What have you done for a better Kenya?

Today, Kenyans mark 52 years of independence with mixed feelings. There have been huge strides and huge letdowns since the British colonial masters handed the instruments of power to Kenyan leaders in 1963. Since independence, each government has had to grapple with challenges in health, food, shelter and security; the basics of life.

Beyond the pomp and colour on display in these and other celebrations to mark Jamhuri Day, we should reflect on the nation’s future. What value are we creating today for the benefit of our children and future generations? What is the nation’s pulse on social, economic and political affairs?

All of us must ask ourselves what we are doing to make Kenya a better country. Making Kenya is not the exclusive responsibility of leaders; it is the duty of all of us individually and collectively. As we celebrate this day, the call of duty rings loud and the response must be personal before we can collectively pull together.

So much time has passed and so much has been achieved in regard to governance and the management of public affairs. But a lot of resources have also been wasted and a lot more needs to be done to move this country from basics. This country has come under the firm grip of corruption; a vice threatening to tear us apart. Unfortunately, corruption has been devolved to the counties which were thought to hold the promise for better service delivery to Kenyans in the grassroots.

Kenyans in every corner of the country have tasted the fruits of devolution courtesy of the new constitutional dispensation. The self-governance that the fathers of the republic purchased with blood and tears has been brought closer to the people. Regions that didn’t have a single kilometre of tarmac road, a functioning health centre or a reliable source of clean water, are today gradually enjoying these facilities and commodities.

Shamefully, a number of senior officials in county governments are being accused of lining their pockets with funds meant to improve the lives of millions of residents under their management. This is not what the independence heroes died for; it is clearly not what Kenyans endorsed in the 2010 referendum. As we toast to our coming of age as a country, we must demand more of personal introspection especially among those we have elected to high office.