Time has come to get rid of these people. How can they justify this level of insensitivity and greed to our people. Why should I pay tax when the money I earn is a very small fraction of what these politicians earn, from tax payers money. Remember some of this guys even have business that get preferential treatment when it comes to tenders, they have property etc. It seems that these people did not follow the Obama campaign closely. One of Obama's promise to his people (Americans), is to reduce tax to all working individuals who earn less than U$ 250000.00 which is about 95% of the working population in that country. In Kenya the '5%' that earn exorbitant incomes are exempted from taxation. These is a clear indication of lack of conviction to be exemplary as leaders. One way Kenya would develop is to collect more taxes from Kenyans especially from those employing themselves, who are not motivated to pay taxes because of poor management and accountability of public funds. I call upon the MPs to read the signs of time. Please see this:
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
What does a win for Obama mean to Us
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!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Introduction to my blog
I dedicate this blog to all those in Africa who are caught in the bondage of poverty, civil strife and hopelessness, whose uncertain future is more often than not, entrusted on leaders who have no vision or sympathy.
I give my blog the title, ‘not yet uhuru’, because this is the reality we are leaving in, in Africa. ‘Not Yet Uhuru’ was the title of a book written by the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (May his soul rest in peace). He was the first vice president of independent Kenya. At that time, in the sixties, this great son of Kenya meant, independence goes beyond just having a few black men and woman ruling the rest of citizens in most cases oppressing them just as the colonialist did. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was detained because he wanted the government of the day to respect the ideals that all Kenya’s fought for at the time. Today, not yet uhuru is manifesting itself in other forms that seem to obscure the evils of oppression, exploitation and intimidation. Without a doubt we have made progress as a continent towards basic freedoms, in the same statement, I want to say that, there are freedoms that we don’t want to have; the freedom to be poor and hungry, the freedom to be hopeless, and the freedom to be exploited and intimidated.
I give my blog the title, ‘not yet uhuru’, because this is the reality we are leaving in, in Africa. ‘Not Yet Uhuru’ was the title of a book written by the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (May his soul rest in peace). He was the first vice president of independent Kenya. At that time, in the sixties, this great son of Kenya meant, independence goes beyond just having a few black men and woman ruling the rest of citizens in most cases oppressing them just as the colonialist did. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was detained because he wanted the government of the day to respect the ideals that all Kenya’s fought for at the time. Today, not yet uhuru is manifesting itself in other forms that seem to obscure the evils of oppression, exploitation and intimidation. Without a doubt we have made progress as a continent towards basic freedoms, in the same statement, I want to say that, there are freedoms that we don’t want to have; the freedom to be poor and hungry, the freedom to be hopeless, and the freedom to be exploited and intimidated.
Our forefathers, grandfathers and fathers may have fought a different enemy but the bottom line is when the majority of our people are expected to live below the poverty line, a new war front is opened. Just as enemies have change, the way we wage war has also changed. What I am doing now was not an option in the sixties or even in the nineties, this is one way of fighting these evil forces that threaten our fabric as a people, without firing a shot. The two distinct groups at loggerheads are the wealthy and those leaving in abject poverty. I have to qualify that the wealthy in this context does not refer to those who have acquired it in an honest way. It refers to those few individuals who have looted with impunity enriching themselves and those arround them.
I sincerely invite Africans who believe that our people deserve better leaders than power hungry, visionless rulers whose mandate has waned. On this blog I will bring out real issues that need consideration if we have to move to the next level of civilization. I don’t guarantee that I will not offend but I promise to get you thinking and even acting. Thank you for reading to the end. Aluta continua!
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