Politicians must create jobs locally

Another politician, none other than National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, has added his voice to that of many politicians, including President William Ruto, asking Kenyans to go and work abroad. Why didn’t they not look for work abroad before duping Kenyans to elect them? Or send their children abroad to slave like the voters’ children suffering there?

The politicians were voted for--or is it employed--to work for Kenyans and one of their roles is to create job opportunities within the country. They are not employed to warm office chairs for five years, make their mistresses happy or twerk. It is incredibly irresponsible for one to suggest that voters fend for themselves when it comes to employment after electing politicians with a view to creating jobs at home. Do our politicians really know their responsibility to the voters?

The biggest scam in Kenya is perpetrated by our politicians. They manipulate the citizens into voting them in on the pretext of serving them but abandon them as soon as they are in office. As lawmakers, they ought to know that the Bill of Rights, which Parliament created, is meant to provide for Kenyans within their country.

The responsibility of realising the tenets of the Bill of Rights lies with the political representatives. Article 21(1) states: “It is a fundamental duty of the State and every State organ to observe, respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights and fundamental freedoms of the Bill of Rights.”

Socioeconomic rights

The rights referred to here touch on and concern socioeconomic rights, such as those provided for in Art. 43--for instance, high standard of healthcare, provision of food, education, sanitation, housing and, in a nutshell, being free from hunger.

None of them have been adequately addressed. Kenyans still struggle to access many of the fundamental rights within Art. 43, crucial for enabling them to lead decent lives. I am not even sure if politicians know the article, let alone the Constitution, exists. Yet, they are the legislators.

The responsibility of politicians includes maintaining peace in the country, which is a catalyst for growth. The lack of political stability, or the perennial upheavals in the country, has always been instigated by politicians. Kenya has all the hallmarks of attracting investors. Great weather, great location, educated human resource, amazing people and wildlife, of course. But the politicians have perfected repulsing investors with their constant bickering and incitement to violence.

Prefer exotic destinations

Lack of jobs in the country is by design. The never-ending political violence and corruption are the two issues that need to be addressed. And the problem is not the jobless Kenyans but politicians. If they never created instability and failed to tackle corruption, Kenya would be in a better shape economically.

Many politicians prefer exotic destinations for their shopping, healthcare and schools and universities for their children. The brands they chase abroad can do just as well in Kenya if they put voters first. Multinationals and foreign brands are a great source of employment but they cannot thrive amid chaos, corruption and violence. Who is to blame for that? Kenyan politicians, of course, and not the jobless.

Politicians cannot fail in their duty to create an enabling environment for businesses and jobs and then admonish jobless Kenyans for being unemployed. They cannot shirk their responsibilities to foreign countries.

Creation of jobs within the country is good for taxation, thriving of homegrown talents and economic growth. The more people are employed, the more the government will collect taxes. It is a no-brainer. The foreign remittances the government is chasing is coming at great loss of Kenyan lives in countries with poor human rights records. Sending Kenyans to work abroad will lead to brain drain and will stagnate the country’s growth. Kenyans working abroad will be building other countries than their own!

Asking jobless Kenyans to look for work abroad is victim-blaming. The blame lies with politicians who fail in their duty to create jobs. Employment opportunities do not create themselves. This requires leaders with vision, selflessness and comprehension of duty to the public. In this regard, I challenge Kenyan politicians to get in touch with the electorate regularly and update them on what they are doing to create jobs locally.

Were job creation, rather than violence and corruption, the mainstay of our politics, many of our problems would have been solved. Before politicians take to the roadside rally to tell Kenyans to work abroad, they must ask themselves what they have done to create jobs in Kenya.

One of the roles of political representatives is the creation of a socioeconomic pillar in the country. That is yet to be built for Kenyans and cannot be in an environment of ignorance, incompetence, corruption and political violence. Voters gave politicians jobs and the least the latter can do is to reciprocate by creating jobs within the country. Charity begins at home.

Ms Guyo is a legal researcher. [email protected]. @kdiguyo