real developmental agendas.


Economies develop from labor intensive industries. Ruto imagines a state where all of us seat in an office. People in rift valley are rich because of their agricultural endeavors and not time spent on the computer perusing through Facebook. These farmers toil from dawn to dusk. At the end of day, they earn a good living.

If Ruto really wants to be the next president, its time he started spitting sensible statements when he comes to our economy and everyday life of Kenyans. He might have good advisers politicking, he needs to hire a few professionals on economics as well. This strategy of opposing anything that the PM is associated with will not help him.

[subsaharanite]

Joblesscorner,

True, I admire his oratorical prowess. He cannot trivialize what has been the cornerstone of our economy. I am sure his school fees was paid by farming.

[okolowaka]

Very well stated,

When people ask, "Na huyu alikwenda shule gani jameni?", it is usually people like Ruto that prompt them to pose and ponder.

The KKV project is a noble idea as an economic stimulus project...injecting money directly into the hands of a large pool of direct consumers through some labor intensive work that needs to be done like agricultural activities (slasher, jembe, panga).

Ruto has a stranger than fiction way of handling the economic stimulus initiative indeed...he would turn to computers, Internet, face book, twitter, as the gateway to employment for the masses...Ruto claims that Kenyans are too educated to be engaged in manual, labor intensive jobs...strange indeed.... even stranger is that some people laugh, cheer, clap, and give him a standing ovation for this wild claim....

I believe this was just another slip of the tongue or a time to suspend logic in the process of fighting whatever Raila supports...

During the Mau forest eviction exercise Raila went preaching to the people that "Misitu huvuta mvua"... Ruto and his buddies went all over asking Mau evictees "Kwani mvua inatoka juu ama intoka chini?" ...and the people faithfully responded "Juu"... sad indeed....

But why am I surprised anyway...these are the same people who were telling their constituents that the two finger salute means that they will will be allowed only "Two cows, two goats, two wives, two children, etc and the new Katiba means thay will only be allowed to own two acres of land, men will marry fellow men, etc, and the propaganda almost worked...!

[tnk]

maybe the man is trying to clue us in on how he made his own millions, without breaking a sweat, literally

he never had to lift a jembe or shovel and what not

just sat behind closed doors in certain exclusive rooms and then proceeded to ......

fill in the blanks

[mwalimumkuu]

Ruto is asking very valid questions here in regard to the efficacy of KKV as conceptualized, designed and implemented. But we seem so used to vitendawilis and paka, panya na kengele way of thinking that we cannot see the world for what it is today.

[subsaharanite]

Mwalimumkuu,

That has got nothing with trivializing manual labor. There is no kitendawili here. What do you know about manual labor in general? As a headteacher, you know very well that your school cannot function if the students do not perform their manual work.

[nowayhaha]

This is what Ruto said -Unfortunately Subsaharanite -I dont see in anyway he was trying to trivialize manual labour .

www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000046297&cid=4&ttl=Kalonzo,%20Ruto%20and%20Wamalwa%20tour%20vote%20rich%20Mt%20Kenya%20region

Kalonzo, Ruto and Wamalwa tour vote rich Mt Kenya region

By JOB WERU and JOSEPH MUCHIRI

Presidential hopefuls camped in the vote-rich Mt Kenya region on Sunday, led Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Eldoret North MP William Ruto and his Saboti counterpart Eugene Wamalwa.

However, Kalonzo steered away from politics and instead planted a commemorative tree at Muhoya hills in Tetu, Nyeri County, at Karunaini, a symbolic spot where legendary Mau Mau leader Dedan Kimathi was captured by colonialist forces.

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka plants a mugumo at Dedan Kimathi Memorial site at Kahinga-ini, Nyeri, on Sunday. [PHOTO: MARTIN TELEWA AND VPPS]
In Embu, Ruto of the G7 alliance urged Britain to respect Kenya and its culture. He criticised the UK’s recent decision to deny aid to countries that are strongly anti-gay as misplaced and un-African.

Ruto was speaking at Kiangungi Secondary School in Runyenjes constituency during the opening of a girls’ dormitory and a fundraiser to buy a school bus,

He said UK must not give restrictions on donations if they do not have vested interests.

Wamalwa was in Imenti South Constituency, at Gakuuni PCEA Church for a funds drive where he challenged new Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Isaack Hassan not to "play politics" with the election date.

Ruto asked UK Prime Minister David Cameron to respect Kenyans because they are God-fearing people who cannot accept homosexuality.

The Eldoret North MP was accompanied by Tourism Assistant Minister Cecily Mbarire, Siakago MP Lenny Kivuti, Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto, Chachu Ganya (North Horr), Ekwe Ethuro (Turkana Central).

Ruto said G7 is made up of development conscious and like-minded people, who want to unite all Kenyans and address the plight of the youth, especially unemployment, noting that four million young Kenyans are jobless.

BITTER RIVAL

He took a swipe at his bitter rival. Prime Minister Raila Odinga, over the Kazi kwa Vijana controversy, saying that in the 21st century, Kenya should be arming its youth with basic skills in carpentry, welding, information technology and not with hoes and shovels.

"Instead of giving shovels to youth, they should be given interest-free loans to engage in farming, start business and industrial activities," said Ruto.

Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto who accompanied him said Nyanza leaders should tame youths and condemned the recent pelting of presidential aspirant Raphael Tuju’s convoy with stones.

Over in Nyeri County, Kalonzo, accompanied by Public Works Assistant Minister Mwangi Kiunjuri, called for political discipline ahead of the 2012 polls. Kiunjuri called on Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere and National Cohesion and Integration Commission Chairman Mzalendo Kibunjia to investigate and arrest people fanning ethnic divisions.

Wamalwa also condemned the attacks on Tutu as barbaric and outdated and only served to polarize the country.

The Mt Kenya region has lately become a busy hunting ground. Interestingly, the event came barely two weeks after Prime Minister Raila Odinga cancelled a trip to Nyeri, in which he was scheduled to plant a tree at the same scene.

Kalonzo, who was accompanied by MPs, Francis Nyammo (Tetu) and Ephraim Maina (Mathira) toured tea plantations in the region.

The VP said the tour gave him a sense of belonging and an attachment to Kenya’s clamour for independence.

He planted a Mugumo (fig) tree, which according to Kikuyu traditions is considered sacred. "The tour and subsequent planting of a Mugumo tree gives me a sense of fulfillment, since the name Kimathi is synonymous with Kenya’s independence," said the VP.

In a tribute to the late freedom fighter, he said the name Kimathi is synonymous with Kenya’s independence, adding that it was the reason the Government decided to install his monument along Kimathi street in Nairobi.

FREEDOM FIGHTERS

"I feel privileged to honour him. We must protect our sovereignty and such sites and monuments that remind us of the enduring fight our forefathers fought to liberate us," he said.

In what appeared like a recognition of freedom fighters, most of who have already died, the VP said the Government is in the process of improving their welfare, and would gazette spots like these as national monuments.

This came after Ephraim Maina said that despite the country honouring Kimathi as a hero, his wife, Mama Mukami was leading a desolate life.

"It is a pity that the old woman is struggling to live while the whole nation celebrates her husband as the liberator of the nation," said Maina.

Maina caused laughter when he claimed the country risked catching a curse for neglecting Ms Mukami and other devoted freedom fighters languishing in poverty.

"Let us take good care of Ms Mukami and other freedom fighters, or we live with a curse in our heads," he said.

Tetu MP Francis Nyammo asked the Government to build a memorial at Karunaini to serve as a tourist attraction and museum, complete with a visitor’s book.

In a separate interview with journalists a few metres from the patched spot where Kimathi fell, Kalonzo said the Government would put up a museum at the scene, which will also serve as a tourists attraction site.

"In next year’s Budget, we will also try to factor in the spot and see whether we can put up a museum in this important scene," said Kalonzo.

[nowayhaha]

From The Star
www.the-star.co.ke/national/national/47128-only-sound-leadership-will-rescue-the-youth-from-unemployment-and-poverty-says-ruto
Only sound leadership will rescue the youth from unemployment and poverty, says Ruto

Eldoret North MP William Ruto has said Kenya needs a leadership that will create jobs for the youth and reduce poverty. Ruto blamed unemployment among the youth on wrong structures which he said drive them deeper into hopelessness.

He said youths are being misused to do menial jobs under the Kazi Kwa Vijana project whose objective is to enrich a few selfish individuals in government. “It is regrettable that in the 21st century youths in this country are being cobbled up together under the KKV project but the money ends up in a few individuals' pockets. What the country needs are credible structures to lift the youths from poverty and unemployment instead of hoodwinking them ,” Ruto said.

The MP said the country has the potential to be a first class economy but regretted that it has been ran down by people “with mediocre ideas who occupy government positions.” He told Prime Minister Raila Odinga to take full political responsibility on the scandal involving the KKV funds instead of passing the back to junior officers saying that the money was lost under his watch.

The legislator said that he would stop at nothing to contest the presidency and told off critics who say he does not qualify to contest since he had opposed the passing of the new constitution during the referendum campaigns. “Those who keep on lecturing us about who voted Yes and who voted No should give us a break. We know some of them opposed the draft during the 2005 referendum and contested for presidency in 2007, what makes them more Kenyans than us?” Ruto posed.

[subsaharanite]

Nowayhaha,

Since when did stories in newspapers became gospel truth? There is site called kenyamoja that aggregates major tv clips from Kenya. Be checking it out from time to time then you can get the real spoken words.

Are you aware that this can be all made up? It is written by some journalists? Let me find you the actual TV clip.

[subsaharanite]

Nowayhaha,

Suit yourself here.

Whatever you have pasted here from standard and the star happened later after Ruto realized that he should not trivialize manual labor. During the inauguration of his party he trashed manual labor. Watch the clip below.

Nowayhaha, has you read through the newspapers, open up your mind, do not look through everything from a political alignment perspective. As you look for supporting evidence for your man, cast your net far and wide. Try not to chose that which tends to support your man.Try to be rational.


!

[Fahari]

Nov 5, 2011 17:26:20 GMT 3 subsaharanite said:

Ruto May have some bones to crush with the premier, but lets be pragmatic on this labor issue. The world needs more manual laborers than computer geeks.

Which world is this that needs experts in jembes and slashers? Certainly not in my part of the world but for arguments sake I put a key word panga on career builders and the results were amazing panga jobs .........zero zilch nada
So pray do tell, where is this high demand for panga nad jembe jobs that pay a living wage?.
The last I checked computer geeks were still in high demand so do spare us the nonsense in the name of supporting your particular candidate you simply make him look particularly bad!!

Kazi kwa vijana was probably good program that was implemented completely devoid of thought.
In order for a jobs creation program to be sustainable it has to produce a tangible product or service that can be traded in the open market.

[phil]

The problem with Denis Onyango is that they hardly ever make use of resources at their disposal to publicise such timely statements:

The ODM secretariat is definitely asleep and one even will wonder if the grassroot polls are due in two weeks time!

But here is response of the PM's spokesman to William Ruto:

Ruto’s Idle Talk Not Helpful To Jobless Youth

Confronted with grim statistics, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, his position in government only grudgingly accepted by his coalition partners, put his mind to searching for practical measures to provide a social safety net for young Kenyans at risk of hunger and starvation.

That search gave birth to the Kazi Kwa Vijana programme, a “Marshal Plan” expected to put money in the hands of youth, have it circulate in rural Kenya while at the same time helping the government maintain roads, restock depleted forests and address water and sanitation problems, among other projects.

Within a year, KKV was judged a runaway success. The International Labour Organisation said “KKV made commendable progress in youth employment creation by achieving 112 per cent of the planned target”.

By mid-September 2009, a total of 296,080 youths had been directly employed under the programme, according to ILO.

In recent months, as his tantrums against the Prime Minister have grown louder and repetitive, Eldoret North MP William Ruto has attacked KKV at every turn.

Mr Ruto has declared KKV an outdated exercise by the government to offer jobs to the youth in the 21st century.

In the latest attack on Thursday, he wondered how, in the age of the internet, knowledge economy, E-commerce, Facebook and Twitter, the Prime Minister could think of having young Kenyans engage in manual labour. In all his opposition to the programme, Mr Ruto has never offered an alternative to Kazi Kwa Vijana.

On Thursday, he never explained how tweeting or facebooking can put money in youths’ pockets.
His statement implied that the youth should wait in poverty, and, probably for handouts and vote for him in 2012. Mr Ruto contends that a majority of youths have pursued education up to university level and cannot do manual work.

But he offers no evidence that a majority of Kenyan youth have university education. Not that the Prime Minister did not recognise that there are educated youth in Kenya who equally need jobs.

The difference with Mr Ruto is that Mr Odinga did not just talk about that recognition. He used his credibility to convince the World Bank to finance the Kenya Youth Empowerment Project or KKV Phase II.

This project seeks to increase access by the educated youth to targeted temporary employment and
Confronted with grim statistics, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, his position in government only grudgingly accepted by his coalition partners, put his mind to searching for practical measures to provide a social safety net for young Kenyans at risk of hunger and starvation.

That search gave birth to the Kazi Kwa Vijana programme, a “Marshal Plan” expected to put money in the hands of youth, have it circulate in rural Kenya while at the same time helping the government maintain roads, restock depleted forests and address water and sanitation problems, among other projects.

Within a year, KKV was judged a runaway success. The International Labour Organisation said “KKV made commendable progress in youth employment creation by achieving 112 per cent of the planned target”.

By mid-September 2009, a total of 296,080 youths had been directly employed under the programme, according to ILO.

In recent months, as his tantrums against the Prime Minister have grown louder and repetitive, Eldoret North MP William Ruto has attacked KKV at every turn.

Mr Ruto has declared KKV an outdated exercise by the government to offer jobs to the youth in the 21st century.

In the latest attack on Thursday, he wondered how, in the age of the internet, knowledge economy, E-commerce, Facebook and Twitter, the Prime Minister could think of having young Kenyans engage in manual labour. In all his opposition to the programme, Mr Ruto has never offered an alternative to Kazi Kwa Vijana.

On Thursday, he never explained how tweeting or facebooking can put money in youths’ pockets.

His statement implied that the youth should wait in poverty, and, probably for handouts and vote for him in 2012. Mr Ruto contends that a majority of youths have pursued education up to university level and cannot do manual work.

But he offers no evidence that a majority of Kenyan youth have university education. Not that the Prime Minister did not recognise that there are educated youth in Kenya who equally need jobs.

The difference with Mr Ruto is that Mr Odinga did not just talk about that recognition. He used his credibility to convince the World Bank to finance the Kenya Youth Empowerment Project or KKV Phase II.

This project seeks to increase access by the educated youth to targeted temporary employment and improve youth employability by providing work experience and skills through internships and relevant training.

This component addresses the widely acknowledged fact that although the Kenyan youth are graduating from college, they lack the required skills and work experience being sought by most employers.

The fact is, the Prime Minister saw a problem and did something to address it while Mr Ruto is talking about the problem. A nation is in peril when leaders have too many high-sounding words, and too few corresponding actions.

The last time Kenyans heard the Eldoret North MP push some agenda to do with the youth was in 1992, when he, together with Cyrus Jirongo, headed a destructive organisation called YK92.

To date, there is nothing, not even a desktop computer on which the youth can access Facebook or Twitter, that can be traced back to YK92. The only lasting legacy of that evil invention is the culture of handouts that it instilled in the youth and the savaged economy it left behind.

By DENNIS ONYANGO, Office of the PM

[tnk]

Nov 9, 2011 4:51:12 GMT 3 Fahari said:

Which world is this that needs experts in jembes and slashers? Certainly not in my part of the world but for arguments sake I put a key word panga on career builders and the results were amazing panga jobs .........zero zilch nada
So pray do tell, where is this high demand for panga nad jembe jobs that pay a living wage?.
The last I checked computer geeks were still in high demand ......

are you serious or is this some kind of humor?

Nov 9, 2011 4:51:12 GMT 3 Fahari said:

Kazi kwa vijana was probably good program that was implemented completely devoid of thought.
In order for a jobs creation program to be sustainable it has to produce a tangible product or service that can be traded in the open market.

as they say everyone's a critic, so on this we would need specifics

[enigma]

Even Europe has people doing menial jobs, in socialist countries where they could just sit and wait for the dole. There are Kenyan youth who could do with some meaningful engagement in feeder road construction and environmental cleanups. Their regular job is probably tilling other people's farms or picking tea, activities that are vital to a rural economy. If the youth were to all boycott KKV because of its jembes and pangas, you are telling us that we should abandon subsistence farming, which sustains the majority of Kenyans. Not very good thinking.

[subsaharanite]

Fahari,
If you look at a Jembe as a mere tool for turning soil inside out, then your argument holds, but if you look at it as a source of income, you will throw away that PC and get to work.
I stand by my word- Farmers and manual laborers do make more than computer scientists!