More than rhetoric needed to turn Kenya into an African Tiger

 

Like him or hate him, there is something tantalizingly refreshing about the manner in which President William Ruto has set out to run his government. Prompt and focused meetings, time-bound targets for government programmes and an apparently dedicated programme to improve the economic circumstances of the ordinary person.

These measures are to be underpinned by drastically expanding the tax net and reinvigorating Kenya’s agricultural production. This to be done through directing resources towards production as opposed to subsidies; constructing massive dams;  focused and sustained provision of fertilizer and seeds; value addition intended at guaranteeing markets for agricultural goods; and removal of cartels and brokers from the agriculture value chain.

From his inaugural live televised conference with journalists on 4th January, 2023 to the recently concluded retreat with top government officials, held in Nanyuki between 5th and 8th January 2023, there have been rare vibes that many have long yearned to hear from the country’s Chief Executive. These are now reaching their living rooms, from the “horses’ mouth” with unprecedented clarity and repetition.

Whereas it is good counsel to recall that the President Ruto has been known to make lofty promises and later contradict himself without batting an eyelid, phrases like “results instead of processes,” “time bound and measurable government plans,” and “prior agreed milestones for national projects and programmes,” have a pleasingly “corporate” ring to them. Add to these statements such as “It will not happen under my watch!” and you begin wondering whether Kenya might finally have arrived at the same place the so called “Asian Tigers” positioned themselves in the early 1960s.

In that era, East Asian leaders who included Malaysia’s, Mahathir Mohamad, Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew and South Korea’s Park Chung Hee, were unapologetic about the economic and technological development approaches they undertook, even though many of them were largely unpopular among the then predominantly semi-literate masses. Although the phrase “Benevolent Dictator” dates back to Roman times, it has more recently been used by some to describe the the East Asian leaders who took upon the business of transforming their countries in ways hitherto never witnessed.

They were strongly convinced that the radical, far-reaching policies they pursued would, in the fullness of time, be for the benefit of the masses. By the 1990s, they were largely vindicated and today, their nationals enjoy some of the highest incomes per capita on the planet.

It is notable, though, that Kenya’s social structure today is not similar to those of Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea of the 1960s. Levels of literacy in Kenya are much higher, while the citizenry’s political awareness is generally high, thanks to the freedom of expression that has prevailed in recent decades made possible by numerous digital channels for sharing information. At the time of the Asian transformation, there was no internet and social media had not even been imagined. These tools make it possible to citizens to mobilise in ways not possible half a century ago.

Still, a president who appears to face minimal dissent within his party and one who has a huge influence on both legislative houses and a friendly judiciary, might just have the requisite wiggle room to muscle through sweeping policies, which hopefully would conceivably move Kenya in the direction of the Asian Tigers. Ironically, many of our leaders keep reminding us that Kenya was at the same level of development as these same countries immediately following our independence. The electorate, including the so-called “hustlers,” are keenly watching how the Kenya Kwanza administration will move from rhetoric to action and their patience might be waning.

Some of the questions arising are: Will President Ruto’s promise to ensure that his cabinet secretaries will help to change the civil service culture of spending most of their time and resources doing workshops and seminars to pocket hefty per diems and allowances come true? Are we seeing an end to the era of tenderpreneurs? Will our county governments focus on exploiting the vast potential of their regions to improve lives and livelihoods of citizens as opposed to overseeing “devolved corruption”? Will the Hustler Fund be the panacea for the runaway youth unemployment and the resultant high crime levels and insecurity?

These outcomes can be achieved if the promises that the President is giving are to be actualised. It is what all Kenyans would like to see, irrespective of whichever way they voted. Fortunately, we do not have long to wait. The first significant milestone will be in six months, within which period we have been told, that all 5000 or so government services will be accessible from the comfort of our homes and through the tap of the keypad of a Mulika muizi phone.

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