POWER AND LEADERSHIP-IMPLEMENTING NATIONAL AGENDA.

POWER AND LEADERSHIP-IMPLEMENTING NATIONAL AGENDA.

 

It is campaign time and many are criss-crossing the country promising mega and monumental feats as soon as they step into office next year.

Two days ago on NTV morning show, I watched, as I prepared for the day, one such contestant for Nairobi Governorship being interviewed on his agenda for Nairobi County. I must agree the man had grand ideas; he had a grasp of how he will manage the county if given a chance. He elaborated what he will achieve with waste management; create wealth and opportunities for the youth and rid our city of waste.

It all sounded good until the interviewer asked if he has any such initiative already going on which he could showcase, and why he has to be Governor to initiate such. Unfortunately, his answer was in the negative, no initiative, wait till I become Governor and I will do these things.

Meanwhile, the constitution provides at Chapter 4 Article 42 that;

“Every person has the right to a clean and healthy environment.”

This provision is not for next year or when some person or the other becomes this or that position, this provision is for now.

This is just a case of what many other aspirants are promising Kenyans. I have had a few chances to meet a few such aspirants and the story is the same, theories upon another. While all these promises abound, some of these challenges do not require power to institute. Many of our leaders and aspiring leaders misconstrue leadership for power. Many have taken the belief that they need power to become leaders hence the myriad of promises and goodies going round as they seek power. On the flip-side, the irony is about those who already hold power in various capacities of public office today with absolutely no idea what to do with it, leave alone an agenda.

If one can do something in 2013, they can as well begin now. That should be convincing enough. The greats of history never held the instruments of power to transform their societies. Martin Luther King needed no instruments of power to fight racial injustice, Mahatma Gandhi never ascended to power to become a great influence on our lives, Mother Teresa never yearned for high office to work with the down trodden and transform lives of the poor.

If our leaders realized that what they promise tomorrow they can begin delivering today, we can become a great country and implement all these great ideas.

One area choking our lives is waste and garbage. We do not need for people to become Presidents, Governors, Senators and MPs before we can tackle this menace.

After all, presently, we have a President, a Prime Minister, Vice President, Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Mayors, Town Clerks, etc; in essence, there is absolutely no vacuum that necessitates the wait. Any position you may think of in terms of implementation has an office bearer.

This is why, as we seek to initiate separation of waste as mitigation towards better waste management in our towns and cities, we believe this is something that does not require any further promises, it does not require any further theories and definitely not new leaders, all it requires is goodwill and commitment to implement what should be implemented. The ideas are all over, local case studies abound, experts available in public and private sector, interventions that are ongoing whose capacities only need enhancement.

What we need to do is craft practical steps towards separation of waste and begin implementing the small bits that we can, support and enhance capacities of existing initiatives and establish a framework for new ones to thrive. These steps do not require for 2013 and new leaders.

I want to continue saluting The Public Service Transformation Department at the Office of The Prime Minister for supporting this initiative, I want to salute NEMA for standing firm that this can be done, I want to salute the various Ministries, in particular Ministry for Environment and Mineral Resources, Ministry for Public Health and Sanitation, Ministry for Special Programs and The Ministry for Nairobi Metropolitan Development. Particularly, let me say that Hon Beth Mugo has gone a step forward to specifically enumerate the practical steps her Ministry will initiate towards ensuring separation of waste and recycling becomes a reality.

These are the practical steps we continue calling for, all those concerned must as well take practical steps to ensure within their mandates; they institute measures that will set the ball rolling. If it is enforcement, let those concerned become vigilant and put in place deterrent measures, If it is provision for garbage receptacles, let these be provided, if it is regulations requiring separation before disposal, let us institute these. If we need to build and enhance capacity of existing initiatives, we need to get on with it. Local case studies are all over that simply need to be enhanced and replicated and soon we will be rid of most of the solid waste such as polythene, plastic and household waste. We are already spearheading a massive campaign at grassroots levels targeting youth and women groups in readiness for recycling waste; we are driving an online campaign on social media, forums and mainstream media.

What this country must learn to do is to get things done; we call on those with a sense of true leadership to begin in their small ways not any other time but now.

On the 28^th of August 2012 at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre-KICC, The Clean Kenya Campaign-TCKC and many other stakeholders from both public and private sector will hold the 2^nd Consultative forum on practical steps towards implementing separation of waste in Nairobi. The 1^st such forum identified the challenges, discussed modalities and possibilities. This coming forum will narrow down to actual form and structure of implementation. We trust by December, as Kenya gears to turn 50, we can deliver a cleaner and safer Kenya as a token for our people’s patience with poor living conditions.

At least we can deliver this in 50 years for this, ladies and gentlemen, is what leadership is all about.

 

Otieno Sungu,

Programs Manager,

The Clean Kenya Campaign-TCKC.

0729294743.