02/10/2026
Travelling across Turkana has changed the way I see Kenya. I have traversed its vast landscapes, met its people, witnessed its immense potential, and seen firsthand the realities behind the statistics. It is an experience that has challenged many of my assumptions about development.
Turkana is one of Kenya’s largest and most resource-rich counties, yet it remains among the least developed. That experience has convinced me that our “one shoe fits all” approach to development is no longer tenable.
Too many solutions are designed in Nairobi and prescribed uniformly across the country, as though every county faces the same realities. They do not.
Turkana and the wider ASAL counties require a fundamentally different approach—tailor-made solutions grounded in their geography, climate, culture, livelihoods, resources and aspirations. Development must be designed with communities, not simply delivered to them.
If we genuinely want to transform the ASALs, we must stop asking how to make them fit our existing model—and start asking what model fits them.
Different realities demand different solutions.
