Its 100 days since the Jubilee Government
got into power, and thus I want to join
other Kenyans in sharing my views and
opinions towards the deeds that have
transpired so far.
I will begin with the issue of laptops. This
is a brilliant idea, but I beg you defer it Mr.
President. Our budget right now needs to
put money in education and a good chunk
needs to go towards hiring more teachers,
training teachers (who cannot use
technology), paying public school teachers
better, building more classrooms, giving
classrooms a roof, windows, desks, books
and even sanitation and then rolling out the
laptops. Its no secret that, there is an
education crisis right now in the country.
The Government and the Kenya National
Teachers Union have not yet come to the
negotiating table about their salary, while
our school going children are still home.
Doubts have been cast over the possibility
of recruiting new teachers to replace those
on strike. Statistics from the Teachers
Service Commission (TSC) indicate that the
total number of teachers in employment
currently stands at 278,000, with some
200,000 in primary schools. This means
that only 78,000 teachers are employed in
secondary schools. Yet the replacement
seems to target primary school teachers
largely represented by the Kenya National
Union of Teachers. We need action now.
Trust me when I say that a young girl in
standard seven or eight in Machakos or in
Kajiado or even in Nyeri needs a sanitary
towel as much as she needs a pen. It’s an
instrument of learning. Sanitary protection
raises the educational opportunities of girls
in developing Countries such as
in; improving attendance, concentration,
confidence levels and participation in a
range of everyday activities.
Dear the government of Kenya, we are no
longer campaigning. We have our new
leaders in place now- and leaders don’t say
what people want to hear. They tell them
what they need to hear, even when they
don’t want to hear it. I give credit the
Government of Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta
together with your able Deputy President
Hon. William Ruto for outlining a cabinet of
men and women of integrity- the work has
just begun.
Back to the issue of laptops, what we don’t
want is those laptops to be sold to get
shoes for kids or worse still thrown away. I
stress the issue of more classrooms, more
teachers, better paid committed and
motivated teachers and a better
curriculum.- we need the issue of teachers
strike to come to a standstill. The laptops
project will crush under the weight of
untrained, uninformed, technologically-
illiterate teachers. Don’t just do it, do it right.
From my little knowledge of Computer
Studies, I understand that a computer
cannot function without a software. Don’t
let these laptops be seen as just toys. Give
yourself time to ensure that the software
and app loads that will go into those
laptops will be beneficial. Education
software is expensive, but without the right
software and app loads, those laptops are
toys. Ensure that the laptops will be
instruments of learning. I reiterate that the
laptop project is a fab idea; it just needs to
be thought-out well and rolled out even
better.
I will not end this message by failing to
pinpoint my views on the so called free
maternal care. Again, this is another fab
idea. The less fortunate in the community
will get help. It’s a nice idea too that can
ensure in every clinic where a child is born-
one will not go by ensuring they name their
new-born after you. If we may reason
together, perhaps a public hospital like
Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), the ratio of
nurses to the patients is very low. That begs
the question, what should come first? Free
maternal care, or more employment of
medical personnel? The more the maternal
care becomes free, the more patients keep
thronging the health facilities. Perhaps your
able health Cabinet Secretary will be able to
spell out the formula.
My passion for youth affairs as a youth
leader cannot go unnoticed. With the
current developments of merging the
traditional 42 ministries to 18 was more of
harm than good to the youth of Kenya. With
your omission to create a ministry of youth
affairs to address the many challenges that
face the youth of this nation was not good
news to the young generation of Kenya. I
believe there was need to have one ministry
of youth which among other things will
work to bring on board tangible solutions
to youth challenges such as, lack of
employment, lack of sanitary towel support,
education, youth funds to mention but a
few.
Finally, The young people still hold a key to
the next destination of this Country. In your
manifesto during the campaigns, you
promised the youth heaven and earth- and
that issues pertaining to the youth will be
given a first priority -We have hope that
good things are in the offing.
Month: July 2013
THE KENYA I KNOW!
It’s a country of milk and honey, roses
and carnations, cadburries and
chocolates, love and life but all these
can only exist in the midst of our
merest dreams. The Kenya I know is
way beyond far from that. I know of a
corruption infested Kenya. A Kenya
where success is highly guaranteed to
only those who are well connected and
without proper connection you’ll only
continue to trend in the tags of
poverty.
I know of a Kenya where success is
only assured to those baptised in silver
springs and those born in crumbled
shants continue to wallow in muddy
springs. I know of a Kenya where our
favourite leaders just die mysteriously
and commissions of enquries formed
to investigate their deaths take a
lifetime to submit a counterfeit report
on matters pertaining their death. A
Kenya where justice is for sale and the
poor continue seeking for justice
where it’s definate they cannot afford.
Justice has been gang raped.
I know of a Kenya inhabited by jobless
graduates and job opportunities are
only allocated to the downright tall-
related few. A Kenya where money is
for sale, where the government itself
chant the infamous slogan; ‘tunaomba
serikali itatusaidie, tunaomba serikali
iangalie mambo yetu, the government
should intervene, gharama ya maisha
imepanda.’ A Kenya where life comes
with a price tag, oxygen is for sale,
there’s water for the rich and the poor.
The rich quench their thirst with purely
redefined mineral water. The poor fill
their stomachs with gallons of non-
purified river water.
I know of a Kenya where hightech
leaders facing crimes against humanity
are elected to lead this country in the
catastrophical fight against crime.
The Kenya I know will fight crime in
disguise,
The Kenya I know will watch her
people starve to death,
The Kenya I know is a cannibalistic
trade fair; man eat man society,
The Kenya I know is inhabited by the
rich and the poor; there’s no middle-
class,
I know of a Kenya where sex is an
income generating activity, without
commercial sex probably this country
would be bankrupt by now. I know of
a Kenya where commercial sex is a
multi-million dollar industry, without it
probably this fight against crime would
be a blurry vision somewhere.
You see, the Kenya I know is of
unconnected Godless people. Churches
and Clubs are co-related brothers and
sisters.
I know of a Kenya where people have
sorted to date death and nobody
wants to be related with life in
whichever manner. Nobody’s in dire
need to be in a relationship with life.
You see, I know of a sheesha fumed
Kenya, an alcoholic brewed society, a
tobacco smoked community, a narcotic
hideout.
You see the Kenya I know is a fully
failed state. Nothing’s for free.
I know of a Kenya where luxury is of
more significance than what’s
necessary.
This is just but the Kenya. Maybe you
know a more than worse Kenya than I
do. But that doesn’t make me less a
Kenyan, I love my Kenya and infact
more than you do. But we all can save
our Kenya if only we discard ignorance.
Kenya is one good country I know. But
we’ve chosen to give birth to
ignorance, taught her how to walk, fed
her, took to her to school and here she
is, haunting and taunting our very own
Kenya. We can reverse this profanity if
only…
TheHelpingHand 