Last week, in what
will go down as his swansong, China’s Premier Wen Jiabao lauded the
achievements under his watch; a decade of breathtaking economic growth. With
the second largest GDP – $8.24 trillion – the Chinese economy will surpass the
United States of America in less than 20 years.
Addressing the
National People’s Congress, Wen Jiabao outlined the legions of problems he was bequeathing
his successor; widening gulf between the rich and the poor, noxious haze over
Chinese cities, rampant water and soil pollution and endemic corruption. In
November 2012, Communist Party Chief Xi Jinping warned that unbridled corruption
could trigger the collapse of the China’s Communist Party. Wen Jiabao’s advise;
“we should have a strong sense of responsibility toward our country and people,
work harder and solve these problems more quickly in order to meet people's
expectations and never let them down”.
Although
dreadfully short on how to deal with the myriad problems, the political China’s
political class understands how the ordinary Chinese feel. They feel that the
policies that delivered stunning growth have been defiled by corruption and
that economic benefit accrues largely to a party-connected elite. The Chinese public
also is unhappy about problems with food safety, health care and housing.
What is
laudable and, I believe, unprecedented in transition history is the candor of
the Communist Party leadership about both it triumphs and failures. Moreover,
the leaders take intergenerational responsibility, acknowledging that some of the
problems that stalk China have built up over several decades, while others have
emerged more recently due to inadequacies and weaknesses in our government work.
Here is why
China is relevant to Kenya’s political transition. I have had this
administration talk in glowing terms about its unprecedented achievements, and
they are many. But I have not heard any acknowledgement of the failures and
huge challenges, which the new government will inherit. Some of the problems we
face today have been 50 years in the making; some have emerged in the last 10
years. I would like to see Kenya’s politicians taking some responsibility.
Today Kenya is
one of the most unequal countries in Africa. The richest 10 % of households
spent on average 14.3 times more than the poorest 10% of households in 2011. As
a result, the development of broad-based consumer markets is constrained as
purchasing power becomes concentrated among a small elite. Only 6.25% of our
youth who enter the job market can find high quality, well paying stable jobs. This is problematic and
is a tinderbox for social and political instability.
50 years after
independence, progress in education perilous for most of our children and is
often associated with massive and unconscionable ruin of human potential. In
the last decade we made education free expanded access but failed to provide
resources to support our children’s aspiration. Today, the Kenyan education
system is beholden to the authority of an overburdened 20th century
curricular and paralyzed by the tyranny of high-stakes national examinations. For
the massive outlay of public resources – 13.5% of the national budget – our
education accomplishes far less for our children and society.
50 years
later, a cardinal dream of our founders still eludes us. Kenya’s different
ethnic groups can only come together, often fleetingly, if they rationalize a
negative stereotype or straw man or propagate a mutually compelling and
circumstantial narrative of victimology or fear mongering that casts one or
more ethnic groups as the villain. Kenyan politicians learn from very early in
the careers to stir toxic ethnic sensitivities. Political parties map neatly
along ethnic fault lines. Most Kenyans cannot participate freely in a
democratic process because their ethnic chiefs frame the political agenda. Political power is
appropriated and perpetuated through a combination of three elements: the
culture of corruption and impunity; harnessing negative ethnicity; and
manipulating the youth, which is enabled by chronic poverty and
unemployment.
About
one-third of Kenya’s GDP is lost each year owing to corruption. 25-30 % of our budget
remains unaccounted for because of mismanagement, poor accounting practices.
Loss of one-third of our GDP robs our children of their future, sending
millions of children to their graves owing to preventable diseases. It denies
our senior citizens ort and security in old age. It makes our streets and
neighborhood unsafe.
There
is a chance to put Kenya on a path of irreversible socio-economic and political
transformation. Will Kenyan politicians have the courage to take responsibility
for their achievements and failures? Looking East could offer invaluable
lessons.
I believe that more than ever before Kenya is trudging towards the path of self-actualization. We may not spill our challenges for the world to look at and to be awed by 'our backwardness' at some problems we would have solved 50 years back. But trust me, every leader who is mandated to govern this country is doing his bit to ensure that the gaping gaps in the staus quo are being bridged.
ReplyDelete...a break from our filthy past is only possible through radical surgery. unfortunately this will not possible without disappointing the status quo. Uhuru/Ruto government will not be any better and will most likely wipe out the little gains and strides we have made as a country, thanks to their ICC indictments and its likely effects. why do i say so? these two guys, if Raila's petition fails, will inherit an empty treasury. our revenue collection has never hit the target, recurrent expenditure chews a big chunk of our trillion plus budget, any attempt to turn to domestic borrowing will be suicidal in an economy that is still struggling from the effects of last general election, and an increasing number of unemployed youth churned into the market to mention a few. All these would be possible with a leader acceptable by the international community. Uhuru/Ruto is not that leader.
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