It's not a secret any longer that we are treading in quicksand; our cost of living has reached an unprecedented level never witnessed in independent Kenya.
Unlike the post-election contests in the past, which were mostly about imbalanced ethnic representation and electoral malpractices, the current stalemate is coupled with the bad state of the economy, which everyone is wailing about.
This situation seems to give the opposition a competitive edge in rallying the public against the government, but let's face the facts straight and analyse the prevailing situation without prejudice or vendetta if we truly mean to prescribe the right remedy for economic recovery.
It's only fair to admit that all previous regimes before Kenya Kwanza perpetuated economic crimes against our country; there's no doubt about that, with the only variance being the extent of the economic injury. Over time, unemployment and the high cost of living, as a result, have emerged out of a long and sustained conspiracy against the economy.
In his previous interview, the President expressed his concern and intention to reduce unemployment and the high cost of living. But the current economic situation is too dire for the Kenya Kwanza administration to fix alone. It's time all concerned parties, regardless of political affiliation, converged their minds on curing our economy.
The housing scheme, as much as the government hypes it, could help busy our hustlers but may not prove sustainable and diverse in utilising all professional skills among our young people.
The President's Council of Economic Advisers, led by David Ndii, should candidly convey to the President that the task of curing our economy is not a cheap one and cannot be realized amid a business as usual attitude by his members of the executive.
All factors of production and national resources must be evaluated in order to ensure maximum investment returns as we recruit the best men and women for this crucial assignment against our reward system of appointment.
The government should establish a rapid economic recovery unit in every county where all public and private members are encouraged to submit initiatives and ideas that are deemed viable for evaluation and implementation.
This should go hand in hand with the idea of pausing our capital-intensive infrastructural projects to make room for the most basic and high-return ventures like agriculture, manufacturing and value addition.
At this juncture, therefore, we must cease our political rivalry and blame game, and repair our leaking economy jointly; otherwise, in due course, we will all be indiscriminately wiped out by this hostile economic storm.
Good governance advocate. [email protected]
