THE DAILY VOTERS SERIES
By Nemayian #Vegetarian
UHURU VS RAILA
Part 2/7; Rich country or poor country
As an ordinary woman trying to make it for myself and my daughters in my lifetime I would like to be rich. I know many if not all Kenyans would want this too.
But how can I be rich in a country that is overall poor? We have seen costs of living double in under 5 years, hospitals have closed for more than 100 days over facilities and remuneration agreements, we have seen businesses close down at a higher rate than ever before and tens of thousands laid off.
Multinationals have moved base to other countries and retail has been terrible. Unemployment is close to 40% and inflation at almost 12%.
Our debt has tripled and so has our money stolen. Almost 300,000,000,000,000 into individuals pockets.
Between repaying for this stolen money by us and paying salaries to the same thieves and their relations we are poor to the next 3 generations or about 120 years. All this for a country that is just 54 years.
Our living standards (quality) have fallen below hunter-gatherer times. The individual man and woman are having it rougher than they ever did economically speaking.
I propose that a rich Kenya makes it possible for rich Kenyans.
What can make Kenya Rich?
1. Capital,
2. Labour
3. Efficiency
We have many areas of improvement but in my 30 something years of being a Kenyan I know what’s killing us economically is Efficiency. This is what determines how you marry your capital and your Labour into results that benefit Kenyans.
Politics and political institutions are even more important than “good institutions” in growing a country from poverty to richness. Political institutions determine the type, deliverables and even level of accountability of economic institutions.
For example politics may determine if we have Inclusive institutions that allow and encourage participation by Kenyans in economic activities that make the best use of their talents and skills and that enable individuals to exercise choices.
This can only happen if politics and political institutions distribute power broadly to Kenyans Instead of keeping it with a single individual or a narrow group usually of elites and associates. In such environments political power rests with a broad coalition of groups.
When “good institutions,” operate in such a political environment then we have laws and practices that motivate people to work hard, become economically productive, and thereby enrich both themselves and their country.
Political Institutions can promote power, prosperity, or poverty.
Here is where gross inefficiency checks in.
Which rich do we demonstrate as a country? What’s the path or map we have drawn to rich destinations? What real opportunities is the current political dispensation holding up as the path to Rich?
We have internalized our society’s practice by which our political leaders and their affiliates pursue their personal interests and their own tribes interests, rather than representing everyone’s interests.
What we have had so far including Tenderpreneurship tends to promote bad institutions such as corruption, inflation, and neglect of education.
We have accumulated debt, on its own not a bad thing, had it stolen from our financial systems, underutilized and underdeveloped our Labour force both skilled and semi skilled in the process and produced very inefficient results. We have spent too much expensive money to yield too little real value.
What’s further more interesting is that politics has greater influence on the economy of poor countries than of rich countries. It is most important to us to mind our politics if Kenya will ever be rich and by extension its citizens
Q2. Who between Jubilee and NASA can do the hard work to enable us as individuals and a country from poor to rich?
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