Kenya is a case of two countries orbiting in parallel pathways

By: Kap Kirwok

[ Posted On: 2009-04-22 ]

There seems to be two ‘Kenyas’ racing on twin tracks; or better put, two Kenyas orbiting in parallel universes.

One is the Kenya of great promise...on the threshold of a governance and economic breakthrough; the other is a Kenya of great despair...on the brink of systemic collapse.

There is the Kenya of innovative and world class entrepreneurs; the Kenya of competitive firms that have consistently reported profits every year — for decades (such as those in the financial services sector). This is the Kenya of brilliant roadside ‘jua kali’ entrepreneurs eking out a living by the sweat of their brains.

And then there is the Kenya of more burst than boom — where catastrophic loss in personal fortunes is the norm. The Kenya of emaciated citizens feeding on wild fruits in a landscape littered with livestock carcasses — victims of the cascading tragedies of drought, famine and starvation.

On the other hand there is the nation of diligent, intelligent and hardworking public servants whose work helps keep the country going. This is the nation of high-flying technocrats and intellectuals who can stand their ground in the competitively global stage. This is the Kenya of Nobel laureates and world beating athletes; the nation of outstanding professionals in and out of the country.

Assets at throwaway price

And then there is the Kenya of uppity and conceited public servants and corporate leaders who see preening as their first calling and the feathering of ethnic nests as their second.

This is the Kenya where ethnic favouritism is a treasured art; where ethnic elites will enable and defend poor governance as long as narrow tribal interests are served.

There is also that racing to join the fast lane in global communications technology. This is the Kenya of Teams (The East Africa Marine Systems), Eassy (East African Submarine Cable System) and Seacom (the optical fibre submarine communications cable) projects.

This is the nation that has one of the highest mobile phone penetration rates in the world — more than 30 per cent, according to Business Monitor International.

Then there is the Kenya frozen in time — whether in infrastructure, such as whole districts without a single inch of tarmac road; or social attitudes, such as traditional dancers welcoming the President at the airport, or the retinue of stuffed shirts stumbling over one another as they seek to catch the Big Man’s

eye. There is the Kenya of highly disciplined and professional soldiers keeping peace in distant lands and scoring high marks for their exemplary service. This is the Kenya of Lieutenant General (rtd) Daniel Ishmael Opande, the highly regarded peacekeeper; and General (rtd) Daudi Tonje, the principled former Chief of General Staff.

And then there is the Kenya of corrupt, torturing and murdering soldiers. This is the Kenya where ‘how to torture and murder innocent citizens’ seems to be part of the training curriculum; where bribery is now a standard operation procedure in recruitment. This is the Kenya of extra-judicial killings; the Kenya of the poster boys of impunity.

There is the Kenya of the polished diplomat (the likes of Bethwell Kiplagat) and then there is that of the likes of Chirau Mwakwere — a former diplomat with foul language (he loves building toilets for the PM) and menial disposition.

There is the Kenya that is rapidly becoming a contested space for business investment — pitting the East (let by China) against the West (led by the US) in a secret battle for supremacy.

But there is also the Kenya in which a number of visionary indigenous investors are playing an increasingly visible role in the economy.

Finally, there is the Kenya of a strange paradox: a middle class that is growing — now about 10 per cent of the population (according to James Shikwati of the Inter-Region Economic

Network) — even as more and more Kenyans slip into poverty. Government and UN publications show poverty has increased, not decreased, in the last 30 years. Between 1986 and 2004, life expectancy actually declined from 58 to 48 years!

These are the two faces of Kenya — two realities in a tense, uneasy co-existence. One Kenya makes two steps forward, another back-pedals three steps. It is a country of beautiful dreams and ugly nightmares; a country where, while the leadership suffers from bouts of political sclerosis, a restless youth bomb waits to explode.

Will these two ‘countries’ merge seamlessly, harnessing their joint energies to form a giant bright star? Or, will they collide and splinter into a million pieces of misery? That is the trillion shilling question. Your life depends on the answer.

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: Kap Kirwok -- The writer (Strategybeyondprofit@gmail.com) is based in the USA

| View Profile & All Articles By: Kap Kirwok |

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