Afya Kenya Foundation

Kenyans Are A Dignified People!

Posted on 19. Jan, 2012 by afyakenya in Blog

It is my firm belief that Kenyans are a dignified people. We are proud of our nationhood. We are proud of our heritage. We are proud of who we are. And despite the dark blotches that exist in our history, most recently, the horrors of the 2007 post election violence, we would not trade being Kenyan for anything! On this basis, I put it to you, my fellow Kenyans, that the coming election will be about the economy more than anything else.

The most unfortunate thing about poverty is that it robs a person of dignity. An individual living in abject poverty will do just about anything to survive including selling their voice (read vote) by taking the bribes offered during the electioneering period . This is the sad state of affairs in which we find ourselves in as a country in the present day. This coming election will be about who can we, as a people, entrust with the responsibility of restoring dignity to the over 40% of Kenyans living on less than a dollar a day!

We, as a nation with inherent dignity, do not want hand outs. Kenyans do not need Government to solve all their problems. It simply is not possible. Kenyans want a fair wage for an honest day’s work. If an individual is able and willing to work, then they should be able to live off that and nothing else. We need leadership that will usher in a new economic era for the Kenyan people.

A successful economy is not measured by how many billionaires we have. A successful economy is that in which a young college graduate can start a business and compete fairly in an open market. A successful economy is one in which lack of education does not rule you out of being able to fend for your family but hard work and determination is rewarded. A successful economy is that in which a politician cannot stand on the platform of bribery to ascend to office but one in which the said politician must provide a clear strategic plan on how he or she will create a conducive environment for honest business to grow and succeed.

We need leadership that will put Kenyan workers first. We need leadership that will reward Kenyan entrepreneurship and innovation pointing the way to a better future. We need leadership that will invest in the Kenyans and enable us to stand and compete in the international trade markets. We need tax credits for middle scale local producers so we can get as many businesses up and running as possible. In the new constitutional dispensation, it is my belief that middle scale businesses and not large industry that will drive economic growth especially in the counties.

We need a Government that is clear on the idea that there are “free” services. There is no Free Primary Education. It is paid for. By hard earned tax payers’ shillings! Labelling it as free is sheer populism. We need a leadership that works to keep its people’s heads above water so they do not feel as though they are drowning all the time. Kenyans have come to the realization that there is no free lunch! We no longer need small plans. We need big plans for a big nation. And when it comes to matters health, we need a huge plan. Kenyans want to be able to access healthcare from birth right to the very end. It is heart breaking to see a loved one suffer not just because they are sick but because of a broken healthcare system. We need investment in information technology in healthcare to significantly cut down the cost of administration in healthcare. We need to cut spending from the arbitrary writing off of special interest groups’ debts (as elections approach) as was done but a month ago with coffee farmers and re-direct that funding to hiring more doctors. Coffee farmers do not want their debts waived. Coffee farmers do not want to be in debt. Coffee farmers want fair trade for their produce and they’ll pay their own debts. Such policies are not sustainabe in the long term.

Families are tightening their belts around the country so should Treasury. We need leadership that will prioritize the review of Government budgets, line by line, eliminating those projects that do not work and re-directing those funds to the areas that do. If we are targeting double digit economic growth as a nation, we need to limit the cost of administration. Our Government is by far, bloated! We need leadership that will remodel the thinking of Kenyans on the role of Government from that of an employer to that of a facilitator. Contrary to popular opinion, Kenyans do not want a Government to work for them, Kenyans want to work for themselves!

Kind regards,
Dr. Oduwo Noah Akala
Executive Chairman,
Afya Kenya Foundation.
n.oduwo@afyakenyafoundation.org
“Providing Care That Cares!”