By Steve Mark Misori,
Homa bay County, Kenya.
There must always be reasons for the poor leadership that has always dogged the African government and opposition networks. A good leader should always compare notes both in the positive way and the negative way. It is from these comparisons that the parameter of development is captured and analyses derived. I must admit, though with a lot of pain, that the African continent is still far much far from actualizing vision 2030. There isn’t any African leader who has impressed their people and even convinced them to their line of understanding development.
Today, Kenya is in the hands of the rich, devolution though anchored in the constitution is only monitored by the rich who loot the country dry. Zambia on the other hand is practically struggling with high taxes on essential commodities and the commoners have no choice but to pay through the nose. Where did our leaders go wrong? The leaders have regrettably failed to choose people on merit to guide their operations in office. The African leadership consists of business associates, inexperienced friends, and unlearned ordinary citizens.
Even though a good leader should be consulting widely, the African leadership is home to incompetent team that won’t create room for any pieces of advice. This in essence has only excelled in undermining the spirit of the rule of law and the constitution. The African leader should always take time in choosing the very best while hiring the relevant constitutional offices such as the cabinet, the office of the attorney and even commissions. It is however shocking that most of these leaders have always been compromised to the extent that most of them have always hired their staff based on regionalism, nepotism, favoritism and even hidden interests.
The simplest role of the government is to serve the people by ensuring citizens get services at the right time and in a proper way. What is the need of being the head of government when the people you lead can’t access clean water? Of what use is it to continue staying in office when your officers misappropriate funds meant for the supply of drugs to public hospitals and dispensaries? Can one still be referred to as a leader of government when roads are pathetic and access to local business points still a nightmare? Education, health and roads are triplets in the house of development and whoever tries to suffocate any of them in whichever way should be strangled and subsequently buried.
The little good things the incompetent leaders do in order to cover up the massive looting; the suffering of the masses and criminal activities should be disowned through ensuring a leadership that respects the very people who vote them into office. The commoners should not forget the social injustices committed by those in power by embracing the assorted goodies. Africans must address this impunity for once and demand a leadership that is present in their heart and not a present that is in their hands.
