What country do we long for?

More than 45 years after independence, Kenyans are hardly satisfied with their country.

At independence in 1963, we were at par economically with the now Asian Tigers of Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

The big question therefore is: What did Kenya do wrong that these countries did right? Regardless of the answer, we now know the calibre and stature of the country we need.

We need a Kenya that is led and managed by servants of the people — leaders who will cause positive influence in remaking our political and economic institutions for posterity.

We need leaders who will make things happen to the Kenyan people; leaders who will adopt a more multifaceted and telescopic approach in achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and Vision 2030.

Yes, leaders who will inspire Kenyans to believe in fashioning their destiny again. We need a country that will house responsible citizens.

Kenyans must summon a new sense of responsibility, commitment, hard work, diligence, pro-activity, self-initiative and integrity.

We need to recapture our lost moral values, and to understand that the government will never do everything for us.

We need a country where all the people can co-exist peacefully despite their tribal backgrounds, political affiliations, religious beliefs and social classes.

We desire to live in a country where all Kenyans will sing the same symphony of brotherhood, whether rich or poor.

We visualise a country where the road infrastructure will no longer impede our economic growth. We pray and wish that all the roundabouts in Nairobi will be removed to save us economic time and fuel costs.

We want a Kenya in which food will no longer be a luxury to the poor. We trust the Government will offer agricultural subsidies to our farmers to guarantee us of food security.

The Government should also sensitise the rural people to get back to the traditional food crops to prevent the ever-recurring food crisis.

Above all, we need a corruption-free Kenya. We need an era in which fruitless commissions of enquiry are consigned to history.

And we demand the immediate imprisonment of all people engaged in graft and in siphoning off funds from the public coffers.