"Poverty eradication"

My 3rd Post on this blog was on "Poverty eradication", I received a comment from Gachinga Warima, which is very true and I thought I should publish it. More comments are welcome on this issue that is a major problem in Africa.


"You know, I learned something a few years ago in an economics class that if implemented, would completely solve all our problems in Kenya. This philosophy completely changed my thinking.
African governments have all missed it....and that's why even if you were rich in Kenya, the quality of your life would not compare to an equally rich citizen of the U.S. or U.K...

The secret to a great nation with a great quality of life for its citizens is, "COMMITMENT TO UPLIFT ITS MIDDLECLASS". Kenyan politicians are mostly interested in filling their pocket...and not in improving the lifestyles of the middleclass or poor in Kibera, Mathare etc. That's why our President earns 2,000,000 bob a month, and the M.P.'s 875,000 bob a month...while Kenyans in Kibera die of hunger.

Our Politicians are stupid. They think that if they have a billion shillings, they will live happily ever after. How Delusional!! How daft are these people?!? You will NEVER be happy if your neighbors are suffering. Why? Coz if suppose you have saved all your money and bought yourself a nice mansion in Lavington or Kile...if a poor person in neighboring Kawangware needs food for his children, guess whose house they'll break into? Guess whose car they'll carjack? This is one reason why we have such levels of crime in Kenya. People don't grow up wanting to be pick-pockets. People don't grow up dreaming to be car-jackers. Mostly, they're pushed to the corner, left with no options to survive. No options to provide for their children. Our middleclass and poor are so desperate! Desperate for food, desperate for health-aid, desperate for shelter, desperate for a government that cares.

40 years after Independence, and the common mwananchi is worse off today than back in 1963. Like you said, demolishing the slums and building low-cost housing for the poor is one solution. A start to the right direction...but more must be done.

Jobs must be created for the middleclass and the poor. Job creation is the thing to do. Common household products, food...etc, must be comfortably affordable to the lowest paid citizens. A new city of international status must be created in Kenya. We can't have everyone moving to Nairobi. Eldoret, Nakuru, Kisumu, Nyeri...the options are limitless...but we have to re-create Nairobi elsewhere. The new city must be complete with international companies, government services, a transportation system, academic institutions, factories etc. Incentives must be given to redirect the population to this new mega-city.

Great things can be done in Kenya to improve our quality of life. The opportunities are just endless to eradicate poverty. Kenya can be a great country to live in.

God bless the Motherland.Kenya 4 ever!!"


~ Gachinga Warima
Kennesaw, Georgia.



Posted by Gachinga Warima to JAMII YA KENYA at July 17, 2007 4:09 AM