I had an interesting conversation today about the book "Its our turn to eat", by Michela Wrong.
Most Kenyans know John Githongo, initially from Transparency Kenya and later as Kenya's first Permanent Secretary of Governance and Ethics appointed by President Kibaki. This book - reviewed as part political thriller, part African morality tale - shares in graphic details evidence of corruption by Kenya's leaders - in particular leading members of the cabinent and members of their families or friends. It tells of Githongo's attempts to fight the system and his eventual flight to exile in the UK. As we all know, Githongo had evidence of attempts to thwart his anti-corruption crusades - recall the infamous Githongo dossier - and made every effort to expose these schemes, to no avail.
Now, we are back squarely to where we started and law suits against Githongo are pending in the High Court of Kenya. The Githongo story has since died and while this book may resurrect the debate in part, the tsunami tide is already broken. It will become yet another book on an African country gone wrong on the shelves. Michela Wrong will make a tidy pile of cash, Githongo will be immortalized in ink, and Kenyans will sigh one more time and return to the life we have come to love and loath with as much passion. The seasoned Kenyan is all to aware that as is the case with most Kenyan scandals, the passion dies sooner or later. In time, it becomes all but a figment of our imagination.
This is the norm. Or is it?
Can we take advantage of Michela's work and find a way to make a change or are Kenyans simply irredeemable? Conventional wisdom dictates that if we take a look in the mirror and we do not like what we see, then something has got to give. We have to make a change. Well, today's conversation was the look in the mirror. The look reveals that we have entrusted our country, our children's heritage to greedy, incompetent leaders. The look reveals that our corrupt tendencies, our desire to eat and eat has taken its toil on this once beautiful country. The look reveals that each voting Kenyan must be held accountable for these ills. The look reveals that Kenya is sadly, a failing state, there I have said it. So sue me.
In today's conversation, we revisited this mystique about Kenyans, our ability to forgive the unforgivable and to turn a blind eye on wrongful acts like murder and grand corruption. How did we become so lethargic, so removed and unaffected by the rot in our society? How did we end up chained to hyenas clothed as leaders for decades? Hyenas willing to loot, kill, and run the country to the ground? Or is it a battered country syndrome?
It occurs to me that the answer really lies in the system of taxation. That one machinery that guarantees a continous stream of resources into the government's coffers, and therefore, really guarantees that the hyenas we vote for will continue to rape the country for as long as there are resources flowing into the government's coffers. It also occurs to me that our unwillingness to embrace visionary leaders, desire change, and dare to hope that things can change, will guarantee that the rape continues until such time that the battered country will snap. This is not a desirous outcome. When a battered country snaps, the outcome is always catastrophic.
So where does that leave us? Michela's work gives us the facts of what happens when we trust corrupt leaders with state power and the people's taxes. It also gives us a reason to fight back, claim that which is ours. Michela's work reminds us that we need to define what kind of governance we desire, the kind of leaders that calls for - visionary men and women with integrity and hearts for service - and give those true leaders the mandate to do what needs to be done. Find a way to protect our taxes from the hyenas. Some countries have found a way to make it happen and we can do too.
Let us prove Michela, wrong that Kenyans are smart enough to find a solution. I am ready, are you?
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