A culture of wanton waste

There is nothing as bad as having something that does not become useful to someone else just because you prefer to waste it.

Africa's biggest challenge is not a lack of resources; rather it is a problem of mismanagement of what we have. It has been said before that our Continent is rich beyond our imaginations.

Be it food, electricity, water, or even our energy, we expend these with absolute disregard to efficiency.

Look at what happens in our offices during the weekends for instance: it is not uncommon to leave the lights on in the entire building over the whole weekend even though no one is making use of them. The automatic flushing water closets especially in urinals also keep pumping water though there's not a single soul making use of them. Even worse is the fact that we leave lights on during the day in our offices whilst the sun lights the rooms.

This is characteristic of the way we also handle food. In my village, Kathiranga in Meru County, for instance, farmers usually usually plant the same food crop at the same time. When it's cabbage harvesting time, therefore, there's more crop than the market needs at very low prices. More than half the crop rots in the farms as farmers realize no gains for their hard work. What is even more shocking is the fact that the cycle is repeated every year.

Workers at a Kenyan dairy plant spill part of 10,000 litres of milk this month, saying the factory’s capacity had been overstretched. - Photo courtesy of Business Daily Africa

These harmless looking small wastes contribute to the big challenge of resource loss. This coupled with human brain drain, capital flight and other forms of corruption, leaves our continent impoverished.

What can we do? Small deliberate acts of thrifty resource usage should be a daily act. Turn off the taps and lights when not in use, cook and consume only enough food. Engage in useful activities that ensure maximum output. Farmers should look for better ways of management of harvested food.

As a nation, we must first seal the proverbial leaking cup, before we attempt to become richer. I strongly believe that this is the way to go whether as an individual, as a country or as a continent.