I was invited to Leeds University and University of East London to speak to students about 'aid and development' and how Childreach International works with local communities in African and Asian countries. http://www.childreach.org.uk/our-work/where-we-work. During one of the discussions, one student said;
'...every government has the capacity to look after its citizen and if this was done properly, people like you won't be on business.'
I can't agree more with this statement but does government of Kenya care about its citizen? Does South Africa government spend sleepless nights about the plights of miners?
In recent days, current members of Parliament in Kenya decided to pay themselves a hefty send off package ones their term in parliament comes to an end. Just to remind my readers that Kenyan parliament has one of the highest paid politicians in the world. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/kenya/9596702/Kenyan-MPs-awarded-themselves-17-million-bonus.html)
The 'caring' politicians have been discussing their extravagance send off in the wake of teachers and doctors strike due to poor pay. Government hospitals saw operations paralyzed due to industrial strike and because most of government ministers either attend private hospitals or travel abroad for medication, nothing much was done and the poor were left looking after their own. While politicians' children attended school as normal, poor kids played in the estates and running around villages for almost a month as government could not afford to pay their teachers.
Prices of basic goods in Kenya have skyrocketed and life for ordinary citizen is becoming harder and tougher. Kenyan politicians have shown that they are greedy, selfish and killers of local development. This is why:
- They promote tribalism: Kenya will be going for national elections next year and this has seen politicians re-grouping under tribal lines and campaigning through tribal parties. Most of political parties do not have ideologies. They stand for nothing. They are tribal vehicles to take 'our person' to parliament.
- They incite jobless youths; Politicians know how desperate jobless young Kenyans are. They take advantage by inciting youths and flaring violence and insecurity particularly to marginalized areas. They don't care to inspire but rather to destroy.
- They are corrupt; Politicians would do anything to 'eat.' In 2003, Kenya initiated Constituent Development Fund and it was meant to facilitate development in grassroots. Even though reports have been given where CDF has changed lives of locals, these funds are still being used by 'Mr. Politician' to reward his supporters and his tribes men. Some even do not have records of how millions are being spent.
Obviously, Kenyans are not happy with their MPs planning to pay themselves £17 million send off package but the good news is, come March next year, it will be their time (locals) to do away with the 'killers of development' and elect leaders who will empower them.