Making the New Decade Count for Kenyans

After a very hectic festive season, which saw the legal fraternity bid farewell and bury one of its top brains in the name of Justice James Otieno Odek, I came back to Nairobi for the new year. The death of Justice Odek was both shocking and sudden. For one who was in fine health and had huge expectations for his country, the news of his sudden demise caught those of us who knew him by shock. It was a confirmation of how life is all vanity and the importance of making good use of everyday that one has on this earth.

Against the above background as we ushered in the new year, I got to reflect on what good use to put this year to. That reflection was made the more important by the fact that we are not just starting a new year but also a new Decade. This decade is a milestone in several respects. It is the third decade in the 21st Century, a century which a reading of its description in Wikipedia reveals rise in global economy and third world consumerism, the internet age and the fourth industrial revolution coupled with several challenges including climate change and terrorism threats.

It is also the decade where the world must make all the progress required to meet the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals, goal whose principal target is to end poverty in all its forms by 2030. This is not an easy target and if the progress made in the last decade is anything to go by, there is still a long way to go before the world can even start speaking to tangible outputs in eradicating poverty in the world.

Thirdly, for Kenya, we adopted Vision 2030 as our blueprint for transitioning to a middle-income industrializing country by being globally competitive and prosperous. While official report indicate that we are already a middle-income country, sceptics point out that this was achieved more by rebasing our economy than due to tangible progress in the economic fundamentals. As we ended the last decade, the country had prioritized four key agendas, christened, the Big Four, as part of efforts to deepen our development progress. However, realizing these were hampered by the poor performance of the economy and political machinations in the country.

Against the above realities, there are retain things that Kenya should prioritize in the new decade. First, technology led development is going to be a critical determinant of the country’s fortunes much more than in the previous decade. While the internet has changed the manner in which the world is governed, in the last few decades, the revolutionary nature of technology is yet to be fully realized. There is an extent to which we continue to manage as if we were in the 20th century, acknowledging the importance of technology but proceeding based on a manual mindset. This decade requires greater investment it and appreciation of technology and using it as the principal mechanism for designing and implementing development and government decisions.

Second, is fixing the economic malaise afflicting the country. Kenya has historically had a very strong economy. It has weathered many storms. However, the economic meltdown that the country has suffered the last few years is such that even for the most optimistic person, there is reason for worry. It is not possible to fully realize Vision 2030 or even Agenda Four under the current economic conditions. It is important, therefore, that the country urgently reassesses its economic status and develops a more realistic path out of the current challenges. To continue with the same Vision and only make reactive and short-term quick fix adjustments will make this this decade both painful and a lost decade for the country. It is a mistake we cannot afford.

Thirdly, greater youth focus. The discussions about a youth bulge and its dangers have been recognized. The need to invest more in the youth is also acknowledged. What has not been fully achieved is to permanently make the youth lens the focus of all decision-making in the country. This decade must make a radical shift away from the token treatment of youth issues to a more central place for youth in all sectors and in all spheres of life.

Lastly, is the quality of our politics. Politics of intransigence, ethnicity and division has been the hallmark of our country’s leadership for must of the 21st Century. To deal with the challenges of the future and realize the full potential of Kenya and its people, it is imperative that the quality of its leadership shift to more consultative, visionary, participatory and inclusive. Leadership must become about service and not lordship and wealth accumulation.

To make these shifts in the Third Decade is what will make it happy and beneficial for the people of Kenya. It is the task to which we must all commit. Happy New Decade.