I start by congratulating Mr. Barack Obama for being elected as the President of the United States of America. Without a doubt it was not an easy battle for him especially against a very worthy competitor like John Mc Cain. I would also like to single out the America people who have risen beyond the boundaries of color, race, region and even social status, to elect an individual like Obama, with such a humble background.
But what does it mean to Kenyans, Africans and the world? In my first post, I said that my blogs will not be about saying what people want to hear, but about facts and the reality. In short, the triumph of Mr Obama spells doom for the those in the World, especially in Africa, who think that they will continue to oppress the poor and the voiceless forever.
Now, what does it mean to Kenyans...Off course it brings a lot of joy to us but it will not:
-change any US policy to see Kenya as a country, in a different light
-nor make every Kenyan eligible to visit the US without visa requirements similar to those of the previous regimes
-nor give Kenya more foreign aid than other countries
In light of the above though, Kenya as a country will be more visible in the World and the US in particular, may be attract more tourists, especially to Kogelo, the ancentral home of Obama, and will definitely reduce the ignorance of the American people, of Kenya and of Africa. Streets will be named after him, children will bare his name and so on.
To Africans, the win of Obama should send a clear message to those who want to lead their people that, the days of using colonial masters and the atrocities they committed as a scapegoat of their poor leadership are gone. The endless quest for reparations and self pity by African should be replaced by the quest to achieve the near impossible, just as Obama did. For Africa a quest glares in its face to eradicate poverty, disease, corruption, misrule, poor governance, the list goes on... To us the voters, we have been challenged to elect leaders not based on the 'color' of their tribes, but on the perceived capabilities of the leader to lead and bring about change that Africa so badly and genuinely need.
I sum up by saying, with due respect, Africa needs real solutions to the current problems of poverty, hunger, disease, misrule, corruption and poor governance. We do not help ourselves by becoming international beggars while wasting our meager resources. See this: Kenya MPs' Salaries, these guys have money!
But what does it mean to Kenyans, Africans and the world? In my first post, I said that my blogs will not be about saying what people want to hear, but about facts and the reality. In short, the triumph of Mr Obama spells doom for the those in the World, especially in Africa, who think that they will continue to oppress the poor and the voiceless forever.
Now, what does it mean to Kenyans...Off course it brings a lot of joy to us but it will not:
-change any US policy to see Kenya as a country, in a different light
-nor make every Kenyan eligible to visit the US without visa requirements similar to those of the previous regimes
-nor give Kenya more foreign aid than other countries
In light of the above though, Kenya as a country will be more visible in the World and the US in particular, may be attract more tourists, especially to Kogelo, the ancentral home of Obama, and will definitely reduce the ignorance of the American people, of Kenya and of Africa. Streets will be named after him, children will bare his name and so on.
To Africans, the win of Obama should send a clear message to those who want to lead their people that, the days of using colonial masters and the atrocities they committed as a scapegoat of their poor leadership are gone. The endless quest for reparations and self pity by African should be replaced by the quest to achieve the near impossible, just as Obama did. For Africa a quest glares in its face to eradicate poverty, disease, corruption, misrule, poor governance, the list goes on... To us the voters, we have been challenged to elect leaders not based on the 'color' of their tribes, but on the perceived capabilities of the leader to lead and bring about change that Africa so badly and genuinely need.
I sum up by saying, with due respect, Africa needs real solutions to the current problems of poverty, hunger, disease, misrule, corruption and poor governance. We do not help ourselves by becoming international beggars while wasting our meager resources. See this: Kenya MPs' Salaries, these guys have money!
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