time for a new broom in kenya

This week, the United States and European nations decided not to forgive the financial debt Kenya owed to them. The official reason-Kenya is able to pay back the debt; the unofficial reason-the Kibaki administration’s failing war on corruption.

I mean lets be real, how many of us abroad were really surprised by the decision of the donors not to include Kenya in the debt relief? The decision was a long way coming. Unfortunately, the ordinary Kenyan is left to pay the price for a half-hearted anti-corruption effort and not the MP or Minister getting paid thousands of dollars and stipends highly incomparable to the country’s economic scope to do so. But this is what gets me; Kenyans are so used to corrupt officials raping their economy that even after this week’s decision by the United States that was in reality based on the deplorable corruption in the country, its business as usual for everybody! I mean how long are we going to loose out because of a small bunch of ever-wrangling political clowns?

Unfortunately even the patriots abroad are increasingly becoming demoralized and are unable to hold any political clout that could save our sinking ship. The KCA (the Kenyan community abroad) also known, as the Kenyan clowns abroad cannot come up with something better than ask for petitions. Petitions have never moved African Governments to do anything. Collecting petitions against the policies of an African government is like inseminating a chicken. You ain’t gonna get no eggs baby! Waste of protein thus waste of effort. Having said that; let me say that Africa’s leadership is increasingly disenfranchising young Africans abroad from a wide range of countries. Recently a group of African students and myself, here in the United States, attended a small dinner meeting that hosted a prominent Ugandan minister. The main discussion was the future of Africa and what role we had to play. I was moved by the love and patriotism that burned in the hearts of my colleagues. There is hope. We are Africa’s hope.

What we need is an assertive or better still, an aggressive, non-violent movement of young enlightened, patriotic Kenyans that will be the broom that will sweep the country cleaner. The old guard has let us down ever since our independence” more than 30 years ago! What do we have to show from the leadership of the old guard?

Before anyone gets on me about disrespecting our political elders, let me say this; looking at it from a corporate standpoint, do we really need non-performing managers? I mean that is what the Kibaki administration really is –managers. Managers are hired and fired everyday in the corporate world. Can I hear a vote of no confidence? I apologize guys; our representatives in parliament are still incensed about their cancelled trip to the coast.
So we cannot depend on the members of parliament to fire an impotent government; so what other avenues can we explore without the unpleasant risk of being thrown in jail for treason? Now I know what the old guard is going to tell us. You “young people” do not know anything about politics. Well they are right. We do not know anything about their kind of politics. In addition, let me say this; old feet do not run the arduous grounds of battle. Let me continue to further affirm the following; we “young people” did not run our country into debt. We “young people” did not create a haven of unabated graft in the corridors of our government. We “Young people” did not let criminals hold our neighborhoods on ransom. We “young people” did not allow our hospitals to become chambers of deaths for young children who died recently in the hands of their mothers because of striking nurses and doctors. I dare say this; the Kibaki government let those babies die because of their weak health and economic policies. If you look beyond the fancy language, the blood of those babies is on their hands.

"During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."- Mandela's statement from the dock at the opening of the defense case in the Rivonia Trial, Pretoria Supreme Court, April 20th, 1964."