Competition to Wealth Creation

The youth of the 60s and 70s had land to inherit, plenty of jobs to choose from. Tea and coffee factories in our villages to industrial jobs in the urban centers were readily available.

The transport industry had pensionable Jobs for them from Kenya railways, OTC & Akamba buses to the then profitable Kenya airways. The 60s and 70’s youth of the day had university slots available at almost zero cost.

They took part in politics and shaped the country. They came from solid homes with both parents taking an active role in their lives.

Competition to wealth creation was primarily based on hard work. The economy supported small businesses to grow to the giant companies we see today( Equity Bank, Rongai transporter, Sameer Group, etc)

Our youth today are Lucky if they have decent land to inherit. The sacrifices they endure with their sponsors to attain higher education are unimaginable.

Employment today is based on who you know. Broken marriage and deadbeat parenting are no longer big news. Depression, drug abuse, prostitution has touched a friend we know among our youths.

To make it in life today we have to quickly think of where to steal money, how to be part of a corrupt deal, or sell our soul to the highest bidder. The reality is the jobless youth you see today hustling you for 10 bob will be a homeless old man in the next 30 years. Yet we allow politics of the day to divide us, abuse us, and use us.

Today the youth is fired up with political energy. One side believes in the hustler nation and the other is very aggressive with baba politics. But have we stopped to ask ourselves who is for us the youth?

We are being told that jobs will be created but we are not being told how they will be created and what kind of jobs will be created?

Is job creation a solution for the youth suffering? Can we explore capital advance or do we have to be employed? We have jobless graduates in our streets yet we have never thought of how to sponsor and advance their education to become paid researchers in their field of specialization if we can’t employ them.

It is time, to be honest with our voters and to stop peddling false hope. It’s time we talked about bringing to book all the corrupt leaders who have brought down industries that used to employ many Kenyans.

It’s time to be flexible and welcoming to all those foreign companies that want to invest in Kenya but fear the greed and corruption among officials.

It’s time to support the youth that is in manufacturing, in business, in ICT, in farming, in media, in politics to mention but a few. It’s time we talked about shrinking the government and expanding our economy.

We need our sugar factories back, we need our agrochemical factories back, we need to wear our own clothes and shoes, we need our cement factories operating at a profit, we need to balance our budget and free ourselves from foreign debt, we need leaders who understand all this, we need Kenya to reclaim its glory as of the giant leader of East Africa.

The youth who has just turned 30 today will be 50 in twenty years. I know the shortest time to turn any economy takes 10–15 years of sober and purpose-driven leadership. Rwanda has taken 25years. The vision 2030 we had was almost perfect. We need a new vision now more than we need the BBI.

In 20 years where will that youth be? He will be where we have put him by the decisions we make today. He can either be jobless and poor or rich with something to be inherited.

Have a beautiful thoughtful day. Always remember you have the power to change things.

Regards

PC Gutuiyu

For a better Kajiado North

Mungu Mbele