To save Kenya, let’s look West once more
What you need to know:
- When Mr Mwai Kibaki took over as President, he continued on the same path during his first term. However, things changed in his second.
- In August 2013, President Kenyatta, in a well-calculated move, visited China. This year, the Chinese Premier reciprocated by visiting Kenya and announcing a number of goodies.
Former President Daniel Moi had issues with the West and for the better part of his rule, he always sought ways to tame their apparent ‘meddling’ in the country’s affairs, and eventually, it ended up not having any significant ramifications on his rule.
When Mr Mwai Kibaki took over as President, he continued on the same path during his first term. However, things changed in his second.
The post-election violence played a big role in this, and the relationship with the West started going from bad to worse. That led him to start courting the East.
And when Mr Uhuru Kenyatta took over the mantle, his leadership carried Mr Kibaki’s baggage. Immediately, he was sworn-in, he embraced the East openly and in direct defiance to the West.
In August 2013, President Kenyatta, in a well-calculated move, visited China. This year, the Chinese Premier reciprocated by visiting Kenya and announcing a number of goodies. President Kenyatta has been playing hardball to the West by openly courting the East.
The West and the East are both fighting for the crude oil recently discovered in Turkana. Since independence, our country has been an ally of the West and they will not watch the country slip away to the East. They are going to make our lives miserable.
Due to the security problems the country has had with Al-Shabaab, Kenya has joined the alert list of 35 Failed States, which also has the following countries in the 2013 ranking: Somalia (1), DRC (2), South Sudan (4), Chad (5), Zimbabwe (10), Ivory Coast (12), Nigeria (16), and Kenya (17), among others.
Most of these countries in Africa have become failed states because hyenas are fighting to control the natural resources they have. Unfortunately, it’s the workers who are suffering and who will continue to bear the brunt of this fighting.
NATURAL RESOURCES
Terrorism and armed struggle in Africa are bankrolled by the hyenas. Their purpose is to create confusion and obtain the natural resources cheaply. Kenya like other African countries is embroiled in an international problem.
Mali recently discovered uranium, and as a result, it is having problems with Touaregs, an Islamic group fighting against government forces in the north. The Central African Republic has also discovered uranium and crude oil and rebel groups are fighting the government.
As a result, two regimes have been toppled in the last five years. In Nigeria, which is an oil-rich nation, Boko Haram, an Islamic group, has been fighting the government of President Goodluck Jonathan. Libya (oil), DRC (cobalt ore, copper and diamond) and Sierra Leone (diamond) have experienced armed conflicts in the past.
There are countries with natural resources, but they do not have these problems. They include Botswana, Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, and Tanzania.
One wonders, why Kenya cannot emulate these countries. It should develop international relationship skills that will enable it to weave through the mess that the country has found itself in.
For the sake of the workers, Kenya should sell its oil to the West if that will bring peace. The leadership should play smart in international politics.
Mr Wanguba is the head of Finance, International Trade Union Confederation, African Regional Organization (ITUC-A) Based in Lome, Togo. The views expressed in the article are personal.
