Kenya: The Politics of Handouts Must End Now - AllAfrica.com

James Shikwati

It is election clip in Kenya; elections are the 1s that find the seed of leading in a democratic society. Drive to my rural home, I observed chilling seeds being prepared to take Republic Of Kenya adjacent year.

First, most parliamentary aspirers are promising to "give" development in tax return for votes. Second, the Kenyan electorate who surprisingly have got got a crisp oculus for detecting prevarications in politics, have invented a system where each politicians have to pay upfront before elections.

"Civic aspirers are being asked to pay a lower limit of Sh50 each, parliamentary aspirers a lower limit of Sh200 and the amount will be higher as the election day of the month approaches," an aspirer confided. Another parliamentary aspirer said: "...they cannot even let me to acquire to the toilet...each time, it is money and more than money!"

Sir Ketumile Masire, former president of Botswana, reasons that good political leading be givens to springtime from personalities that were loath to be politicians. Speaking at a public lecture at the University of Pacific Ocean in the USA, Masire argued: "All things said and done, a politician must be person who is loath to be a politician. If I became a politician, it was on that basis."

Both Sir Seretse Khama, the first president of Republic Of Republic Of Botswana and Sir Ketumile are celebrated for having turned Botswana, a largely abandon country, into one of the prima economical systems in Africa.

Lee Kuan Yew, the first premier curate of Singapore, propelled a once fishing small town into one of the World's economic topographic point in Asia. Spike Lee is known to have got transformed Capital Of Singapore into an economical powerfulness house, not through democracy but through a combination of economical and political authoritarianism.

He is celebrated for the phrase 'It is stupid to be Afraid'. The success of Capital Of Singapore is based on Spike Lee having worked difficult to do the state relevant to the world. What about Kenya?

Political leading have a batch in common with spiritual leadership- they both offering hope and promise, the duty to present on what is promised is not necessarily clip bound.

On the other hand, concern leading is much similar to military leading in modern times of war- you either present or you are dead!

The in progress political political campaigns in Republic Of Republic Of Kenya exhibit high degree organizational endowment among political parties.

The pressure level to acquire politicians to supply "tea" in tax return for ballots destructs the leading facet that we so much seek from politicians. Africa have been described as devoid of good leadership; this is largely in the linguistic context of economical development and political maturity.

Clearly, it is not easy in the Kenyan environment to acquire "reluctant" leading to autumn in politics, because one have to actively contrive a money factory for the electorate to listen to such as a person.

At the same time, talented Kenyans ought to take awareness of the statement that it is stupid to be afraid and simply witnesser the state fall in disrepair through poor leadership. Kenyans should therefore follow the business-military style of measuring which will guarantee that politicians acquire fired whenever they neglect to present services.

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Politicians should maintain a clear record of all the "free goodies" they give out and usage them against the electorate next twelvemonth when service-delivery questions protrude up from Kenyan citizens.

Kenyan electors on the other manus should maintain a clear record of all promises made by politicians and throw them to account after elections. The type of "give and take" political relation of money sets to inquiry the whole conception of democracy as a vehicle of identifying good leaders. This money political relation must stop now.

Shikwati Director Inter Region Economic Network

Teams Operate Like Chess Pieces

Every 1 on a squad must fill up a alone function if it is to succeed. One of the most hard jobs of being on a squad is filling a different function than what we believe we deserve. It is extremely hard to take a squad that have members at odds over their roles. Unfortunately, this is human nature but there is a manner to do life easier for all.

To explicate this Iodine am going to liken the squad to a game of chess. Many people cognize how to play the game and even those who make not are somewhat familiar with this game of skill. The pieces on the cheat board do up the ultimate squad that have a common goal. Each piece have a very alone function and each is willing to put down its life to protect another piece that possesses a higher point value.

For starter motors there is the pawn. The pawn moves 1 space at a clip and in a consecutive line. There is no championship up and no retreat. His missionary post is to barricade the ways of the enemy's pieces and to constitute as line of defence to his ain pieces. There is no glorification at all in this piece's role. It is rare that a pawn will salvage the twenty-four hours and very common for him to be sacrificed so that another piece is not captured.

Many functions on a squad are just like this pawn's. Sometimes we have got to make things that we make not desire to, like clean up after an event or register paperwork. You cognize that you are more than capable than this and could make something that would really profit the team. On your last squad you ran the show and performed the high profile tasks. Why on Earth are my endowments being wasted like this? You even believe to yourself that your leader clearly have it out for you and you will demo him by doing this work fast and sloppy!

Think from the leader's position for a second. You have got a new member to the team. You are not certain of their capablenesses or quality of work. They came highly recommended and the last leader had great things to state about them. In order to acquire a feel for their dedication and abilities you give him some document to file. If he makes this well then we can travel him up to a better place until we happen where his strengths are.

Now if you make your occupation sloppy it will be perceived that you are not a true squad player. Why would a leader set you in a place of authorization if you have got a bad attitude? That mental attitude will distribute to those beneath you very quickly. Makes sense to the leader, but to you it may be a hard conception until you walk in the leader's place for a moment.

Let's spell back to cheat for a moment. The full focusing of the game is to capture the other team's male monarch all the piece protecting yours. Each of the other pieces have a signature motion style that supplies a very valuable plus to the team. The bishops move on diagonals in any way and for as many foursquares as they desire. Rooks or palaces traveling in consecutive lines. Then there are the knights that have got an interesting "L" form motion that is hard to support against. Queens are the cherished pieces that compound the motions of the castles and bishops.

These pieces are like the members of the team. Each member have his or her ain forte or strength. This function is learned through preparation and perfected through practice. To acquire the chance to show window your strengths you necessitate to first show that you desire the squad to win at any cost. More often than not this agency that you have got to wait your clip and turn out to your leadership that you are willing to make the humble undertakings to guarantee success of your team.

Finally, let's speak about the king. The male monarch is the focusing of the full game. Every piece of yours is willing to put down its life to protect the king. Each piece on the other squad is itching to be the 1 to capture your king. The male monarch himself can only travel one space at a time. He can not travel into danger but can travel in any direction. He throws no value to the team's ultimate end and yet they all protect him. The king's function is to take his land not capture pieces.

The pawn on the other manus is extremely valuable to the king. He must be the frontline defence to protect the king. He Marche valiantly on a consecutive way in to danger. He is to stand up house in the human face of devastation to throw the line for the others. He is to be the foundation for all the other pieces to construct upon. If there was no pawn every other piece would be exposed and the male monarch would be captured very quickly. In fact, seek to play a game of cheat where you have got no pawns and the other squad does. You will acquire crushed!

Every squad have alone functions that demand filled. Every squad necessitates a pawn. Just because there are functions that you would rather fill up makes not change the fact that each function necessitates to be filled. No 1 starts at the top. They have got to gain that topographic point by proving themselves as pawns. Once a new place open ups the leadership will draw from the pawns to fill up it and then upwards from there. If you truly are as good as you believe you are then your endowments are certain to be notices and you will progress very quickly.