To achieve inclusive governance, Kenya must get rid of inequalities in society
What you need to know:
- It is unfortunate that leadership in Kenya is driven by the pursuit of personal power, self-aggrandisement, and hunger to steal public resources. Corruption and mindless accumulation among our leaders have become the norm.
- A strong civil society is good for any nation and is at the core of any emerging democracy. It challenges corruption and the excesses of power and should never be muted. This factor is especially important in Kenya at this time when the State appears quite suspicious of civil society.
- Journalists are not blind to the fact that we live in a time of uncertainty, conflict, insecurity, and fear. They are aware that if they are unprofessional and unethical they could advance the objectives of terrorists and criminals.
In Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty, Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson have suggested a path to empowerment and the development of inclusive political institutions. They delineate some factors which, taken together, can ameliorate the inequalities and disparities that undermine inclusive governance in Kenya.
One of the factors is the presence of centralised order to ensure the rule of law and delivery of services. When writing the Constitution of Kenya, we sought a relatively centralised political order by balancing and limiting the power of county governments with those of the national government and vice versa.
Without order and some sort of centralised institutional leadership that provides direction, we are likely to end up with lawlessness and anarchy in the pursuit of power and resources. Given the current state of insecurity, this possibility is not far-fetched.
It is unfortunate that leadership in Kenya is driven by the pursuit of personal power, self-aggrandisement, and hunger to steal public resources. Corruption and mindless accumulation among our leaders have become the norm.
Consequently, Kenya is one of the most unequal societies in the world. The creativity and innovation of our youth can easily be harnessed to create opportunities for all by blocking the loopholes that entrench corrupt practices in public offices.
We can enhance performance within the police service, strengthen the Judiciary so that it can dispense justice without fear or favour, utilise modern agricultural practices across the country, support appropriate technology for energy generation and improved productivity, and invest in the arid and semi-arid regions.
Our institutions should be driven by transformational leadership; a leadership that inspires citizens and leaders to do more in order to achieve their goals and to transcend their self-interest for the sake of the nation. We should have leaders who are role models and who practise high standards of integrity and ethical conduct.
Another factor in inclusive development is the presence of civil society institutions that engage the economic, social, and political drivers of exclusionary development and the roots of unfreedom.
They ask questions about exclusion in all its manifestations, demand accountability and transparency from public officers, seek answers to questions of identity and divisions in society, and provide counter narratives to those of the State.
A strong civil society is good for any nation and is at the core of any emerging democracy. It challenges corruption and the excesses of power and should never be muted. This factor is especially important in Kenya at this time when the State appears quite suspicious of civil society.
Equally important is free, professional and ethical media. Yet if there is one institution that is under immense pressure currently, it is the media. The State views the media as a threat because they expose corruption among leaders, demand accountability and transparency in the performance of public duty, and seek answers on behalf of citizens. The freedom and independence of the media are guaranteed.
Furthermore, freedom of expression is constitutionally protected and is only limited by propaganda for war, incitement to violence, and hate speech or advocacy of hatred.
Journalists are not blind to the fact that we live in a time of uncertainty, conflict, insecurity, and fear. They are aware that if they are unprofessional and unethical they could advance the objectives of terrorists and criminals. They know that they should do no harm in their reportage. Nonetheless, media are part of the larger society and are subject to the same strains and contradictions.
It is not just the State that is uncomfortable with a free press. There are segments of the general population that would like to see the media advocate a particular agenda or obfuscate information critical to the enhancement of freedom, quite contrary to the role of the media in society.
If we do not want Kenya to fail, we must build credible institutions, advocate a free media, and support civil society.
Prof Njogu is an independent scholar and director of Twaweza Communications. [email protected]
