Lawyer and political commentator Miguna Miguna has accused successive Kenyan governments of deliberately marginalising Nyanza and Western regions since independence, despite their rich natural resources.
Taking to his X account on Monday, Miguna cited fish, fresh water and gold as among the regions’ most valuable resources, arguing that their economic potential remains largely untapped.
He contrasted this with coffee and tea, which he said have played a significant role in the development of the Mount Kenya region.
Miguna attributed the underdevelopment of Nyanza and Western Kenya to what he described as deliberate policies by successive governments since independence in 1963. He alleged that the regions had been subjected to intentional marginalisation, economic sabotage and discrimination, while resources such as coffee and tea were used to drive development in the Mount Kenya region.
His remarks come amid a wider debate over regional development disparities, resource allocation and the historical roots of economic inequality in Kenya.
Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965 prioritised investment in areas deemed to have the greatest potential for generating economic returns, with critics arguing that this approach deepened existing regional imbalances.
Although the policy also proposed investment in less-developed areas, the concentration of infrastructure and economic activity in high-potential regions contributed to uneven development that continues to shape the country.
Furthermore, Miguna acknowledged that corruption affects both government and society but argued that the issue should not be used to dismiss what he described as documented historical inequalities.
“We are not condoning corruption, which afflicts all levels of government and society. But the condemnation of corruption cannot be a license to distort history and misrepresent documented historical facts,” he alluded.
He said the scale of under-development in Nyanza and Western should itself prompt questions about the historical treatment of the regions.
The lawyer argued that despite what he characterised as decades of repression, discrimination and marginalisation, young people from Nyanza continued to compete with those from more economically privileged parts of the country.
“What should surprise people is not that Nyanza and Western are under-developed; it’s that despite more than 60 years of deliberate brutality, repression, marginalization and discrimination, children from Nyanza, specifically, continue to compete with privileged children from Mount Kenya in virtually all spheres of intellectual pursuits.”
He called for greater attention to equity and social justice rather than dismissing concerns over regional inequalities.
“Instead of denial, vilification and mockery, those pretending to be virtuous and progressive should be expressing horror at how long and extensive the marginalization has been and commit to the struggle for equity and social justice for all,” Miguna said.
He concluded his statement with the assertion that confronting historical inequalities required speaking openly about them.
“Telling the truth is a revolutionary act,” he said.
His remarks specifically focused on Nyanza and Western Kenya and the development of their natural resources, while contrasting their economic history with the role coffee and tea played in the development of the Mount Kenya region.
The statement adds to wider discussions about regional economic disparities, resource allocation and historical marginalisation in Kenya.