Forget all these economic policies and socioeconomic indicators of well being.
By all means trash the economic survey reports on the ever increasing cost of living.
Forget about the Gini coefficient, Pareto optimality, public and social policy and the Economic jargon that comes with it.
Allow yourself some selective amnesia on the development status of the country, the foreign policy, our trade partners, the politics of the day, the rule of the law, infrastructure, our diversity as a people - spare yourself that pain.
But I want us to think of us as a people; in light of our economic, social and development status.
I keep thinking and reaffirming that Africa (read Kenya), could have been in the seventh continent, perhaps even the fiftieth continent if there were, it could have still been the darkest continent, could have still been the poorest and of course it could have been the leading in terms of dehumanizing living conditions; the time and context notwithstanding.
And the reason lies not in its colonization or delayed development; no! It solely lies in the value systems we have as a people.
What really defines us as Africans?
Is it the diversity of our ethnicity? The plurality of our social traditions and practices? The variety of our talents and gifts or the deformity of our living conditions?
A cross checks in most African countries and you will realize the synonymous description of the blatant evils that define us.
If it is not a corrupt government then it is a government struggling with the adherence to the basic rule of law. If it is not a dictatorial regime then it is a liberal reign for the lucky few elites. If it is not a toothless judiciary then it is an independent one at the beck and call of the ruling class; where justice is freely offered to the highest bidder and the cry of the oppressed is the order of the day. If there is no spot in the civil service; then you can be assured of a large black market and other cartels where public goods are auctioned to private investors.
Need I talk of the elephant in the room; corruption?
Need I mention its blood sister ethnicity?
Wait; need I talk of dictatorship?
Do I need to mention poor infrastructure?
You certainly do not need me to talk about the culture of dependence that is stuck with us like tick on a camel’s back; of course not with the accrued debts that we comfortably pass down one generation to the next.
Now, now, you need no reminder about our poor socio-economic indicators; from a poor healthcare system, to an ailing education system, an almost collapsed civil service, our pathetic institutions, our scary income parity gaps, the lousy security- where insecurity is the order of the day and security is more of a privilege.
I can go on and on.
The evils that define us as a people far outweigh the good. I might be tempted to talk about the beauty of Africa’s flora and fauna, our excellent weather; but where will I hide my head when they start a microanalyses of our tribal and ethnic based democracies?
Where will I run to when they start a comparison of our level of development versus our resource endowment?
What will I say in defense when they crucify us at the altar of justice for crimes against humanity to which we are rightly guilty?
What will happen when they start describing our leaders by their right character traits like selfish, myopic, dictators?
For this reason I will hold my peace and try to talk not about the good in our continent; because it is obvious that the chaff far outweighs it in the scales of moral judgment.
But all is not lost; there is hope for us as a people.
The hope lies in a total paradigm shift from the usual, a change from the familiar and comfortable to embrace the strange yet beneficial for the betterment of our home.
I am talking about a change in our value systems. This in essence means a complete change in the way we do our things; a change in our day to day lives. This starts from the basic things like personal hygiene, use of public amenities, our view of others; basic human traits like humility, kindness and compassion. It will not only improve our appearance and enhance peace but it will improve our societal well being and move us from indecency at least. I know it sounds a far cry from reality but with time and age you realize that if you become the change you want to be and encourage others to do the same then with time all is sparkling and clean.
And so I will clean my doorstep and encourage my neighbor to clean his and at the end of the day we will have a clean continent!
Esteeming others to be better than myself is the hallmark of humility. When we realize that nobody is a child of a lesser god then we will remember to treat them as they truly deserve and not on the basis of their tribes or political affiliations. Our diversity in terms of our tribes and cultural backgrounds should not be something to be shunned but rather a basis for beauty in diversity. This should be the basis of our unity as a people and not a cause for division. The unfortunate bit about this part of the world is that we as an electorate are divided by politicians but united by trivial issues like terrorism; that is when we chant the ‘we are one’ slogans; under a thinly disguised veil of evident tribalism.
Sounds like the last straw that breaks the camel’s back but until we can focus our energies on that which is right for our nation building then we are heading nowhere. Until we shun tribalism and stop cleaving on the dominant evil that defines us, until we accept ethnicity as an abnormal normalcy; then we are still miles far from our destination.
Going back to basics; back to the highways to find out the paths long trodden by our founding fathers is the sure means of getting to know what really awaits us.
There is an even greater call to duty on the court of our leaders. They should be reminded that the dark ages of tyranny and selfishness are long gone. It is up to them to create and foster a sense of identity for their countrymen, to create a culture of inclusivity and to foster national unity by all means possible. It is an ardent reminder that the days of ‘divide and rule’ are long gone just like the sunset yesterday.
This in essence should see them put in place effective political and economic programs that respond to inequality; which is a sure formula of solving incidences of violence, insecurity, poverty, disease and other socioeconomic problems.
Cutting off the cargo cult mentality among Africans and empowering them to take charge of their continent will serve to alleviate most of these sufferings. We should remember that if it has to be then it is up to us. There is no magic, no formula, no prayers or daydreaming that will make things happen. Yes! No donkey laden cargo heavy with development will anchor at our doorsteps without any effort on our part; it will take blood and sweat to get things done but at the end of the day it will be worth it.
Let us go back to the fundamentals so that during the sunset year of our days, when we are all wrinkled and grey; we will look back at what we have done and smile back with the satisfaction of a life well lived, changes well effected and a difference made.
It calls for a paradigm shift – the magic wand in the bewitched maze of Africa’s desperation.
