By STEVE MISORI, Homa Bay County, Kenya
Does it ring a bell in your ears when you see an old woman, a widow or even a street child struggle to make both ends meet?
Has it ever concerned you when these humble people walk hopelessly, at times in deep thought where they would get their meals and even quench their thirst?
Time and again, we walk around never concerned, always advancing our own agenda. The society has failed the sensitivity test, and everyone has perfected the art of ‘my own.’
The ‘my own’ syndrome is regrettably so much rooted in government that the ordinary citizens are left either in thought or in limbo.
For how long will African citizens continue voting in insensitive leadership?
In Zambia for instance, an examination body fails to secure the very exams and goes ahead to cancel the very exams on the day of administration.
Shockingly though, the government has shielded away from taking legal action against such incompetent leaders hell bent on advancing their corrupt dealings.
Where is the moral ground of integrity? Will integrity stand for future generations if leaders of today continue to maim it at will?
Africa is one and the same. They have a common financial denominator which is theft of public funds and misappropriation of the very resources that are destined to pull out the citizens from poverty, hunger, disease, ignorance and hopelessness.
Kenya is not any different from Zambia. Today, Kenyan county bosses have bravely looted the county resources and through greed and anxiety wired the same into offshore accounts.
The impact is so huge to the youth and women that everyone is left wondering whether they elected leaders who are readers or leaders who are dealers. Serious cartels if you ask me.
Where does this leave Africa and her people? The continent is at the shore of begging for loans and pleading for grants which are equally mishandled and literally channeled to individual accounts.
These loans will be paid back by current teenagers and even the infants at a time when all those who made such transactions will be long gone.
Where is justice? It follows that at no one time will Africans come up with development programmes since there is a pressing need to pay back loans which everyone is struggling to pay back.
How best will African citizens elect good leadership? Leaders have perfected the art of looting so heavily and using the very loot to buy the electorates.
This is a very common practice even in Kenya and the result is either no service or poor service delivery. Even in Zambia, it is not any different. I listened to the residents of Chitambo Constituency castigate their member of parliament Hon. Chanda Mutale for abandoning them shortly after being elected into office.
It is shocking that the Member of Parliament comes from the ruling party and he is the chairman of Patriotic Front Central Province. He is also the Chief Whip at the National Assembly.
I must remind these crop of leaders that the electorates will continue voting you in because they are blind, but you will never have the time and space to enjoy whatever you loot from the public coffers.
Their prayers are united in your downfall and the downfall will be wrapped not only in shame but also in guilt.
Your children will blame you for their tribulations but your friends won’t understand the mess until it finally catches up with them.
Only then will they say you were such a useless leader in their midst. The electorates will however confirm their greatest concern and there will be an egg on your face.
