At independence, the founding fathers diagnosed the
challenges facing the young nation of Kenya as disease, ignorance and poverty.
With time, the list has grown to include graft, tribalism
and impunity. In attempting to tackle the problems, our top leadership opted
for decisions that are politically correct.
They pursued the easier route to please the public. In the
end, the problems have continued to persist.
History has shown that countries whose leaders took tough
options eventually reaped big. Challenges such as corruption, impunity and
negative ethnicity call for tough decisions by those in authority.
Resorting to public relations, short-term solutions or
hoodwinking the public cannot work. The best approach is to seek long-term
solutions.
State officers adversely mentioned in questionable deals are
either left to continue serving the public or step aside and enjoy the looted
wealth.
A number of Government officers facing corruption charges
are walking free and have even gone ahead to vie for other elective offices.
What happened to the leadership and integrity clause in the Constitution?
Ethnicity has seemingly been officially sanctioned as the
way of transacting public affairs. One is given a job based on his or second
name. The practice is very serious, to an extent that some Kenyans are labelled
foreigners when they seek employment outside their counties of birth.
Indeed, we have sunk so low as a nation. It is easier for a
Kenyan to get a job in a foreign country than in his own motherland. On
education, the policy makers are more obsessed with quantity at the expense of
quality.
Having more pupils and students in schools and universities
is the measure of 'good education', yet literacy standards have fallen.
The same applies to employment of graduates. Let the
leadership make tough decisions and stop cosmetic measures.