20th October is a day we reflect on the struggles of our Fathers, struggles that made us attain our Independence in 1963. 48 years down the line, things seems to have gone full circle and we are badly off than when we set on this Journey of Hope.
We set off with a few clear objectives;
a] Illiteracy
Now, the fight against illiteracy seems to have evaded us. In a recent study, one group reported how pupils in class 8 were ill prepared to sit for their exams. The sad part of the report was that pupils in class three were unable to read and write properly.
This is a national shame, because even at the highest institutions of learning, we have students who are struggling to effectively engage in any intellectual discourse.
The management of our school curriculum is far from convincing. Parents are not certain about how and what their children are being taught in school. Pupils in the various classes are not being given the same instructions as we have no set school syllabus and set books.
Our children are going through a system of education akin to robots. It saddens most parents to see their children at class one being subjected to instructions that cover well over 7 subjects while at that level, a child only needs to read and write.
Let us reflect on these disparities in our education system with a view to having some deliberate upward mobility that will create confidence in the parents and the children alike.
b] Disease
Eradicating disease is an uphill task and this was going to be difficult from the word go. But we have some manageable tropical diseases that the Ministry of Medical Services and that of Public Health and Sanitation have made great strides in controlling. But as we celebrate our heroes today, we must reflect on the cost of medication. The cost of medication is far way above the reach of many Kenyans.
This is why Kenyans were somewhat elated when the then Minister for Health Hon Charity Ngilu and her team came up with a Health Care Scheme that was going to be of real benefit to many Kenyans. This is a scheme that the Government must implement for the good of all. The National Hospital Insurance Scheme must roll out far and wide and this must be a very deliberate effort.
As we reflect on our Heroes, we must put in more efforts to ensure that Kenyans can access affordable Health Care.
c] Water
Water is life and this is very obvious, yet, 48 years down the line, even in Nairobi, residents are struggling and queuing to fetch this precious commodity. We had the slogan of water for all by the year 2000 and the year 2000 came and passed. 10 years down the line, we are still at the zero peg.
We are seeing some efforts at availing water for all being put in place currently but as it were, we are getting clouded in cobwebs of corruption allegations that tend to derail the positive efforts being put in place.
As we celebrate Mashujaa Day today, we must reflect on why we do not have running taps in our homes in Nairobi.
d] Electric Power
It goes without say that if Nairobi is not sufficiently electrified, then, the rest of the country is missing out on Electric Power. Currently the cost of Electric Power is driving investors out of Kenya and it looks like this does not bother anybody at the Ministry of Energy.
Again, the cost of Gas is increasingly becoming beyond the reach of many Kenyans and again, we are playing roulette and dancing to the tunes.
e] Unity
We all know how superficial our unity as Kenyans has always been. One minute we are all One Family Under God and the next minute, we are cutting each other with matchettes. Yet, we keep saddling ourselves with a leadership that tends to preach tribalism and nepotism as it pays lip or no service to the unity of Kenyans.
As we celebrate this day, let us reflect on our roles as Kenyans in creating an everlasting unity that will transcend any political interests.
Having looked at all these, we must appreciate that at long last something is being done to move Kenya out of the trench. We have been stuck for 48 years and now, we can see good attempts at taking Kenya to the next level.
Our roads are being expanded and new ones being built. But we seem to be facing the same old challenges where new roads tear off immediately upon being commissioned. This is a worrying trend and as we celebrate our Heroes today, we must ask our Road Engineers to live to their professional calling and build for us roads that have a life span. Not roads that develop pot-holes even before being commissioned.
When you move around our Towns, you will notice how poor our drainage systems are. THis calls for soul searching; are our engineers equal to the task? Or, should we also out source for man power to build our drainage system the way we have out sourced Chinese to build our roads?
The way our Markets are being developed leaves a lot to be desired. A quick walk at Muthurwa Market will inform you of how not to do it. Muthurwa has been invaded by hawkers from all sides. The Bus Termini has been invaded by hawkers and the powers that be seems to be very helpless. The Road that leads into and out of Muthurwa must not have been done by a Roads Engineers. This was a quack who got paid handsomely for doing nothing. Yet, we have the Police Force, the CID, the KACC, the Auditor and Controller General, the Efficiency Monitoring Unit, The City Council of Nairobi, the Provincial Administration, the Parent Ministries, the Office of the Prime Minister and ultimately, the Office of the President.
I want to ask a very simple fact; there is nobody in all these offices who has been able to see that Kenyans were cheated out of the more than Kshs 800m that was used to develop this nothing called Muthurwa Market? This is food for thought as we celebrate Mashujaa Day.
Kenyans are currently faced with myriad of problems in the Housing Construction, Garbage Collection, Water Provision, Electric Power Provision, Provision of Affordable Medical Health Care etc. Yet, we all know that these are issues that we can easily surmount as a Country if we put just some little efforts.
Just juxtapose these failures with our success with enterprises such as;
We must hence join hands as Citizens of Kenya as we start Our Journey of Hope into our 49th year of Independence and demand for more action from the people whom we have put into elective office to govern the affairs of our Country on our behalf. This calls for supporting their actions if it is for the good of our Country, and chastising them if their act in a manner that does not add value to our wish as a Country.
One thing I am very sure about, no one will do it for us. The UN Agencies, the Donor Agencies, and all our Development Partners are more keen on workshops, seminars and those kind of Theatrics that add no known value to our aspiration as a Country.
We must appreciate that we now have a team in Government that is keen at Transforming Kenya and we need to hold hands and walk as a team, as One Family Under God.
Odhiambo T Oketch.
CEO KCDN Nairobi
http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
www.kcdnkenya.org
We set off with a few clear objectives;
- To fight against illiteracy
- To fight against disease
- To avail clean drinking water to all
- To avail electric power to all
- To unite Kenyans as One Family Under God
a] Illiteracy
Now, the fight against illiteracy seems to have evaded us. In a recent study, one group reported how pupils in class 8 were ill prepared to sit for their exams. The sad part of the report was that pupils in class three were unable to read and write properly.
This is a national shame, because even at the highest institutions of learning, we have students who are struggling to effectively engage in any intellectual discourse.
The management of our school curriculum is far from convincing. Parents are not certain about how and what their children are being taught in school. Pupils in the various classes are not being given the same instructions as we have no set school syllabus and set books.
Our children are going through a system of education akin to robots. It saddens most parents to see their children at class one being subjected to instructions that cover well over 7 subjects while at that level, a child only needs to read and write.
Let us reflect on these disparities in our education system with a view to having some deliberate upward mobility that will create confidence in the parents and the children alike.
b] Disease
Eradicating disease is an uphill task and this was going to be difficult from the word go. But we have some manageable tropical diseases that the Ministry of Medical Services and that of Public Health and Sanitation have made great strides in controlling. But as we celebrate our heroes today, we must reflect on the cost of medication. The cost of medication is far way above the reach of many Kenyans.
This is why Kenyans were somewhat elated when the then Minister for Health Hon Charity Ngilu and her team came up with a Health Care Scheme that was going to be of real benefit to many Kenyans. This is a scheme that the Government must implement for the good of all. The National Hospital Insurance Scheme must roll out far and wide and this must be a very deliberate effort.
As we reflect on our Heroes, we must put in more efforts to ensure that Kenyans can access affordable Health Care.
c] Water
Water is life and this is very obvious, yet, 48 years down the line, even in Nairobi, residents are struggling and queuing to fetch this precious commodity. We had the slogan of water for all by the year 2000 and the year 2000 came and passed. 10 years down the line, we are still at the zero peg.
We are seeing some efforts at availing water for all being put in place currently but as it were, we are getting clouded in cobwebs of corruption allegations that tend to derail the positive efforts being put in place.
As we celebrate Mashujaa Day today, we must reflect on why we do not have running taps in our homes in Nairobi.
d] Electric Power
It goes without say that if Nairobi is not sufficiently electrified, then, the rest of the country is missing out on Electric Power. Currently the cost of Electric Power is driving investors out of Kenya and it looks like this does not bother anybody at the Ministry of Energy.
Again, the cost of Gas is increasingly becoming beyond the reach of many Kenyans and again, we are playing roulette and dancing to the tunes.
e] Unity
We all know how superficial our unity as Kenyans has always been. One minute we are all One Family Under God and the next minute, we are cutting each other with matchettes. Yet, we keep saddling ourselves with a leadership that tends to preach tribalism and nepotism as it pays lip or no service to the unity of Kenyans.
As we celebrate this day, let us reflect on our roles as Kenyans in creating an everlasting unity that will transcend any political interests.
Having looked at all these, we must appreciate that at long last something is being done to move Kenya out of the trench. We have been stuck for 48 years and now, we can see good attempts at taking Kenya to the next level.
Our roads are being expanded and new ones being built. But we seem to be facing the same old challenges where new roads tear off immediately upon being commissioned. This is a worrying trend and as we celebrate our Heroes today, we must ask our Road Engineers to live to their professional calling and build for us roads that have a life span. Not roads that develop pot-holes even before being commissioned.
When you move around our Towns, you will notice how poor our drainage systems are. THis calls for soul searching; are our engineers equal to the task? Or, should we also out source for man power to build our drainage system the way we have out sourced Chinese to build our roads?
The way our Markets are being developed leaves a lot to be desired. A quick walk at Muthurwa Market will inform you of how not to do it. Muthurwa has been invaded by hawkers from all sides. The Bus Termini has been invaded by hawkers and the powers that be seems to be very helpless. The Road that leads into and out of Muthurwa must not have been done by a Roads Engineers. This was a quack who got paid handsomely for doing nothing. Yet, we have the Police Force, the CID, the KACC, the Auditor and Controller General, the Efficiency Monitoring Unit, The City Council of Nairobi, the Provincial Administration, the Parent Ministries, the Office of the Prime Minister and ultimately, the Office of the President.
I want to ask a very simple fact; there is nobody in all these offices who has been able to see that Kenyans were cheated out of the more than Kshs 800m that was used to develop this nothing called Muthurwa Market? This is food for thought as we celebrate Mashujaa Day.
Kenyans are currently faced with myriad of problems in the Housing Construction, Garbage Collection, Water Provision, Electric Power Provision, Provision of Affordable Medical Health Care etc. Yet, we all know that these are issues that we can easily surmount as a Country if we put just some little efforts.
Just juxtapose these failures with our success with enterprises such as;
- Anglo Leasing
- Goldenberg
- Triton
- Maize
We must hence join hands as Citizens of Kenya as we start Our Journey of Hope into our 49th year of Independence and demand for more action from the people whom we have put into elective office to govern the affairs of our Country on our behalf. This calls for supporting their actions if it is for the good of our Country, and chastising them if their act in a manner that does not add value to our wish as a Country.
One thing I am very sure about, no one will do it for us. The UN Agencies, the Donor Agencies, and all our Development Partners are more keen on workshops, seminars and those kind of Theatrics that add no known value to our aspiration as a Country.
We must appreciate that we now have a team in Government that is keen at Transforming Kenya and we need to hold hands and walk as a team, as One Family Under God.
Odhiambo T Oketch.
CEO KCDN Nairobi
http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
www.kcdnkenya.org
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