The African Accent
Is it really? Kenya celebrates freedom on June 1st. It marks a milestone in the growth of a nation that was united against colonial rule, as well as in its self confidence to govern. However, 46 years after the first celebration, the Nation is struggling to preserve these freedoms that we take for granted. We are ripe for role models who will bring back the pride, and responsibility that we celebrate on Madaraka Day.
Kenya was once considered a beacon of regional stability in Africa. Now, we are increasingly being painted with the same brush strokes as other potential failed states. Mention weak leadership, institutional corruption, tribalism, rising poverty, political instability, and Kenya is increasingly fitting the bill.
But all is not lost. The country has a post-independence generation that is seemingly forever optimistic. Those who are fortunate enough to get their post-secondary education abroad are coming back home in droves. Even with the current climate of uncertainty, brain drain seems to be at a minimal. In addition, those that choose to remain in foreign countries still hold their nationhood very dear.
Development is at a snail's pace, but it is still there. Though majority of the population is dependant on agriculture [which is mostly dependant on rainfall], service and industrial opportunities continue to grow. Notable is the undersea communication cables, officially launching end of this month, that will provide a major boost to business, and public Internet connectivity.
Hope alone can not be sufficient. We must be able to correct the mistakes of the past, and present in order to justify this hope. We owe it to ourselves, and future generations, to be a responsible country that is accountable for itself. Anything less, and we will be cheating ourselves out of Madaraka Day's spirit.
var addthis_pub="mwistar";
