We Have No Country: Kenya is Failing and Needs Your Patriotic Support

In the last two weeks or so, I have transversed sub-Saharan Africa, specifically the East and Southern parts of the continent, talking to people, observing attitudes of the leaders and the led, from the most developed to the developing countries, and came to one conclusion. That we, African people, (and I do not limit this to race) NEED an urgent conversation with ourselves about the future of the continent and its inhabitants. We are underperforming. The supposedly best economic performers (SA, Nigeria, Kenya) in sub-Sahara Africa also appear to have the most desperate people – poverty stricken and in a daze. Of the three, I have more credibility on underperformance in Kenya, because it is my native country, and some of the people I love most are enduring an unacceptable existence under mediocre planning by the political class, endorsed by the government of the day.

I once read a quote from late Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings that I will paraphrase here: I may not know economics, science or planning & development, but I see when people are hungry and have no place to sleep. This too is my stance as I view Kenya in the following few examples:

1. Regarding the current flood situation.

• According to the Nairobi Governor Sakaja and other vocal blamers of the victims like senator Cherargei and DP Gachagua, the rivers are simply “reclaiming their paths.” That people should not be building on riparian land. That this disaster was unexpected. I heard an inept leadership with no vision nor plan for the expanding population and here is why:
  • These structures were developed in broad daylight, while many of these people were in government. Why did that happen? Are there no building or zoning laws? And what did you as the leader of the people do or not do? Has the infrastructure been updated to accommodate Nairobi’s population growth? That city is tired, old and beaten. It is a shack town. Provide solutions urgently.
  • People are advised to move to higher land, but where? Do we honestly believe that if people had better options, they would want to leave their homes in their respective counties to go and live like rats in and around Nairobi? Do we not recognize that as a nation we have failed to offer real solutions to unemployment and self-sufficiency? Devolved counties while gobbling taxpayers’ money can barely absorb their own people, such that many still look to Nairobi for answers, as their local infrastructure remains undeveloped, and economies are closed by the vote/funds-stealing ideologically bankrupt politicians.

2. Service Delivery

• Power outages and a government killing its weakest people.
  • Informing Kenyans on a daily basis that there will be power outages is NOT progress. To add that we are not a generator nation is even more insulting. The disregard for both lives and livelihoods lost due to the substandard operations at KPLC should NOT be ignored. My heart breaks for the families that lost their babies in the first national power outage this year or late last year. I read in the daily news that families in Meru and elsewhere with kids on life support lost them. I have not heard of anyone (leader) taking responsibility in a meaningful way for such deaths, or the vast amounts of time and personal resources lost as these outages become a daily routine. Yet Zakayo mtoza ushuru demands that taxes be paid. How does that work? We cannot make it impossible for Kenyans to earn a living and still expect them to pay taxes. Is this so hard to grasp?
• Immigration - Passport services:
  • I will sum up with this: We are back to the Moi days where getting a passport was a treacherous game, a preserve of the few, riddled with corruption and miscommunication. You want your passport? Forget the information you read on e-Citizen. My father in Kenya was first denied service at a Huduma center, fees raised in a span of two weeks, then informed that he must buy the expensive version, and only after providing a good reason on why he wanted one.
  • I requested a replacement on 19th of January 2024. The last time I called to ask for update in April 2024, Washington DC informed me that there was no specific time to expect my passport. Yet Immigration dares ask me why I do not have the latest passport, version. Sirkali, don’t try me, Navumilia kuwa Mkenya.  
• Communication and Updating Kenyans on current planning – School Opening in May 2024
  • I take issue with both President Ruto and CS Machogu’s disrespect of Kenyan parents and children, with the disorganized, unsafe and resource wasting way they postponed school opening days.
    • Who will compensate parents for resources wasted due to a government’s poor or lack of planning? One response I heard was that it was not expected…are they leaders or sheep? Were they not in Kenya when flooding was happening.
    • Some kids were enroute to the schools, some far flung areas or busy parents did not get the NEWS in a timely manner hence exposing their kids to unsafety – kid arrives in school and finds school closed after travelling from Mombasa to Bungoma. What in the good Lord’s name is this?

Forget the oratory skills of President Ruto, his government’s performance on the ground is nothing to write home about. I will not mention anything about doctor strikes or looming teacher strikes. Not because CS Nakhumicha is from my backyard, but ask yourselves, what was her credibility in leading such a docket? Politicians should not really be leading these things. Both her education and skillset are below the people she is tasked to lead. While I realize that the current government has a low regard for professionalism (does that remind you of Moi Days for those born in my time), I still insist that education transforms thinking. With that in mind, expecting dropouts, random pastors, and degree-scammers to out-perform themselves, is asking too much.

My dear Kenyans, God has nothing to do with this, for the good Lord gave us brains, and Kenyans are a hardworking lot. When you see people who pay taxes, resort to own solutions to bury their dead after the government has facilitated those deaths (see the flood and power outage deaths/losses), and do or say nothing, YOU DO NOT SERVE GOD. We the people are allowing this to happen. Some in the government claim that they are receptive to solutions: well, whose time do they want to oppress as they get paid? How do you justify drawing the taxpayer’s money in huge salaries while you want us to think for you and provide solutions?

Lastly, I will leave this quote (Mark Twain) to CS Murkomen and others who think we are unpatriotic:

“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government (of the day) when it deserves it.” The government of the day has yet to deserve my support.

Respectfully,
Ajiambo Seneca Sifuna.
A Kenyan in Boston, USA.