With exactly nine months
to go before the next general election, Kenyans are grappling with more issues
than they did five years ago. Corruption has not dwindled and if we are to go
with the Auditor General’s audit reports, the reality is dim and grim with the
Kenya government able to account for only 1% of their 2015/2016 expenditure.
Kenya still remains one of the most corrupt in the world, Transparency International
ranking it as among one of the most corrupt. In the last five years, the
corruption cartels in Kenya have gotten bolder, stronger and more ruthless.
Using a problems
tree analogy, the exponential growth of corruption in Kenya has had a
multiplied domino effect on other ills including tribalism and impunity. The
resultant effect of impunity has been general disregard to the rule of law with
justice going to the highest bidder. The government’s failure to tackle
corruption head on has emboldened the tribal kingpins with fresh arsenal to fan
the tribal flag high.
Kenya has been reduced
to a country of us and them, with the ‘us’ daily jostling on the high table
from the spoils of ill-gotten wealth and corrupt deals. Kenyans are yearning
for a fresh breath, a new hope and a new dawn. The current regime was voted in,
on the premise of a digital platform that will amongst other things slay the
corruption dragon and make Kenya a better place. They’ve miserably failed on
that front. The opposition has not been helpful either with too much time spent
on criticizing and opposing every move the government makes, without offering
any concrete solutions.
As proud and loyal
citizens of this country, isn’t time we stood up and demanded a fresh start
devoid of established political zeitgeists and kingpins? Isn’t time we claimed
our country back by fronting pro mwananchi issues based leaders who will steer
Kenya to new heights? Time is ripe for Kenyans to put aside their tribal
affiliations and refuse to be cornered into electing leaders on the basis of
tribe.
To pull us out of this quagmire of corruption and tribalism, what we need is fresh blood, right from top leadership cadre up to the bottom. With only twelve months to go before the elections, I hope and pray for a eureka moment that will yield pro-mwananchi new leaders that will rise to fill and take the leadership mantle and take Kenya forward. Leaders free from historical political baggage and with a thirst to offer servant leadership.