Kenyans are growing tired of empty promises by their leaders. We elect representatives and executives, who then turn their backs on us. They no longer represent what we want as a people. They take us for granted. And so they take us for a ride. They rob the country and bleed it dry.
Of course politicians will not pay for their sins. No, we do not have a system that punishes corruption in political power. The three arms of government are in constant quarrel as our country is mortgaged to the highest bidders. Oil exploration blocks are decided while we fight about whether or not Miguna Miguna should be allowed back into the country. In the midst of election petitions, it emerges that the IMF representatives have been in cahoots with the Treasury and Central Bank to doctor records and basically misrepresent the state of the economy. Regardless, of what it is, Kenyans are angry.
So, should we take up arms? Should we resort to violence? Should we arm ourselves and eliminate all those who are corrupt? No matter the anger or pain we feel, this will not solve the underlying problem. Sure, we might intimidate many corrupt people into giving up the vice. But the corrupt will find better ways to corrupt. Corruption will go underground. And there, it will fester, like a wound. And when it explodes next, it will be gangrenous, like the proverbial toe infection that led to the amputation of the entire leg!
What should Kenyans of ordinary means do? We must rise and reject the beast that is corruption. We must reject leaders who are corrupt. To achieve this, we must do something even more drastic. We must change!
The average politician is a reflection of we are as a people. If we are upright, our representatives cannot then be corrupt. If we are moral people, our leaders cannot be immoral. An orange tree produces oranges. Do not expect avocados from a mango tree! And so to have the kind of impact, we must search our souls. We must identify that within us that wants to cut corners. We must pay the price, to do things correctly and uprightly. This is the only way we can move forward as a people.
We are angry at our corrupt leaders, but given the opportunity, we bribe policemen, break the law, and cry foul when someone calls us out. We underpay our servants, employees and evade taxes. We are unwilling to change, but we want politicians to change. We point at the log in the politicians' eyes, while ignoring our own logs. So, politicians laugh at us, because they realize that we are powerless to rise up against them. Without raising our own consciousness, how then can we expect anything better?
Of course politicians will not pay for their sins. No, we do not have a system that punishes corruption in political power. The three arms of government are in constant quarrel as our country is mortgaged to the highest bidders. Oil exploration blocks are decided while we fight about whether or not Miguna Miguna should be allowed back into the country. In the midst of election petitions, it emerges that the IMF representatives have been in cahoots with the Treasury and Central Bank to doctor records and basically misrepresent the state of the economy. Regardless, of what it is, Kenyans are angry.
So, should we take up arms? Should we resort to violence? Should we arm ourselves and eliminate all those who are corrupt? No matter the anger or pain we feel, this will not solve the underlying problem. Sure, we might intimidate many corrupt people into giving up the vice. But the corrupt will find better ways to corrupt. Corruption will go underground. And there, it will fester, like a wound. And when it explodes next, it will be gangrenous, like the proverbial toe infection that led to the amputation of the entire leg!
What should Kenyans of ordinary means do? We must rise and reject the beast that is corruption. We must reject leaders who are corrupt. To achieve this, we must do something even more drastic. We must change!
The average politician is a reflection of we are as a people. If we are upright, our representatives cannot then be corrupt. If we are moral people, our leaders cannot be immoral. An orange tree produces oranges. Do not expect avocados from a mango tree! And so to have the kind of impact, we must search our souls. We must identify that within us that wants to cut corners. We must pay the price, to do things correctly and uprightly. This is the only way we can move forward as a people.
We are angry at our corrupt leaders, but given the opportunity, we bribe policemen, break the law, and cry foul when someone calls us out. We underpay our servants, employees and evade taxes. We are unwilling to change, but we want politicians to change. We point at the log in the politicians' eyes, while ignoring our own logs. So, politicians laugh at us, because they realize that we are powerless to rise up against them. Without raising our own consciousness, how then can we expect anything better?
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