Dec 27 is an important date for all Kenya – Election for the New President

It's surprised me that Kenya would have a federal election so soon after Christmas! But regardless there won’t be a shortage of people who will come out to vote! The Election is all the talk on the radio, newspapers and probably TV too but I haven’t seen a TV program for over a month.

The Candidates are:

1. Mwaai Kibaki, the current President, who the polls say is second in the 3 person rate!
2. Raila Odinga the polls say is leading the 3 candidates and is from Western Kenya where we are located
3. Kalonzo Musyoka the polls say is trailing in the race

Yeah, everyone in Kenya is hoping for a new President as the current one Kibaki is so corrupt! However corruption in government isn't strange for a developing country. Kibaki is the 3^rd president of Kenya since they got their independence in the 1960’s. Jomo Kenyetta was the first president and I believe was a fairly good person however people say he was corrupt too. Kenyetta passed away in office in 1978 and his assistant Daniel Moi took over the presidency. I believe Moi stayed in office for a long time and until he retired in 2002. When he left office he had amazed a fortune which made him one of the richest men in Africa at the time. However I believe not to be outdone, the current ruler of Zimbabwe Robert Mulgabe has surpassed him. However there is always another ruler who is bound to outdo him too!

The current government has been trying to get Moi to return some of the 100+ billion Kenya Shillings (approx $1.5 Billion) that he has allegedly absconded however both are speculation. If he did take that much and they could get some back it would really help the country.

One thing I’m glad to see in Kenya is there is freedom of speech and the people can criticize the party in power at least on the street!

But surprise, surprise the Candidates are all saying the right things in their campaigns. Odinga who is the people’s hope has made a promise I’d most like to see his party keep. It’s the removal of Secondary School fees so all kids can go to high school. Of course he has other major promises which will also help the country.

I’d hate to rain on anyone’s parade so I’d don’t want to remind people that politicians the world over make big promises in their campaign. Then they have a memory dump when they get elected or at least make minor alterations to their original promise.

Unfortunately it seems the Kenyan people are putting all their hopes and dreams for a better life on the election of Odinga! I hope for their sake this all comes true. I don’t know what will happen if it doesn’t come true. I'd like to be here in the new year to see what happens either way! They may have some demonstrations but it seems to me that their way is simply to accept things. But then what are their alternatives in a normally peaceful country?

The people talk about corruption in the government which is true. However there is a bit of corruption at all places public and private. Kids complete university and college and then can’t find jobs. It’s true that there is a shortage of jobs. However equally important is that it doesn’t matter what your marks are in school. You have to know someone to get a job. In Arabic they use the word ‘Wasta” meaning having connections. Someone was telling me if you want to join say the army the recruiters want 70,000KS (about $10,000) to get a job. Heck what kid coming out of school can afford to pay that much for a job. They tell me that if you pay that you shouldn’t bother paying the middle person in charge as you’d still have to pay the guy at the top. So just go to the top dog and pay him (if you have to pay anyone). If you graduate in Business Admin you’d have at least be available to apply (and pay) for a office type job. It doesn’t mean you won’t have to work in a clerical job (if you know someone at the company). There are a lot of unemployed people in Kenya who have graduated from university, college and high schools. The future doesn’t look bright for them seeing as how corrupt the officials can be.

The people in high positions don’t just become corrupt when they reach these positions! They have been corrupting people in small ways since they were kids.

I can see minor bits of corruption at the lowest sector of Kenyan society. But I guess their culture is based on everyone feeding themselves and not trusting even their closest friend in matters concerning money. Yes it happens in all cultures but not to their extreme!

I suggested to KASOW Youth Group that they could raise money for the many projects they want to do to help the community. They could rent out the bicycles donated by a previous volunteer group. The Youth Group told me that the people will rent the bikes but won’t pay them. So we said take a deposit and the balance when it’s returned. Then they said the people may take the bike to town and sell them. We told them then rent them only to people they knew in the community. Also maybe hold their Kenyan ID card as collateral for the bike’s safe return.

The people must learn to trust and share ideas and things if they ever want to become self sustaining. They can’t depend on foreign aid to support them. They ask for Ideas on how they can start something. So when we give them some Ideas and they ask for Advice. Then in some cases they want either a Subsidy or Sponsorship in the form of funding. So now we realize that we are are providing the Ideas, Advice so we are telling them how to proceed. This isn’t a big deal however I come to realize that Human Nature is if the Idea isn’t a person’s to begin with then they won’t take ownership and follow through to completer it.

It’s hard to be hard on a person as the Kenyan’s are such nice people. But we aren’t doing them any good if we provide them everything for free!

Actually maybe I'm a little cynical now but I tell the people that the time of free handouts is over! They have to learn to stand on their own 2 feet! Hopefully the future KASOW volunteers carry on the message. I don't want to be hard on them but from what I can tell from the villagers they came in a large group and taught a bit of HIV/AIDS education and hung out with the Youth Group as they were about the same age. Then when they left they left them their bicycles and laptops which the people don't share with others. It's nice of them to leave things that they bought because they seemed like rich kids. But they have to understand that the villagers have to leave to share what they're given plus how to use the bikes and laptops to make some money. Most of the Youth Group have meetings where they talk about projects but can't get off their butt and do any thing! I plan to attend my last KASOW Committee and KASOW Youth Group meeting on Sun. I told the Youth group to come with ideas on how to make some money - if they don't have ideas I have a few ideas of what I'm going to tell them. Catch my next posting on last 2 meetings with them!