Kenyans’ have experienced immense tossing of emotions in the last couple of weeks. First, it was the introduction of the 1.5% housing tax fund that required the employer and employees to pay 1.5% of a tax. The tax was supposed to go to the Housing Fund meant to fund one of the Big Four Agenda of the government of the day.
CSOs, activists and the general public launched a counter attack of this directive and the judiciary postponed implementation. First it was to consolidate the concerns of the various bodies that had gone to court to seek counsel on this matter that had seen KOT bursting out in anger. The public cited that the government was being unfair in asking the public to dig deeper into their pockets to fund a government project. There were suggestions from across section of Kenyans on how to go about it. Lack of public participation was also cited. But as the courts intervened, this went down the drain and nerves started calming down.
Days followed and the President together with other heads of government from across the world attended the Road and Belt Initiative held by Beijing. President Xi Jing Ping had once again invited leaders to discuss this initiative aimed at granting governments huge sums of money that will go to infrastructure.
There were rumours in the public domain that suggested that Kenya was seeking some more cash to continue funding its SGR project to elongate the rail from Naivasha to Kisumu. While we obviously do not have an idea of what was discussed behind the closed doors in Beijing, what is in the public domain is that Kenya did not get the funds for the SGR. Kenya instead secured an export deal with the Asian economic giant. Kenya will now export 40% of its hass avocados to China. With this deal, Kenya becomes the first country in Africa to have avocado market access to the over 1.4 billion consumers.
As the government was nursing the wound from the public rejection of the 1.5% housing levy, the World Bank intervened. The World Bank has now, thankfully taken up the housing project. The Bank approved a Ksh25 billion ($250 million) as housing loan and this now provides hope for the government’s fourth agenda which aims to build 500,000 houses by 2022.
While we continue to receive economic reprieve from given states, international financial institutions, and the international community at large we cannot help but wonder what exactly is the disease that is eating us. Public leaders have been called to the dock and to public fund committees to account for the billions of money they hold on account of being elected by Kenyans. Embezzlement has been sniffed out but we have not seen any meaningful actions being taken. While these hearings sometimes are aired live thanks to our media houses, there’s too much wrong happening and those liable are not being held accountable so Kenya continues to lose billions of public money.
Horrific Images- #GovernorsOfDrought
Early in the year horrific images of fellow Kenyans were doing rounds on main stream and social media. Individuals were losing lives and their animals which are the source of their livelihood also succumbed to the drought conditions .Individuals of good will came up to solicit funds to help those in the drought stricken parts of Kenya. Kenyans were divided on this. That as much as this was a dire situation, they needed to understand what those in positions of power, those elected by those in these counties were doing. It is sad that these parts of Kenya continue to face this challenge year after year. Kenyans of good will hold hands to raise money to aid the situation year after year. This is being humane but for how long?
Money is set aside for projects aimed to salvage these situations but year after year, we go back to soliciting funds to help under hashtags such as #GovernorsOfDrought. The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) April report still reveals that Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Marsabit and Turkana are still in the drought alarm phase. Have we put down the necessary measures to at least avert or contain the situation?
Our top leaders in government have been to so many benchmarking safaris. Even the Chebukati led team just set aside Sh30 million to tour six countries to benchmark on boundaries review. Has there not been any benchmark done by our able leaders that can help this situation? Are we only left with the option of always engaging to solicit funds for drought-related cases?
Israel has only 20% of the total land mass naturally arable. More than 50% of the land is covered by the Negev desert. In spite of this, Israel continues to attract visitors from world over because it has invested in desert agriculture. In fact the Israel tourist guide rates this desert agriculture as one of the country’s greatest success in the middle-eastern country.
Bottom-line is, Kenyans are clearly tired. It is no wonder a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) on world mental health situation placed Kenya as the sixth most depressed country in Africa.
Adding salt to the wound, the government that has over time claimed it has no money has suddenly ensured that the legislatures pocket millions of cash every end month. A legislator was called in a radio station to comment on this and he bluntly said that he’s not in government. He blamed it on Kenyans for allegedly voting in a ‘wrong’ government. According to him, this was a case of Kenyans reaping the fruits of voting in a ‘wrong’ government.
Legislators both in government and in opposition finally have something they can agree on. They are not at loggerhead with each other over the allowances that will see them pocket Ksh2.5 million each monthly. While the common wananchi continue to grapple with tough economic times, the legislatures will be bathing in millions of money.
Where did Kenyans go wrong?
The government comes up with amazing policies. They are tantalizing and eye catching to many. Many launches are done and media is invited to cover the launches. The implementation strategies however, are not well laid. As the government comes up with the great policies, they should be accompanied by smart implementation strategies. It is unfair to continue burdening Kenyans with extra taxes while they have too much to worry about. These strategies that make Kenyans dig deeper into their pockets do more harm than good especially when so much of public money cannot be accounted for.
Kenyans are already stressed up, depressed even. Otherwise, this situations that continue to depress Kenyans beat the logic of democracy. Kenya is a democratic state whose Article 1 of the constitution empowers the people stating that sovereign power belongs to them. Article 2 further states that people may exercise this power either directly or through their democratically elected representatives. Kenyan leaders ought to rise to the occasion otherwise Kenya will surely become a country of ten millionaires and ten million beggars as once stated by J.M. Kariuki.
UltimatePeak 