Now step back and put Kenya first in POTUS visit

So much is at stake. But, thankfully, God’s grace has been poured on a nation emerging from self-inflicted shame of deadly internal strife.

And because we have found favour in God’s sight, the world is embracing Kenya with superlatives that would, without doubt, dwarf neighbours in eternal envy.

Before the posters announcing the beatification of Sister Irene Stefani Nyaatha are washed off walls and tree trunks, this incredibly gifted and blessed country is preparing to host the world’s most powerful president; leader of the free world.

Immediately the son of K’ogelo flies out, hopefully to return later as a private citizen, we will focus attention and resources in preparation to host the Sovereign of the Vatican City, Pope Francesco. Deputy President William Ruto has just returned home after closing a deal with the Gambian leadership to drop their bid for hosting the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in favour of Kenya.

And Tourism CS Phyllis Kandie is back home from a successful tour of key US cities in preparation for a major tourism event in Kenya in November.

Methinks Brand Kenya should engage Governor Alfred Mutua of Machakos for the appropriate placement of the slogan “The place to be” in respect of Kenya as a preferred destination for tourists and investors.

The Obama visit is one that must get Kenyans engaged in constructive discourse. But true to character, our leaders across the political divide are grabbing every opportunity presented by the visit to score cheap political goals.

The cacophony of their noise defies rudimentary principles of decorum, good sense and African hospitality.

If it is not a group of twigswaving Jubilee MPs denouncing Obama’s stand on gay unions, it is CORD leaders shouting themselves hoarse about failure by government to fight corruption and tame insecurity.

For the avoidance of doubt, I subscribe to the Christian faith and I stand on biblical teachings in firm opposition to same-sex unions. I hold the view that the Uhuru government can do more to secure Kenyans and fight corruption. But what is the place of our personal, political and religious differences in the Obama visit?

As the political class outsmarts each other on who can shout loudest, Kenya is about to miss out on a once in- a-lifetime opportunity.

Obama brings to Kenya a delegation of top captains of multinational organisations, not politicians. And so one would expect that the POTUS delegation would send a clear signal about where we need to focus attention.

The visit presents great opportunities to get these top investors to set up or expand business operations in Kenya and therefore create real jobs for our suffering and frustrated youth.

This country, incredibly gifted and blessed as it may be, is heavily weighed down by idle youth; young adults who still cling on their ageing parents for basic provisions. I am not very sure about the real unemployment statistics. But this one thing I am sure about; I know more unemployed youth than those in employment. And this story is worth telling.

Whenever I go to the gym, I find this young beautiful girl engrossed in “hard labour” at the hotel. Clad in an oversize overall, loosely fitting work boots, a disfigured nose mask, worn out gloves and her tools of trade inside a wheelbarrow, she cuts the perfect image of a youth committed to self-advancement through hard work.

As early as 6.30am, she is already sweating as she tends the lawns, manicures the flower beds, shifts stones and cleans the walkways. Late in the afternoon, she will be found hard at work.

She is the face of the Kenyan youth. She is, I believe, the reason Obama is bringing investors to Kenya. She nurtures valid dreams to succeed in life as she takes calculated steps in her journey to narrow the gap between the promise of the ideals she lives for and the reality of her time.

And she is perhaps hopeful that the visit would change her fortunes for the better. But which investor would put a dime in an economy whose leadership is lost in cheap politics; a leadership that places greater premium on retaining or acquiring political power at the expense of investing in posterity?

I am not ignorant of the dynamics of power politics and the battle for control of State resources. But how much would President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka lose by agreeing on a common agenda for Kenya in the Obama visit? What is there to gain when the leadership of this country invests in playing out political differences for the attention of POTUS and visiting investors?

Who among these leaders will step forward, put Kenya first and bring the political class and our own captains of industry together to receive our visitors?

It would be beautiful to see Uhuru, Ruto, President Kibaki, President Moi, Raila, Kalonzo, Wetang‘ula, Musalia and Martha Karua; industrialists Manu Chandarai and Vimal Shah, top CEOs like Bob Collymore and James Mwangi all taking turns to receive our visitors, escorting them to their hotels and later taking them to the Nairobi National Park and the Bomas of Kenya to sample the rich diversity of our heritage.

If these leaders see no personal political gain in such an initiative, I implore them to do it for Kenya. So much is at stake.