My Challenge To The Kenyan Youth...Are We Any Different?

Are we really ready?

For a nation as small as Kenya, I'm stunned by the magnitude of corruption going on. In a span of less than two months, various degrees of corruption have been revealed to the public. But by far the most troubling remain the shenanigans that went down at the Kenya Pipeline and at the Tourism Board. I single out these two because the nation is on track to lose billions of shillings to cartels that have blatantly worked with government officials to line their pockets at the expense of the Kenyan people.

How could thirty five million shillings have been paid to a company that never delivered services? And just how could Permanent Secretary Nyoike have failed to notice that Triton was teetering on the brink of collapse at the time the Ministry of Energy was pumping billions of shilling in awarded tenders to them? Something is gravely wrong in a nation where within such a short time billions of shilling are lost...and apparently without much of a fight from Kenyans.

But if you thought these are bad, consider the growing evidence that the hunger and starvation being experienced by many Kenyans now is actually the work of a cartel within the Ministry of Agriculture. These sleazy folks have consciously decided that the mass starvation of Kenyans does not mean anything to them as long as they make a little money. How can these guys sleep at night? What do they think when they watch the emaciated bodies of little children and the withering breasts of mothers who can't feed those helpless Kenyans? Martha Karua, if you truly know who these folks are, let Kenyans know with you. Then let us collectively ask how such cruel people can remain in office.

Then there are the people we call the police. I have never seen more blatant corruption in my life. These guys have perfected the art of grabbing money from the hand of a tout into theirs in the twinkle of an eye. I've even heard stories of senior officers who have worked a deal with the matatu owners so that for a fee of about one hundred shillings per day, the lucky matatus will never ever be stopped. The troubling thing about this state of affairs is that Kenyans seem perfectly okay with what's going on. Nobody is complaining. Just how did we come to sink so low?

But even in the face of such blistering corruption, I have hope that things will get better. I have seen a lot of Kenyan youths who are eager to take the helm and help steer Kenya toward what her real potential is. Before we stake our claim to leadership, however, we as the youth must answer a fundamental question: Are we any different than the people who have brought Kenya to her knees? What will we do about the police? What will we do about corrupt men like Okungu and Achien'g? Will we be content to just jail them, or will we go a step further and make them return the money stolen from Kenyans? And finally, what will we do about these cartels that are making life a nightmare for Kenyans?

Fellow Kenyan youth, are we any different?

Moving To Higher Grounds

The kind of work needed to turn things around in this beautiful country of ours, is huge and overwhelming when you think about it. But with a group of people with the same believe and mind set who are ready to tirelessly work towards that end, its something that can be done quicker than you think. They say we require just a few good men to turn things around … let always keep that in mind.

With corruption becoming invisible as its been executed and only visible when its already too late … others considering themselves more Kenyan than others … others selling the country bit by bit to outsiders in the name of attracting investors … and with the wolves wearing sheep clothing just to be in the position they hold longer to continue ‘eating’ … etc etc etc its becoming harder and harder to just sit and watch.

We are at a point where we are in deep need of political leaders who will be in politics out of passion to lead Kenya to better grounds. In the last 4 decades we have done nothing but to make everything to be about politics and thus we have to use politics to turn things around.

Many get into politics to get rich quick and others stay in politics to protect what they have collected- by questionable means of coz. Thus one the solution to keep off money hungry individuals out of parliament is to make sure that been an MP is not about getting a fat salary or accumulating wealth. If we reduce their salaries many will not run for office … those who will, will be there coz they care for their fellow Kenyans. That way they will spearhead a process of developing systems that work for us which will eliminate evils like corruption, greed and arrogance in public offices.

This kind of a solution is the easiest and most direct. However putting into consideration that most of the powers to reduce the MPs salary lie with them and they refused their almost 7 figure salaries to be taxed, it sounds impossible. And it takes me back to Moi times when he refused to have multiparty politics introduced … and only bulged after much pressure. Since then it has increasingly become clear that for the demands of Kenyans to be met … it can only be through pressure. Thus we must keep the pressure on at all times (and at the same time making sure they don’t get immune to the pressure). The MPs must be made to reduce their salaries … that will be a big nice step forward. We have to pressurize the MPs till they do what we Kenyans want them to do … we must, at least for now.

Next we need to get those that are ready to take things forward for the sake of the nation ready. 100,000 (and may be less) honest and sober Kenyans is all we need to get things going. Many new faces will join politics 2012 and we have to really look to who they are … and not getting them to parliament then they turn out to be the Ababu’s of this world. They have to be people that we will be able to morally tear down and see no traces of evil (or have proven they are a changed lot) … since becoming a thief does not start overnight.

People we have to start working towards that.

One love one people one Kenya.