• He is trying to do too much too fast in the shortest time possible
Image: PSCU
On Thursday May 20, as he officially inaugurated the new Port of Lamu, President Uhuru Kenyatta was accosted by an unknown man. The man was later said to be clutching his identification card, wanting to share his laments over unemployment at the new port with the President.
The unknown man was quickly detained by security before being taken away. Although at first he seemed startled, the President made a quick quip about the incident before continuing to drawl over his speech.
I am not saying the man was justified in any capacity. As a matter of fact, this incident serves as a reminder that however much we disagree with the President, there is a level of respect that the office and position of power holds.
However, that does not mean we are not justified in wanting to express ourselves about our exasperation with the system. The incident in Lamu was a clear indicator that the desperation is high. Instead of just glossing over it, the President should have taken this opportunity to realise that his vision could be more damaging to his people than he anticipated.
The last six years under the Jubilee government have been divisive among Kenyans. Even after surviving years of dictatorship and a self-sworn-in president, the underbelly of democracy has left many Kenyans perplexed. The politics of the country have turned into one messed-up telenovela we are forced to watch on the news or follow on the Twitter trends. The political game is one of betrayal, alliances, looting, cahoots and every other possible scandal under the sun.
When it comes down to it, most people who work in the government forget they are civil servants, elected to office by their people as representatives of their interests. The moment they enter office, they forget all about serving and start serving personal interests. The evidence is simple: if we were to survey the development in each parliamentarian’s constituency, we would find little to no development in the last eight years.
The streets of Kisauni have looked the same as they did 10 years ago. Construction sites have stopped midway all through Mombasa, with alleged reports of feuds between investors and the municipality. The drainages still block when it rains, the streets are still full of potholes and there has been no advancement in the quality of life in the county. The situation is so bad that we always prepare for what is coming. When the drought hits, we know there will be no water; when the rain hits, we know there will be floods; when elections are around the corner, we know the potholes will be filled up hastily.
Meanwhile, the President is in a race against the clock to prove something. To leave a legacy of sorts after his 10 years of office. Kibaki gave us free education, Moi was strong-armed into allowing multipartyism after independence, and Kenyatta was the ‘founding father’. Uhuru’s term has yielded more negatives than positives, and there is a clear desperation to achieve something concrete that the citizens can associate with his leadership.
I, whose views have never really aligned with the President’s, somehow understands his vision. The global evolution is fast-paced. Technology changes overnight. There is a rush to catch up with the developed world. Kenya is at the forefront of development among its East African counterparts. It has enough potential to be unrivalled in its advancement, but Kenya is still a Third World country that relies heavily on foreign aid and loans.
Uhuru’s vision might be feasible, and necessary, for a far-distant future, but they are hastily put into motion as he tries to do too much too fast in the shortest time possible. For instance, the vision for the expansion of roads has been in motion since the Kibaki era, but it is only during the last two years of this government’s regime that we are seeing the project being taken on hastily. This has caused innumerable consequences as a result. Uhuru’s vision of progression for the country might be justified, but the heavy cost of his vision will always blur the good intent.