Perched on the rim of the Kenya-Ethiopia border, about 730km from Kenya’s capital Nairobi, is Dukana Sub-county. It is one of the administrative units in Marsabit County. Sitting on 66923.1 square kilometers, Marsabit is the second largest County by geographical size in Kenya.

As an administrative unit, Dukana Sub County was until recently under Mr. Solomon Mpapale as the Deputy County Commissioner. Mr. Mpapale was among 204 Deputy County Commissioners reshuffled countrywide in June and now heads to Transmara East Sub County in Narok County in south western Kenya in the same capacity.

When I first met Mr. Solomon Mpapale sometime in March this year, he cut the look of a man clearly on a mission.  For a man who is the ‘eye’ and ‘ear’ of the Government and whose role is to ensure implementation of Government policies in the Sub County administrative unit, his is clearly a call to serve.

He is conspicuous. He cuts a neat look.  In meetings he takes notes. He asks questions. His English is impeccable.

The 44-year-old administrator from Kakamega County in Western Kenya began his journey in public service in 2007, having previously worked as a journalist for about three (3) years and with non-governmental organization (NGO) for a about a year.

He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA (Hons) from Egerton University in Kenya and an LL.B (Hons) from the University of London.

He has also undertaken numerous other academic and professional courses both locally and internationally.

As he exits Dukana Sub County where he was the pioneer DCC, I sought to understand his journey in public administration, his reflections on his tenure in Dukana, the role of National Government Administration (NGAO), and what makes him tick in public service.

Mr. Mpapale shows that public service calls on one to go beyond the call of duty in pursuit of excellence. He is true embodiment of servant leadership.

What inspired you to become an administrator?

The need and urge to serve and to lead. I discerned a clear need to contribute towards better service delivery to wananchi. The best dispersal point for the same, was in my view, to enter public service as an Administrator.  

Take us through your journey in public administration

I was recruited into Public Service in late 2007, after serving successful stints in the media industry and the NGO world. Starting off as a District Officer (DO), I was first posted to Kiambu West District, whose headquarters was Limuru town at the time. I worked there for about a year, until the end of 2008, when I won a scholarship to undertake Postgraduate studies in the UK. I remained in the UK for two years and upon return, I was posted to the protocol department at the Ministry of Interior in Office of the President at Harambee House where I remained for close to a decade.

Thereafter, in late 2019, I was transferred to Imenti North Sub-County, in Meru County where I worked at the Office of the County Commissioner for a year. In 2020, I was promoted to Deputy County Commissioner and posted to Kuresoi South Sub-County, in Nakuru County as the DCC. After a brief stint there, I was deployed to my current work station as the DCC Dukana Sub-County in Marsabit County. 

In between, I was privileged to have undertaken a number of special tasks including working as a Committee member of the Kenya @50 National celebrations in 2013 and various Presidential inaugurations, among other high-profile events. I also undertook various courses both locally and abroad during this period.

What does it take to be an effective public administrator?

It takes a combination of hard work, commitment, courage, patriotism, sacrifice and sound judgement to function as a successful public administrator. In addition, public administration is a calling into leadership which demands that one provides leadership, guidance and solutions to common day to day problems and challenges that afflict Kenyans. To this extent, a successful administrator ought to be a role model, morally upright and demonstrate integrity and a sensitivity to public moods, sentiment and needs.

Although a public administrator is not an elected leader, the public does not distinguish between the mandate of elected leaders and public administrators. We face the same issues and are judged on the same standards as elected leaders. This may be seen as unfair and unjustified but the broader point is that the public expects efficient and effective service delivery from all public officials regardless of their mandates. Above all, the public expects accountability from us the same way this is demanded of elected Government officials.

I would say challenging, interesting, eye-opening, educative, informative, energy sapping and in some cases, rewarding and fulfilling. Different work stations presented different experiences, challenges and situations.

While working in Nakuru and Meru, issues relating to land disputes and the production, consumption and sale of illicit brews dominated my work schedule. These were densely populated counties with high agricultural and economic potential. Because of the socio-cultural settings of the people in these areas, certain crimes such as illicit brews and drug abuse were prevalent. This is not the case in Marsabit.

The vast, largely arid and semi arid lands (ASAL) County is sparsely populated. In addition, its population is predominantly nomadic and little agricultural activities can therefore thrive. Consequently, the predominant security concerns in these areas include banditry, cattle rustling, highway robberies, inter-communal animosity and violence and related challenges. Dukana being a border Sub-County also presented additional challenges of navigating the sensitive trans-border issues in a vast and porous border area that is largely unmanned.

How has the experience in Dukana Sub County been compared to other areas you have worked?

In Dukana, the experience of public management and administration has been vastly different and contrasting to the experience of work in Nairobi, Meru and Nakuru. Dukana is first of all very far from the rest of the country. It lies almost 800 km north of Nairobi on the Ethiopian border.

It is remote, underdeveloped and marginalized with little or no infrastructure, social amenities and facilities that are available in these other parts of the country. These include hospitals, banks, hotels, restaurants, educational institutions and others. Secondly, the cultural setting of Dukana is significantly different from the rest of the country.

Dukana is a predominantly Gabbra area, with little cosmopolitan mix. The society in Dukana is also highly conservative and sensitive to culture and traditions in a manner I have rarely witnessed elsewhere in the stations I have worked. For example, many cultural practices prevalent in Dukana stand in contrast to the established practices in the rest of the country with regard to matters of enforcement of law and order, gender relations, leadership and even politics. The expectations of the people towards leaders here are also different.

What unique challenges did you face in Dukana and how did you overcome them?

The unique challenges include the vast distances to Marsabit, Nairobi and other places in Kenya, lack of an adequate staff compliment across all the departments, no physical infrastructure including roads, bridges, electricity, clean water, and fresh food, non-existent amenities like hospitals, banks, social amenities and the like and insecurity fueled by banditry, cattle rustling and inter-communal hostility, a vast porous border that is challenging to police, and cultural factors among the local communities.

I have been making attempts to overcome these challenges through making use of local resources especially human resources and adopting to a management style that relies more on delegated authority and remote management rather than physical management.

We have also employed diplomatic and negotiation methods to resolve many of the challenges we have encountered in Dukana both with the local communities and also with our Ethiopian counterparts.

Another challenge is the lack of mobile phone network in large parts of the Sub-County. Currently, only about 35% of Dukana enjoys mobile phone network. The rest do not have network coverage. Although these places are mostly uninhabited, mobile phone network is necessary for purposes of coordinating various activities. I am happy that the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has been working round the clock to bring mobile connectivity to many parts of the Sub-County that previously experienced communications challenges.

Lastly, many parts of Dukana do not have reliable energy supplies. Solar energy is available on a limited basis to select households and places thus hampering the economic take off of the area.

As the face of government, how do you ensure Government agenda is implemented?

Through holding public barazas, mounting public notices, leading by example,   for instance by leading Tree Planting activities, through pronouncements in the media and through engagement with specific focused groups such as elders, the youth, and women, among others.

What are some of your notable successes in Dukana that you are proud of?

I have overseen the successful construction and completion of the Dukana Sub-County Headquarters. This project was undertaken by the National Government and was concluded within the stipulated time frame and within the allocated budget. The Dukana Sub-County Headquarters now stands ready for commissioning. I have also managed to pacify the volatile Kenya-Ethiopia border that covers Dukana within the period of time that I have been working here.

When I arrived in Dukana in late 2020, cross-border attacks, livestock raids, killings and revenge attacks were very common. Within a year, I managed to contain all these crimes and now, Dukana has enjoyed an unprecedented and uninterrupted period of peace and stability for more than a year. No ethnically motivated murder, cattle rustling incident or cross border attack has been reported in the area since early 2022.

 I managed to achieve the above through a series of peace meetings, engagements and conferences we mounted with all the stakeholders in both Kenya and Ethiopia in collaboration with local NGOs, religious organizations and other players in the security and political sectors. These days, Kenyan Gabbras freely travel to Ethiopia to seek medical treatment, for shopping or to seek pasture and water for their animals.

 On the other hand, Ethiopians, mostly Boranas freely travel to Kenya to enroll their children in Kenyan schools, purchase livestock or sell their merchandise. The situation has normalized to the extent that currently, the two small towns of Dillo and Oboq across the border inside Ethiopia are thriving because of the prevailing peaceful coexistence between Kenya and Ethiopia.

During my time in Dukana, I have also managed to raise the enrollment figures for learners at all levels and return many truant learners to schools, especially those that have been forced out through cultural practices like forced marriages or livestock keeping. I have also mounted a spirited campaign against gender discrimination and violence in the local communities.

Talk to us about the legendary Sabarei area. What’s unique about this place?

Sabarei Manyatta lies approximately 80 km north-west of Dukana town along the Dukana-Illeret road. The small settlement is located just 18 km south of the Kenya-Ethiopia border in a sparsely populated area. Sabarei is unique in a number of respects: One, it is an area which represents the confluence of various cultures and peoples, a melting pot of sorts.

To the north of Sabarei lie the Hammarkoke (Hammar) community of Ethiopia, which although of entirely Ethiopian nationality, regards Sabarei as their second home. Members of the Hammar community roam freely around Sabarei and contiguous areas and jungles and intermingle freely with the local Gabbra community with whom they maintain friendly ties. To the north-west lie the Borana community which occasionally pops in Sabarei for trade and other opportunities. Further west lies the Dasanach community which has a mutually hostile relationship with the local Gabbra community.

The Dasanach community does not freely visit Sabarei. However, they occasionally venture in the area in search of pasture and water for their livestock in gestures that are invariably regarded as threats by the local Gabbra community.

The relationship between the communities in Sabarei is complex, sometimes contradictory and interesting. For instance, whereas the local Gabbras mostly interact well with the Hammar, there are instances when they accuse the latter of hostility and aggression. This is essentially what fuels the ephemeral alliances of convenience between the various communities in the area.

Secondly, Sabarei is famous because it hosts an old colonial era police outpost that has survived for close to seven decades now. Sabarei Police Station is one of the oldest in the country. It predates Kenya’s independence and its buildings, structures, records and infrastructure still retain the colonial era characteristics.

Given the isolated and remote location of the station, as well as the very few people it serves at any time, Sabarei police station has come to be regarded as a dual, mutually antagonistic purpose station. For a police officer who wishes to relax in a station that has virtually no hectic work schedule with most of the time spent interacting with the few locals around, Sabarei is the ideal station to serve.

On the other hand, for the police bosses seeking a station to deploy a problematic officer as “punishment”, then Sabarei is the ideal ‘Siberia’ to take the wayward officer. Adjacent to the police station is the office cum residence of the Assistant Chief Sabarei Sub-Location, which too serves very few clients. It is whispered that members of the police service fear working or serving in Sabarei because of its reputed harsh working environment.

Overall, the isolated, far, serene yet feared and sometimes mystified location of Sabarei is what makes the place an enigma. The fact that the area has no mobile phone network yet manages to interact and link up with the rest of the areas with network also testifies to its uniqueness.

What do you think needs to be done to improve the welfare of citizens in areas such as Dukana?

A number of interventions are necessary.

One, establish new infrastructure where none exists as is the currently the case now, and upgrade existing ones in areas where they exist. These cuts across the entire gamut of basic infrastructure including roads, schools, hospitals, bridges, dams, financial services, Telecommunications etc.

Two, more investment is needed to boost security in these areas. These calls for the increase in the deployment of security personnel, police stations, equipment and infrastructure.

Three, there needs to be a deliberate effort towards what I may describe as social engineering. These are the concerted efforts by all the stakeholders-leaders at all levels, religious sector players, Government, NGOs, the local communities etc, towards re-orienting the local communities and weaning them off some cultural practices and beliefs that are harmful and hinder development. These include Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), cattle rustling, early child marriages, gender based violence, inter-communal hostility, moranism, and the pervasive reluctance to educate children just to mention a few.

Four, we need to invest in a deliberate effort, undertaken through the approaches stated above, to shift the primary modes of livelihood from pastoralism to other alternative livelihood strategies such as fishing, small scale agriculture, mining and trade, among others. This is primarily because pastoralism is not sustainable as a way of life in light of the vicious and relentless onslaught of climate change factors.

Droughts and famine have been commonplace and almost like annual rituals. Whenever they strike, entire herds of animals are wiped out, effectively destroying the livelihoods of local people as well.

For the local economy to thrive, we need to engineer a shift from over-reliance on pastoralism to a more complex, dynamic and diversified livelihood framework that depends on other viable alternatives identified above.  

What has been your experience with the County Governments in the execution of the complementary roles?

Fair. However, I would wish and advocate that the County Government of Marsabit engages more with local administrators in areas of mutual concern where win-win situations could result. These are areas such as education, health, security and even infrastructure development.

Overall, I would say there exist scope to improve the relationship between National and County Government officials.

What keeps you going in spite of the challenges you face everyday?

The passion to serve and the confidence the local community has vested in me. As the first Deputy County Commissioner of the area, this undoubtedly resulted in a situation where the community placed a lot of hopes and expectations on me. That put pressure on me to perform and maybe exceed expectations.

It is on the whole a positive experience that has propelled me to serve with diligence and commitment sound in the knowledge that the community appreciates my services.

What are the key lessons you have learnt in the period you have been an administrator?

One, patience pays. Through patience and endurance, I have come to learn that it is possible to rise and progress in the Civil Service.

Secondly, I have learnt that Kenya as a country is much more diverse and complex than I previously knew or thought. I now know that there are many corners of the country including Dukana which are yet to fully experience the fruits of being in Kenya.  

Working in Dukana, I found out that we have many cases of people who are quite elderly and many have died without ever having acquired a National Identity card, something that is very easy to obtain in many other parts of Kenya. I have also established that the existence of marginal areas is real and therefore the various interventions put in place to address these shortcomings are justified.

Lastly, I have learnt, through experience that Kenya as a country is not uniformly developed. Having worked in other areas of the republic, I can confidently state that various Counties are at different stages of development and therefore a uniform approach towards addressing their challenges may not be appropriate. The interventions need to be as varied as the Counties.

What would you say is the place of National Government Administration Officers (NGAO in the effective running of government?

The National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) are at the heart of Government and the implementation of Government policies and programmes at all levels. Given its location in the Presidency, NGAO carries the necessary authority and muscle to execute both simple and complex polices.

It is also much more trusted and respected that many other Government institutions. It is ubiquitous nature means it is represented across all levels up to the village.

Virtually any Government programme, from mass vaccination, national census, national examinations management, tree planting, etc, relies on the NGAO network for mobilization and effective implementation.

As mentioned, it is the real engine that drives Government. This is in part owed to our colonial legacy but it is not necessarily a bad thing.

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