GYN CHRONICLES
Leadership Transition In Kenya
Dr . Maureen Owiti
These are very interesting times , we have voted in the Hustler Nation and our new president is WSR and due to the fantastic economic climate petrol is now retailing at KSh179.30 per litre in Nairobi . We all know our economy is dependent on the cost of fuel and I ’ am already seeing a change in power costs . Prior to this announcement I had already noticed a KSh1,000 /= difference in my power bill .
We occasionally write on public interest issues and not necessarily health education as relates to matters reproductive health , which is the primary focus of this column . I ’ ll take this opportunity to congratulate all our new found leaders regardless of which side of the political divide they lie . I ’ d like to thank the former PM Hon . Raila Odinga for offering the electorate a choice and for ensuring no chaos ensued despite the prevailing circumstances and the former President Hon . Uhuru Kenyatta for humbly handing over power peacefully and respectfully . My article is directed mainly towards our new President Hon . William Samoei Ruto and the Governor of Nairobi Johnson Sakaja .
The beauty about life is that with each new dawn comes endless new opportunities . Someone just forwarded a clip on the making of Singapore a country we all know is currently one of the best places in the world to be born as they have fantastic indices across all sectors and my focus is financial and health . To internalize what is remarkable about where they are now , you need to understand the journey they have walked over the years .
Singapore was initially , prior to its independence , merging to be part of Malaysia but was actually voluntarily ejected out of the country . At the time more than 60 % of the population lived in slums and there was a huge crisis on drug addiction particularly opium . Singapore had no natural resources and even fresh water had to be imported . In comparison Kenya was a better place to live in at the time .
Under great leadership in the form of the famous Lee Kuan Yew , Singapore transformed from the dejected stone to the enviable corner stone and marvel that it is today .
“
Certain underlying vices cock-block us from fully reaping the rightful fruits of our sweat and hard labor . We love short cuts ! This has resulted in corruption in every form and shape . The get-rich-quick mentality has consigned many into tenderpreneurs fixated on pushing paper and air to make a living at great expense to the posterity of the country .
I will quote Wikepedia on several things that I found very interesting as I share my considered thoughts on this story . Firstly , “ Lee eschewed populist policies in favor of long-term social and economic planning , championing civic nationalism through meritocracy and multiracialism .” Yaani I thought being jang that English is my mouth . From context , I could guess that eschewed means shunned or avoided , however I still had to google the meaning . For this particular quote I ’ d like us to remember the first act by our newly sworn in governor : releasing motorbikes that had been impounded for various violations .
In as much as I agree with the spirit of the pronouncement , it was more of a populist move than anything else . The very next day we had someone being lynched for trying to steal a mobile phone on a boda boda . I don ’ t know how but these incidents had greatly reduced previously , whether it was incidental I cannot tell . Yes , I acknowledge that not all boda boda riders are criminals , but I think the Governor could have found a way of using the existing rule of law to assist genuine cases and not make a blanket declaration regardless of the circumstances surrounding the impounded bikes .
To the president , you have taken ‘ the oath of office ’, and this statement , as simple as it may seem , is deep with far reaching implications for the citizenry and the wider ecosystem the country is anchored in . I urge you at all costs not to make populist proclamations and focus on embracing carefully ventilated and thought out decisions that will forever change the course of this country for the better . It is your time to dictate what history will write about you . The words for you are meritocracy and multiracialism .
Unfortunately , over decades professionalism has been thrown out of the window in our
16 MAL50 / 22 ISSUE