Kenya on the verge of being last in a region it once ruled

For all of its post-colonial history, Kenya has been the top dog in East Africa. Nairobi has been the political and economic pivot of the region. When Kenya coughs, all of East Africa catches a cold. Kenya’s commanding position has been due to a number of factors. Key among these was the state’s pro-Western orientation.

The British colonialists favoured it as the entry-port for capital. Mzee Jomo Kenyatta – the Burning Spear himself – was an unabashed agent of free markets. While some of our neighbours experimented with versions of command economies, Mzee tethered us to London and Washington. It paid off by attracting capital and developing a local entrepreneurial class. Our troubled neighbours never caught up. But that’s about to change.