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Editor’s Note: This essay topped Amkeni Wakenya (A UNDP Agency) Essay Competition of year 2012. The author wants to share it with serious policy makers and other players particularly those in international realm in order to impact positive change in the society. The views expressed here are his and not those of UNDP or its partners.

NGUI MUSYOKA

CHUKA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE   

P.O.BOX 109 CHUKA, KENYA

REG.NO.CB2/06558/11

BA COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA

EMAIL:nguimusyoka@yahoo.com

CELL: 0701033394

YOUTH FOR DEMOCRACY INNOVATIONS AWARD

QUESTION 3:

DO YOU THINK KENYA CAN ACHIEVE THE MDGs BY 2015? WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES TO ACHIEVING THE MDG GOALS BY 2015, AND HOW CAN THEY BE OVERCOME?

           No. Kenya cannot achieve the MDGs by 2015.This is because there are enormous obstacles hindering achievement of MDGs by 2015.However, these hurdles can be overcome beyond the set timeline. Practically, Kenya is behind schedule and she cannot beat the 2015 deadline. But all is not lost since Kenya is on the right track.

          There are eight MDGs namely: To end poverty and hunger, to achieve universal education, to achieve gender equality, to achieve child health ,to achieve maternal heath to combat HIV/AIDS ,malaria and other diseases, to achieve environmental sustainability and to achieve global partnership.

          Now, let’s look at the obstacles facing the achievement of the above targets. Climate change hinders curbing hunger .It hits hardest on agriculture which supports food production. It has resulted to drought, floods and unpredictable season changes. Farmers experience crop failure due to inadequate rains. Farm lands are flooded damaging crops and killing livestock. Again, property is swept away and the farmers’ lifeline is no more. These apocalyptic disasters have led to poorer and hungrier Kenyans.

           A tangible climate change deal has not been struck between developed and developing countries. The latter are proposing compensation due to the effects of climate change but the former are reluctant to cut their greenhouse gas emissions or compensate those ravaged by the effects of climate change.

Political instability has fuelled poverty and hunger. Ethnic tensions have led to massive evictions of farmers who cannot practice agriculture because the environment is volatile. Both local and foreign investors shy away from investing in agriculture because they are not assured of security.

Lack of political goodwill has added insult to injury. Politicians have not shown enough commitment to taming their poisonous tongues. What we are seeing is sheer perpetration of wild utterances designed to convey tribal tensions which spark violence further discouraging agricultural investment.

Poor planning and lack of proper policies have haunted food security. Myopic leadership in Kenya is either unable or unwilling to provide long term measures on this menace. Bandage policies need a permanent solution. It’s better to teach one on how to fish rather than giving him/her a fish.

Inflation has made commodity prices to hit the roof. The poor become poorer because they cannot afford the commodities they used to buy at lower prices before inflation .When it rains, it pours. Inflation has resulted to strikes, crime, prostitution and even human trafficking as folks strive to make ends meet.

The global economic crisis of 2008 caused massive layoffs hence depriving Kenyans of sources of income. This made them to be mauled by grinding poverty and their stomachs were invaded by hunger pangs.

Hunger triggers conflict. Communities start cattle rustling which further causes loss of life and property, fueling suspicion, mistrust and escalating violence. This stops agriculture as farmers hide from their rivals. Worse still, pupils and teachers do not reopen schools. As expected, this crisis hinders universal education, encourages poverty and increases hunger.

Universal education is riddled with poor quality. There is an acute shortage of teachers and equipment. Classes are overcrowded and teachers’ strikes are rampant. There is less innovation since the education system is hinged on theory rather than practice. Pupils’ potential is unexploited and those who cannot fit in the rigid system are written off as failures. Kenya’s academic landscape is littered with unemployed youth who fell out of favor with the 8-4-4 system. Despite possessing talents in art, design, music and modeling end up in the streets, idling.

Gender disparity has riddled universal education. There is less enrolment of girls than boys in school. Girls are constricted by retrogressive culture which perpetrates Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). FGM leads to early marriages and retards girl-child education.

The rich are favored by education system. The poor attend public schools which are synonymous with poor quality of education as the children of the rich attend high class academies. The result is an increased gap between the rich and the poor.

Bullying and drug abuse have led to massive school dropout which compromise universal education. Again, teenage pregnancy makes girls to discontinue their studies at the expense of sex pests who are alleged to be their teachers.

Poverty has caused education to be an expensive luxury for destitute parents. Such parents cannot send their children to secondary schools after completing primary level because they cannot afford to pay school fees. The fees charged are simply astronomical for them. This further exposes pupils to child labor especially if they are from poor backgrounds.

Corruption has dogged free primary education. Millions of funds are lost and the officials stay put. They refuse to resign, take responsibility or step aside to allow independent investigation into the alleged scam. Graft has reduced the resources to bare minimum. Schools are dilapidated, equipment are old and need repair. All the blame is heaped on Jogoo House which has shown inertia in dealing with graft.

Gender equality is a mirage if the current state of affairs is anything to go by. Gender disparity is characterized by male dominance in almost all institutions of the society. The community tolerates domestic violence, forced sexual initiation, rape and FGM. This has endangered women who find it difficult to survive. In fact, their dignity is at stake. They strive to gain or at least maintain their identity and independence but the storm that is gender disparity won’t allow it.

Peer pressure has encouraged gender inequality and girls discourage one another from challenging the status quo. Boys, on the other hand, would rather let a sleeping dog lie since they view this as utter challenge and an encroachment to their masculine territory. The society is hell bent on criticizing women and praising men on gender issues. It has perfected the art of double standards whereby men get away with gender based violence but it is quick to condemn women who dare dream of assuming masculine careers. Men have not been spared either. History is replete with men who are perennially “sat on”. They are battered by their wives and girlfriends and choose to remain mum for fear of being ridiculed if they open up. Those who try their hands on feminine careers are regarded as weak or desperate. The society has not accepted gender role reversal.

Child health and maternal health are intertwined. Both are related to HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. There is lack of adequate funding in the health sector. Lack of skilled personnel has dealt a death blow to an already struggling health sector. There are quacks and mid wives without a single clue on medicine. Traditional healers deceive patients that they can cure everything from HIV/AIDS to cancer and anything in between. Further, there has been mass exodus of doctors and nurses to greener pastures as brain drain take toll. Patients are left to their own devices hence more child deaths, higher maternal deaths and deaths from preventable diseases such as malaria, typhoid and cholera shoot up. The recent strike by medical practitioners demonstrated poor working conditions and lack of equipment.

Poor child health is fuelled by starvation. Malnutrition causes deficiency diseases due to lack of basic nutrition. Moreover, poverty has caused medical care to be costly. The poor are also ignorant of basic sanitation and child care. They disregard proper sanitation and end up settling in slums where their children are exposed to water borne diseases. Rape has increased child births, whereby absentee parents do not take responsibility on the welfare of their children. They give up on their children who end up dying due to neglect.

Lack of affordable comprehensive medical insurance cover has condemned children to die since their folks cannot afford the premiums charged.   There is scanty knowledge on maternity. This ignorance explains why a mother can prefer traditional midwife to a trained nurse. Sex education has become a taboo and it is discussed in hushed tones but escapism is no defense. We need to bite the bullet and confront the issue head on. It has been difficult to address HIV/AIDS scourge. Polygamy, FGM and multiple sexual partners fuel the spread of the disease. AIDs patients are stigmatized and there is no love lost between them and the HIV negative individuals.

Lack of resources has haunted the fight against poor health. The fall in donor aid on AIDS does not augur well for the health sector. This makes it impossible to sustain the supply of ARVs.

Environmental sustainability is threatened by climate change. There is no tangible deal barring green house gas emissions or providing for compensation to victims of environmental degradation. Atomic manufacturing and use of radioactive gases spew poisonous gases to the atmosphere.

Global partnership has not been a bed of roses. It is riddled with strings attached policies, imperialism, neocolonialism and digital divide. Kenya risks compromising its own sovereignty at the mercy of developed global partners. The United Nations is monopolized by First World nations which make policies that have afflicted Kenya and other developing countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Multinational companies do more harm than good to Kenya by economically exploiting her in the name of exploring mineral resources.

Poor transport and communication network has increased digital divide pitting the rich and urban against the rural and the poor with the latter on the receiving end.

 Kenya can still realize the MDGs despite incurring a host of lost chances. To contain hunger the government should introduce price controls on essential food products to cushion Kenyans from exorbitant prices charged by unscrupulous business people. It can also subsidize fertilizers and seeds to make them affordable to farmers during rainy seasons so that they can plant in time for better harvest. Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) should step up research on sustainable food production by coming up with drought resistant crops which are high yielding. Universities should join hand with KARI in researching on sustainable agriculture.

Kenyans ought to practice family planning. This will enable them to bear families which they can support. It will also relieve them of the vicious cycle of poverty as they will be able to send their children to school who would in turn afford better health care after learning. They will kill three birds with one stone. That is, by family planning, they will end hunger, achieve better child health as well as universal education.

The New Constitution 2010 provides for devolution. If devolution is implemented full scale and with the well being of Kenyans in mind, I bet this will drastically reduce marginalization in Kenya. Citizens will be empowered to better their living standards. Resources will trickle down to grass roots to benefit ordinary citizens instead of concentrating in urban centres.

There is need to tighten management measures of already existing sources of funds to curb corruption by improving meritocracy, transparency accountability. Let Constituency Development Funds be managed wisely. That way we will improve our infrastructure and secure bursaries for bright but needy students.  

Kenyans should seize the opportunity to starting and maintaining Chamas (self help groups).The youth will be empowered to obtain loans, open special bank accounts and invest in business hence becoming entrepreneurs. They will kiss poverty goodbye.

Those near water bodies can start fishing to diversify their diet. Kenyans living in the highlands can practice crop farming and dairy farming. Pastoralists can keep livestock .In all these cases , the government should encourage value addition and formation of cooperatives for marketing the farm produce ,increased bargaining power and acquisition of modern agricultural equipment  such as cold storage plants for fishermen. It should offer extension services and veterinary services to all farmers.

There is need for innovative crop and livestock insurance to compensate farmers during disasters such as drought and floods. Insurance companies should lower their premiums for affordability.

Boosting weather forecasting will avert disasters because to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Kenyans will be able to plan ahead to survive the predicted disasters. The government should also develop alternative sources of energy apart from oil. Since commodity   prices are pegged on energy price, it is prudent   to develop cheaper energy from geothermal, wind and coal. Coal deposits in Kitui County can drastically lower food prices if fully exploited to run industries. This will reduce operating costs hence enable manufacturers to sell food commodities at affordable prices.

Kenyans should shift from rain-fed to irrigation agriculture to produce throughout the year. Sinking boreholes and constructing dams will ensure water is available for irrigation even in arid areas.

Universal education can be achieved by reforming the education system. The curriculum should be restructured to become market oriented and flexible to unique talents of all pupils. The spotlight should be cast on woodwork, metalwork, art and design and music. Science subjects should become more practical, more lifelike and research oriented. Affirmative action will increase girl-child enrolment in   school as well as curb dropouts. The government can sponsor bright but needy girls, provide sanitary towels and rein in on FGM which shatters education dreams for girls through early marriages and dropouts. Early Childhood Education (ECD) will form firm foundation for kids and teachers should be urged to pursue at least diploma in ECD.

Upgrading top provincial schools to national status will ensure more pupils access secondary education. Revamping village polytechnics will absorb those who do not make it to high school. This will also spark entrepreneurship as students will undertake project courses.

Electronic learning should be implemented to tap the technological advancement. This will enable the students and teachers to share knowledge with other schools worldwide. It is important to review the curriculum to ensure relevance of content, competitiveness and marketability.

The entrenched roots of gender disparity can be yanked by the bulldozer of legislation. The government should implement the New Constitution 2010 which guarantees that not more than two-thirds of members of elective and appointive bodies shall be of the same gender. In chapter four article twenty-seven the new constitution outlaws any form of discrimination including gender.

Both men and women need to be empowered through awareness campaigns, public lectures, road shows and other sensitization measures to enable them to be aware of their rights and demand for such rights if they are violated. The Sexual Offences Act 2006 should be enforced as it seeks to offer protection against gender based violence. Let every Kenyan commit to end gender inequality every day, in   every way. Educating the society will debunk gender stereotypes and encourage gender role reversal. Kenyans will become more tolerant and appreciative towards fellow compatriots.

The tri-pronged health MDGs have similar raft of measures save for case-specific remedies since what is good for the goose it is also good for the gander. Inadequate funding   has haunted the health sector .There is inadequate equipment and drug are in acute shortage and if the situation is prolonged there will be loss of lives. Further, the government needs to address the staff remuneration. Doctors and nurses deserve better pay if we really want to address brain drain. This will also boost their morale and curb strikes already manifested recently. The government should clamp down illegal medical practitioners who cause child and maternal deaths as well as fleecing AIDS patients in the name of instant miraculous healing.

Child health can be improved by immunization and improved nutrition. Mothers should ensure their children are vaccinated and breast feed them if they (mothers) are not HIV positive. This would boost nutrition. Well to do adults can consider adopting children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They can also set up children’s homes to ensure that such children access proper diet and education. Philanthropic well wishers, NGOs and donors can come on board to support this noble cause.

Insurance companies should tailor their schemes to cover children’s medical health at reasonable premiums. To curb rapid population growth, Kenyans must practice family planning by utilizing contraceptives so that they can raise trim manageable families. The ministry of public health can waive maternity fees to enable safe delivery which will protect the life of the mother and baby. Abortion should be carried out by trained medical practitioner if the life of mother is endangered, as guaranteed by the New Constitution 2010.

Personal responsibility and behavior change can reduce HIV infections. Kenyans should be encouraged to know their HIV status, stick to one partner whose HIV status they know. They should also avoid stigmatizing AIDS patients and love them. More funding is needed to research on HIV/AIDS vaccines and to provide antiretroviral drugs.

To contain malaria folks should sleep under treated mosquito nets especially if they are pregnant mothers or infants.  Draining stagnant water and clearing bushes will go a long way in preventing malaria infection. It is wise to shun FGM, polygamy, wife inheritance rape and having multiple sexual partners commonly called mpango wa kando.

Kenyans should embrace   traditional herbal medicine. It needs to be researched on since it is environmentally friendly, cheap and may cure what the mainstream medicine has failed to. It is also important for Kenyans to revert to traditional foods as they are healthier and more nutritious than manufactured ones.

Expectant mothers need to shun drug abuse. This will ensure that they do not contract lung and liver cirrhosis which are life –threatening. It would also prevent giving birth to stillborn babies or mentally retarded kids. Moreover shunning drug abuse reduces the chances of contracting sexually transmitted infections as it encourages sobriety and wise judgment.

Stiff penalties should accompany environmental conservation law breaking. Let’s honor environmental conservation heroes and heroines. Kenyans should join Green Belt Movement in droves and continue Prof. Maathai’s legacy. The New Constitution 2010 Chapter four article sixty-nine charges the state with the responsibility of ensuring sustainable exploitation, utilization, management and conservation of natural resources. Kenya should also join likeminded states to push for a tangible climate change deal to prevent Mother Nature’s wrath in form of floods, drought and increased global temperatures. The time to act is now.

Global partnership should be based on mutual trust and benefit. It should be devoid of imperialism, neo colonialism and other strings attached tactics. To reduce monopoly in the United Nations, Third World countries including Kenya should push for inclusion of Africa, South East Asia and Latin America in veto power to ensure fair representation, balanced decision making and equality in global affairs. Kenyan corporations should grab the opportunity to set up multinationals in East African Community and beyond. This will expand her market and offer job opportunities to millions of Kenyans.

The government should consider applying austerity measures to cut unnecessary expenditure and direct revenue to more urgent and important tasks. It can trim the bloated cabinet, decline to buy expensive chairs for the MPs, surrender fuel guzzling cars for less energy consuming ones, reduce advertising and make fewer trips abroad. It should demonstrate undivided commitment in slaying the dragon of corruption.

Tourism is key in Kenya’s revenue generation. The government must step up campaigns to boost local and foreign tourism as it would mint money needed in achieving MDGs.

I believe that achieving the MDGs is a collective and individual responsibility because each and every Kenyan counts. Let’s unite to achieve these noble goals for a better Kenya and world at large. Once again let’s work hard and smart, be determined and resilient in firmly focusing our eyes on the bigger picture so that we may achieve the millennium development goals.