By Raymond Kirundi, via e-mail

Kenya has for the longest time suffered from poor leadership. But even as we blame everything on politicians, we forget we are a large part of the problem.

We elect them to Parliament after throwing out the best brains and opting for mediocrity.

Listening to Cabinet ministers at public forums asking the Government for one thing or the other leaves one confused. Who is the Government if not them?

Proclamations are legion yet no follow-ups are ever done and we do not interrogate. There are individuals in Cabinet who have absolutely no idea what is expected of them.

How do you man the airports with medical personnel to screen travellers for swine flu but take a week to act when an outbreak is reported in the countryside?

How does one go on national TV, identify buildings constructed on road reserves and riparian areas and give a 30-day notice to evacuate, but months later the buildings are still standing?

How can a minister publicly state that he cannot rein in errant PSV operators because he owns a matatu and knows their pain, yet the carnage on our roads continues unabated daily?

Our leaders have lofty visions that become urgent when elections near, but these are quickly forgotten thereafter.

We have roads in some constituencies that are still incomplete many years after tenders were given out, yet legislators keep running for office and the public faithfully elects them.

Why would a Local Government ministers wring his hands helplessly as nefarious councillors engage in larceny and subterfuge when he has the powers to rein them in?

The unspoken mantra among leaders appears to be let the taxpayers suffer — they never com plain anyway. Our collective docility has allowed the political elite to ride roughshod over us and we are paying the price.

We applaud the Energy minister for announcing power cuts and tariff increase while he has been in Government for seven years. Didn’t it ever occur to him that with unpredictable rain patterns and environment degradation we might have a problem in future?

The media have not helped either. Instead of educating the public on the ramifications of destroying the environment, they choose to portray the culprits as victims.