Need for paradigm shift in our leadership
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party presidential flagbearer Raila Odinga (left) and Kenya Kwanza's William Ruto.
Many Kenyans breathed a sigh of relief after the price of unga was cut from Sh230 to Sh100 for a two-kilogramme packet. However, this should be followed by lowering of prices of other commodities, such cooking oil.
With nearly half of the population living below the poverty line, the high cost of living has made putting a proper meal on the table an uphill task for many families.
It’s worse in arid and semi-arid (Asal) areas, where drought has led to a hunger crisis and increased cases of malnutrition among children and adults. It’s time the government took steps to combat the many issues facing the country.
Politicians are busy traversing the nation, dishing out lofty promises, yet they can’t deliver to the people the most essential needs. This paradox is sign of the lack of political goodwill and incompetence in our leadership.
Citizens remain subservient to a government that has allowed the avarice of corruption to take hold of our government corporations and institutions. The youth, on the other hand, remain disenfranchised by a political system that has ingrained a culture of impunity and political expediency, which has led to monstrous inequality in our socioeconomic structure.
The domino effect has been increased inflation, debt mismanagement, a large fiscal deficit and a hoard of angry citizens tired of a desensitised political elite.
The rank and file in the country continue to push for constitutional provisions that favour their own interests instead of the citizens. According to Joe Khamisi in his book, Kenya: Looters and Grabbers, the country seems to suffer from an “amnesiac collusion”, explaining why Kenyans queue at the ballot to choose the same people who plunder the country.
The cannibalisation in the public sector has disavowed the oath that leaders took before entering government offices. We need to dismantle the evil that has ransacked the nation’s governance.
Let’s make Kenya great by deconstructing ourselves from inept political views. Let’s promote the virtues of responsibility, accountability and honesty from the family level to the national level.
While this may not be easy, we must strive to ensure there’s the fair treatment and equal opportunities for all. We must remove malevolent motives that have held back the country’s development by churning out model citizens.
There’s a need for retrospection of the country’s trajectory in order to alleviate the problems facing us. There is also a need to find the missing link that has led to the disproportionate distribution of wealth in the country and this will be achieved by holistically promoting the interests of the people rather than those of a few individuals.
Alex Maina, Nairobi
