George Wajackoyah a breath of fresh air in a country craving change

Roots party leader Prof. George Wajackoyah. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]

Until his inclusion on the shortlist of presidential contenders, George Wajackoyah was relatively unknown. He was just another name in a long list of wannabes hoping to gain their 15 minutes of fame as aspirants for the highest office in the land. But the professor who, as some have jokingly said, has more degrees than a thermometer, is now firmly in the race for the State House. And surprisingly, many are warming up to his candidature.

Perhaps it is because he comes across as a break from the usual political establishment; a breath of fresh air in a country aching for change as a result of egregious breaches in the social contract. Certainly, the Jubilee administration has made a hash of the economy.

It is no secret that the focal point of every serious presidential campaign must hinge on bettering the lives of citizens with agriculture being the primary engine of economic growth.

Wajackoyah proposes interesting solutions. He talks of legalising the growth, processing, and export of marijuana as Kenya’s main cash crop. He delves into the merits of snake farming for purposes of extraction of anti-venom which is in short supply globally. He also touches on a resultant bye-product; snake meat which is a delicacy in the orient.

Wajackoyah calls for the hanging of all Kenyans convicted of corruption using hemp ropes. He reckons such stiff penalties are tried and tested elsewhere and should serve as deterrents.

The professor’s solutions may sound outlandish but therein lies their appeal. They are at once a dash of intellectual acuity that speaks to the urban elite, and at the same time simple, folksy with a guy-next-door appeal that the urban indigent find irresistible. Further, Wajackoyah has packaged himself as revolutionary, using reggae music as a subliminal protest against the establishment.

TRUE GENIUS

But Wajackoyah’s true genius could be from the fact that he is making Kenyans think beyond the usual simplistic proposals to revive the economy. By exploring a raft of alternatives, he presents endless possibilities, with a globally competitive edge, using locally available resources. He makes citizens appreciate that banning the mitumba trade or the reviving of the textile industry may no longer be a viable proposition in this day and age.

He also speaks to the futility of doing the same things over and again and expecting different results. How many times has the revival of the moribund sugar industry in Western Kenya featured in campaign manifestos?

It is obvious that poor cane varieties, shrinking acreage and obsolete equipment have disadvantaged Kenya to the extent that the country may never match the low cost of production in other countries across the continent. It is evident that the high cost of power precludes Kenya from growing and processing cotton to a level that makes the production of cheap new clothing a reality for most households.

Yet other possibilities abound in which the country has a natural advantage. For instance, Kenya is one of just a handful of countries in the world that grow avocados. Most of what is grown here is exported when ideally, it should be processed locally for cooking oil, cosmetics, and soaps.

Avocado is itself an excellent substitute for vegetarians or people without access to meat or dairy products. Other low hanging fruit include coconut and peanut oil, all of which can be grown to a large scale. The climatic conditions in Western Kenya are ideal for growth of a variety of palm trees that are high yielding in terms of edible oils.

Questions arise: Is Wacjakoyah the vector of a revolution that threatens to upset the political order or is he simply part of a controlled opposition to lure the youthful vote away from a leading presidential contender? Whilst the professor himself is no pothead, thousands of marijuana-smoking youth have professed their undying fealty to his cause. But it will be a zero-sum game if they are too drug-addled to make it to the voting booth!

- Mr Khafafa is a public policy analyst