Kenyans enjoy more freedoms and rights than elsewhere in Africa

It has become de rigueur for Kenyans to speak disparagingly about their country; to attribute every conceivable ill to the leadership summed up in the pithy phrase, “we don’t have a country.”

A stranger would be forgiven for thinking that life has become, as English philosopher Thomas Hobbes described in his book Leviathan, “without government, solitary, nasty, brutish and short.”

But Kenya has a popularly elected government. The country is a functional democracy with opportunity for leadership renewal every five years. Which is more than can be said about many countries on the continent that are either under authoritarian rule or are practical dictatorships.

There are a number of other things that are taken for granted and that are worth celebrating. One of them is the fundamental rights and liberties enjoyed by citizens and ensured by the Constitution.

Kenyans are the envy of the continent in that they can not only freely express themselves on all issues, but also stand up to the State where it trammels on the rights of citizens. Dissent is permitted and public protests are sanctioned by law.

In addition, the country has an independent Judiciary that acts as an impartial arbiter in disputes so that citizens have recourse to justice in disputes against each other and the State.

So powerful is the Judiciary that it has stood up to Parliament by annulling unconstitutional laws. It has also previously nullified a presidential election, a first on the continent where incumbents rig themselves often for life.

Away from politics and governance, Kenya is not a mineral resource-rich country. But it more than makes up for that through its human resource. Kenyans are highly educated and are now actively empowering the county through the service industry.

The country has become a hub in the region for banking, insurance, medical care and the hospitality industry. Kenyan banks now have presence in Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda and the DRC.

It may come as a surprise to many that Kenya has arguably greater internet penetration than many countries of the global North. The country has high-speed internet in most urban areas and ubiquity in rural centres.

There are multiple service providers offering uninterrupted streaming services. The government has also invested in expanding infrastructure in tandem with its vision of making the country a silicon savannah. In an age where many opportunities are remotely accessed through the internet, the value of these initiatives cannot be gainsaid.

A natural endowment that Kenya has is its geographical location. Smack in the middle of the continent, it is a natural hub for visitors from overseas. It guarantees access to all parts of Africa by air. Many air freighters actually use Nairobi as a staging ground where refueling and change of crew is facilitated.

Then again, Kenya has a perfect climate with what foreigners describe as summer conditions throughout the year. It is no wonder that many visitors end up permanently settling in the country to the extent that Kenyan cities are considered amongst the world’s most cosmopolitan.

Kenya is by no means a nirvana. It is a work in progress in quite a lot of aspects. But the positives far outweigh the downsides. We have a great country.

Mr. Khafafa is a Public Policy Analyst