The widening of opportunity

In the 90’s Kenya was on the brink of implosion. It seemed as if Kenya was toying with that seemingly ‘African’ choice of destiny: to disintegrate or not to disintegrate? Fortunately for the country NARC was swept into power, everything became possible. Or did it?

By Ian Gatere

Looking across Africa at other countries that have gone through similar sea changes in their destiny, Zambia after Kaunda, Malawi after Banda, South Africa after Botha, a certain trend emerges. A new government comes in, announces a far reaching turn around program, and in many instances makes several worthy steps towards it. Then reality sinks in: poverty is as hard to crack as oppression. Prosperity does not seem to be a widely available choice for much of Africa –regardless of government.

Jump from the fire

Often a small black class emerges and benefits most from the ‘far-reaching programs’ of the new reform governments be it in South Africa or Uganda. But for the majority of the population the daily struggle of survival remains just as harsh, at times even worse. The only ‘consolation’ being: “at least we didn’t disintegrate into Somalia/Congo situations. That would have been really bad. This is just bad”.

Into the frying pan

This is the scene in Kenya where press stories of “overnight millionaires” and “pay hike for judges” share page with “half the population cannot afford healthcare”. Is it poverty that is unbwogable? Colonialism went down, neo-colonialism went down, what is so persistent about our poverty that makes it so hard to fell? What will it take for prosperity to become a real choice for Africa?

The blueprint that was supposed to deliver Kenya into this new era was the Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS) 2003-2007. A strategy that should make Kenya experiencing 7% economic growth levels, but the ERS has faced several challenges.

ERP hoped to increase revenue through enhanced tax collection, an objective it is increasingly meeting. Despite government putting a freeze on hiring, it has increased its wage bill as it seeks to meet the demands of MPs, judges, police etc: a case of robbing Juma to pay Mweheshimiwa?

The reform government kicked of its War against Corruption begun with as much gusto: radical surgery in the judiciary, arresting corrupt police etc. But as the 24-month window (that former PS of Governance and Ethics, John Githongo, described as the limit within which a new government must act) drew to a close, we were way behind. Institutions set up to fight the vice had hardly acted against any figure of note, wealth corruptly gained had not been publicly reclaimed and returned to the public purse. Bad old habits like ‘invisible’ government suppliers were creeping back in. Yet, corruption clearly contributes to inequality.

Service delivery was a bit of a mixed bag. In Education and Transport there were vital reforms that made services more accessible to the wider public. In agriculture reforms saw long suffering farmers in certain sectors start to receive regular payment. But the new government policy to turn resource poor farmers into businessmen is difficult task considering that even in modern economies marketing of farm products is subsidized heavily by the state.

Baking without Sharing

The ERS emphasizes in its section on Inequality that the answer lies in ‘baking a larger national cake’, but does not emphasize ‘sharing the national cake’ with anywhere near similar emphasis.

It seems the government has a Big-Business/Foreign Investor focus, often at the cost of inadequate attention to the resource poor farmer and urban informal sector. The two sectors that can be the engines of job creation and the level at which poverty can most be significantly impacted.

Real choices required

John Githongo, the former corruption-buster now hiding from it in London, used to write quite a lot as a journalist before joining government. Commenting on Kenya’s decline in the mid-late 90s, he wrote: “people expected Kenya to explode or implode. But what has taken place is the steady ‘Latin Americanization’ of Kenya.” He was referring to the acceptance of street families, crime, walled cities, slums, traffic jams, pollution etc as ‘normal’.

A recent report by Civil Society Organizations (CSO) said that growth in the current structural setup will only widen inequality. Why are we sticking to it then? The immediate answer is: the IMF and World Bank! As a recent report in the Sunday Standard explained, 70% of the income quoted in the stock exchange is controlled by foreign hands. How, the argument goes, will inequality be addressed if 70% of it benefits foreign interests?

The local elite is merely a hireling of the west, goes this argument. It has bought lock, stock and banana the argument that you cannot have a Chief without headmen and naturally, peasants.

But I wish to venture another reason: our own lack of creativity, persistence and sacrifice?

We are future

Foreign masters are not the reason we are managing our permitted 30% ‘pocket money’ badly. For even that 30% of income, properly used, will reduce poverty significantly. But it will mean cutting back on salaries of top staff in and out of government, introducing e.g. a rural and urban minimum wage that enables a brother and sister ‘to live’. Introduce e.g. 1-3 wage policy where the lowest paid employee does not get less than a 1/3 of the highest paid, as opposed to the 1:118 currently in civil service.

It’s only by starting with our seemingly paltry 30% that Kenya will create the basis on which to demand change on the 70% banked in Britain.

Let’s push this further. Beyond the myopia of those we all know we made a mistake to send to parliament. What are we citizens doing with the power we have? I wonder what would happen, if those who e.g. call themselves people of faith in just one place of worship in over-religious Kenya decided to give away half their wealth. Just like that. No discussion. Surely is there any law against giving wealth to the poor? Would the givers die? I doubt. In 5 years or so, they would probably recover much of that wealth through work or business.

Is there any faith that teaches against giving half of our wealth to the poor? To those we don’t know, those who cannot return the favor, without expecting anything in return? What would the government do? Nothing! IMF, World Bank? Nothing! CNN, BBC, probably ignore it. Such an initiative would need management, lest ‘the road to hell be paved with good intentions’. But what would it do, in terms of national good, inspiration for the future, creating hope for our children?

We are the creators of our destiny, even within the tight limits allowed to us by our government and the multi-national expropriators of 3^rd world wealth, there is much we can do. More in fact, than we imagine. Much more… We have only to desire it, to imagine it, and do it!

Ian Gatere is Communication Coordinator of IEC Strategy Ltd.

Email: info@iecstrategy.co.ke