In a recent TV news item, senate speaker Kenneth Lusaka, suggested that it is necessary for Kenyans of all walks of all life to hold a candid discourse on our fast failing economy and massive job losses; and the remedial measures we need to undertake.
I agree with the speaker because our economy is at the moment, crumbling like a house of cards.lt is crumbling as if we were at war like Syria, and yet we are at peace and calm with one another. My crystal ball tells me that the weird ways many of us have chosen to conduct our nation’s affairs are equivalent to self-inflicted war which will decimate our country.
Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka
No nation can develop when corruption, tribalism, nepotism, arrogance, pride, tax evasion, murders, cheating in examinations, robbery with violence, jealousy, land grabbing, selfishness, greed, bribery, vote-rigging, theft, immorality, drug abuse, smuggling, extortion and many more anti-social behaviours are its culture, the same way Kenya has become. Such a nation is at war with itself; hence its imminent collapse is not far away.
We continue to watch with horror how National Environment Management Authority and National Construction Authority roam the entire country closing down manufacturing plants and flattening both residential and commercial buildings. They pretend to be enforcing the country’s law, albeit belatedly, but in real sense is for self interest. Either because they have failed to extort a huge bribe from the owner, or some envious and jealous people have bribed them to damage their rivals’ property.
Nema has posted spies in markets and our border crossing points, including airports, to arrest anybody carrying a plastic paper bag.
When one is arrested one is told: if taken to court the fine would be Sh2 million or five years imprisonment. Alternatively, pay an instant fine which in essence is a huge extortion fee from which Nema pays the informers.
About two years ago, a TV survey revealed that in Nairobi alone, Nema had closed down about 50 industries. The bags manufactured in the neighbouring countries are eventually smuggled and sold in Kenya, and that is why Nema is working around the clock to net the buyers, but to negligible success. Maybe Nema should be bold enough and pressurise the neighbouring countries to emulate Kenya by also banning the manufacture and use of the bags – even if it means suing them in an international court, instead of spending too much effort extorting money from hapless Kenyans.
In an effort to expand the extortion arena, Nema, working in cahoots with NCA and county building departments have deliberately introduced stringent building regulations, including unaffordable architectural approval fees.
For example, the three bodies approve a building plan for a maisonette at a fee of Sh250, 000, inclusive of architects’ charges. Ten years ago, a similar plan used to be approved at an affordable fee of Sh5,000.
With such a move, they anticipate to net many defaulters, who may be tempted to embark on any construction without an approved architectural drawing. They have spies everywhere who report to them any form of construction they come across so that officers from the three bodies can rush there to inquire from the developer whether or not the construction has been approved.
Such tough conditions have discouraged many Kenyans from contemplating building their own houses, a move that has whittled down the once flourishing sector to under 5pc of what it used to be.
The extortionists do not care about the livelihoods of millions of Kenyans they continue to destroy. Even the ruling elite have no interest in intervening in the extremes perpetuated by some of its officers, working under the guise of executing government policies.
However, if we have to restore the public interest in building their own homes, it will require the present government, or a future one, to disband Nema and NCA and advise the public to ignore whatever extortionist rules or regulations the two might have introduced, but instead revert to the old rules we used before devolution and formation of Nema and NCA.
There are areas where some buildings stalled some five years ago due to interference by either Nema or NCA. Some had reached the fifteenth floor and were left with a few finishing touches before tenants could move in.
The two authorities have drawn big crosses on them, indicating a possibility of demolishing the structure until certain conditions, like a big bribe are met. The government should appoint an independent body to look into such stalled buildings with a view of allowing the developers to complete the construction in case the demands by Nema and NCA are found to be extortionists. In addition, the many factories Nema had closed should be reopened and former workers recalled.
Furthermore, time has come for the country to decide whether we shall continue to exclaim and mourn daily on how many billions of shillings are embezzled from our counties; or say enough is enough and disband all the counties and revert to the old Local Authorities we used to have since independence until 2013 when devolution came to be. Being a student of Political Science, I do not understand how the government chose, with impunity, to break the social contract it entered into with the citizenry by subcontracting some services to 47 quasi-governments – the devolved units.
The assumption that money disbursed to the counties is for service delivery to the residents has come to be realised as a misnomer. All of it goes to line the pockets of a few personnel recruited in the shambolic regional governance structure. They earn extraordinarily high emoluments, enjoy unlimited foreign trips, and engage in primitive acquisition of wealth, purchase of private choppers and 5-star hotels- as some governors have done–and luxury vehicles. If this trend is not nibbed in the bud now, it will lead to massive income inequality in society, despite the fact that it is the exchequer and every Kenyan taxpayer who foots the bill.
Our founding fathers were wise and foresaw the danger of having overlapping governance systems. They quickly outlawed the majimbo system of governance. How come we reintroduce it through the back door as “Devolution”? Nevertheless, it will be foolhardy to embark on another governance experiment-as BBI might prescribe before addressing the challenges brought about by devolution.
