A bleeding nation: 6 issues affecting Kenyans today
Kenya is a developing country facing many challenges. Generally, poor governance has been a major cause of these issues as those charged with the responsibility to deliver services are not accountable to the public.
With talks of a revolution, Kenyans have become increasingly agitated by the current happenings and have expressed their displeasure. Here are some of the issues affecting Kenyans:
High corruption rate
Bribery and nepotism are the most common forms of corruption in Kenya. The misuse of public funds by those charged to deliver services to Kenyans is also on the rise. Public funds are being embezzled into individual accounts instead of funding public projects.
Image/theyouthcafe.com
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Police brutality
The abuse of power by Kenyan security agencies is on the rise, forcing civil rights groups to agitate for the end of violence against citizens. There are also increased extrajudicial killings of Kenyan youth by the police with little or no action taken by concerned authorities. To make matters worse, the country is struggling with protecting those peacefully demonstrating as police are known to lobby teargas at them to disperse.
image/standardmedia.com
Provision of social amenities
Despite hefty campaign promises, a large number of Kenyans are still unable to access clean water, good housing and health services. Furthermore, access to good schools and other kinds of infrastructure is still unevenly distributed in the country.
Insecurity
Robbery has been on the rise especially in Nairobi city, now often referred to as ‘kanairo’. As a result, trust in security agencies has reduced over the years and Kenyans are turning to private agencies that provide adequate security.
Tribalism
This comes into play especially during the campaign and election period. As a result of tribalism, people choose leaders based on tribe instead of looking out for quality and accountable leaders.
In corporate settings, also, tribalism plays a big part in who gets the job.
High unemployment rate
Each year, there are many graduates transitioning into the vast Kenyan job market. Many of them lack jobs and have no capital to start businesses and at times resort to crime. The lack of jobs has also led to high rates of suicide and depression among Kenyan youth.
man seeking a job image/Kenyans.co.ke
Finally…
Kenyans will never rest easy until all these issues are resolved and each Kenyan feels safe to live in the country. It is about time our leaders became accountable for their actions and deliver their promises to Kenyans. It is also time Kenyans took the responsibility of electing the right leaders if transformation is to be realized.
Featured image: Voice of America
