Field Marshal
Elder Lister
I have said a thousand times to the chagrin of many here that what ails us and other African nations is NOT THE LEADERSHIP - though this PART of the problem - but us ourselves.
There is a reason, I have said, that we have the highest levels of HIV/Aids (a very preventable disease), the highest death rates from preventable accidents and violence, the poorest life indicators, etc etc in the world - INDISCIPLINE.
What I continue to find incredibly irritating is that even our educated people readily refuse to face the truth and make all manner of excuses to shift blame to others but ourselves. The other day I was irritated to no end to see hundreds - HUNDREDS - of supposedly educated Kenyans calling a simple, poor landlord names eti she had ejected a mother who had failed to pay rent for three months. Allegedly, she was not humane. Invesigating a little bit on the net I found THAT THE TENANT WAS JOBLESS, HER ABSENTEE HUSBAND WAS JOBLESS TOO, BUT BETWEEN THEM THEY SOMEHOW HAD SEVEN CHILDREN AND ANOTHER ON THE WAY, all under 15!!!!!!!!!!!! What ferkery in god-forsaken Ferkistan is that? But instead of asking, why did this woman get so many kids when contraceptives are free, supposedly intelligent people were on her poor landlord who was trying to eke a living herself! If this is not retarded tell me what is.
From the days of Klist, I have seen thousands and thousands of threads blaming our 'poor leadership' for the poverty besetting Kenya and the continent and I keep asking you people; IS IT A COINCIDENCE THAT THE CONTINENT THAT BREEDS LIKE RATS IS THE WORLD'S POOREST? How come people can't make simple connections, cause and effect, abou such obvious things (you get 7 children, you have to feed them all, no money for rent!). People here literally wade into pools of petrol to loot (get burnt and start shouting 'serikali saidia'), drive vehicles without brakes at 140km/hr ('KNH saidia'), ferk without condoms like idiots and post millions of threads about where they do it (USA tupatieni ARVs, kwetu Migori 1 in 5 is infected), have a very poor work ethic ('Mchina is a slave master'), basically have no civic responsibility (litter, steal transformers, manholes and road signs,), etc etc and THEN cry to high heaven when other peoples tell them they do not want anything to do with them in their countries. We are despised all over the world for a reason, but instead of asking why and tring to correct the situation the whole day is spent whining about how 'our leaders' are corrupt.
Which is why, by the way, I coined the word 'bonobo' to describe the low-IQ behaviour and instincts that sometimes make me ashamed to be called an African.
The reason I am hyperventilating, in addition to a few glasses of cheap White wine, is because of this super article. I don't think I have seen such an excellent piece of writing in the Kenyan media for the last 20 years. Kudos The Star.
And I know this will anger many of you, but the writer comes from the same region @Mwalimu-G and I come from, and we strongly hold and expouse the same views? Coincidence? I don't think so. Now, go ahead and call me a delusional tribalist.
Asanteni.
Kenyans inherently indisciplined, irresponsible and unethical
Citizens must take up their individual and collective responsibilities.
By Eric Ngumbi
INDISCIPLINE: Business as usual for traders at Wakulima Market on March 25, 2020
The ongoing national response to the outbreak of Covid-19 brings with itself lessons of monumental significance to all Kenyans.
One of them is citizens’ responsibility vis-à-vis duties of the government in the enjoyment of individual rights and protection of public good.
To contextualise this argument, I revisit the social contract theory, first explored in ancient Greece by Plato, a renowned Greek philosopher, and later advanced by Thomas Hobbes, which underscores the relationship between citizens and their governments.
The overriding objective of the social contract is that for individuals to effectively realise their pursuit of happiness, they ought to cooperate and cede part of their happiness and freedoms for the common good of all.
As part of the social contract, the government of Kenya has the legal and moral responsibility to manage public affairs on the benefit of all. This presupposes that rights accrue for the citizens and duties on the state. Indeed, the Constitution vests all sovereign power on the people and decrees that all persons exercising public authority do so in trust for the people.
Sanctions that include removal from office are prescribed for holders of public office who violate this hallowed public trust. The Constitution expressly prescribes an avalanche of rights for the citizens including the right to health, safety, socio-economic rights, and clean environment, among many others.
Whereas the government often implements diverse measures aimed at protecting the welfare of its people and enabling them to enjoy their rights, majority of citizens, not only fail in their civic responsibilities, but are also oblivious of the fact that all rights have corresponding responsibilities. Indeed, the degree to which a right is to be realised or enjoyed is directly proportional to the extent of the discharge of the corresponding responsibilities.
In the wake of this civic responsibility crisis, the most disturbing question is how then is the government expected to guaranteed full attainment of citizens’ rights?
During this Covid-19 crisis, it is clear in the minds of all right-thinking persons that the greatest responsibility in containing the pandemic is on individual citizens. While citizens of other countries have heeded their governments’ call to embrace the prescribed preventive measures, it is a sad tale in Kenya.
Citizens have largely, and for no justifiable reason, failed on their part. They have continued with their daily lives with utter disregard for the extraordinary nature of these moments.
It is clear even to those who harbour natural hate for the government or any its officials, that it is making significant effort protect its people. It is doing what is in its purview and has issued guidelines on the complementary responsibilities of citizens for compliance. Unfortunately, as severally stated by Heath CS Mutahi Kagwe in his daily briefs, the levels of indiscipline and irresponsibility on the part of citizens are alarming.
It is distasteful and extremely annoying that in spite of the danger that coronavirus poses, Kenyans still conduct themselves as though it were business as usual. Not even experiences of countries such as Italy have awaken our conscience. One wonders what goes on in the minds of those who are deliberately engaging in actions they know or ought to know will exacerbate the spread of this dangerous virus. One must also wonder why Kenyans should be policed to take actions that require basic logic and aimed at safeguarding their own welfare.
It is difficult to comprehend, for instance, why one would have a problem with merely observing hygiene, social distance, avoiding non-essential movements or isolating themselves as appropriate. Similarly bewildering in equal force is why some individuals have exhibited an insatiable appetite to enrich themselves from this pandemic.
We have seen them hiking prices of hotels and goods required to help the country contain the pandemic. To them, what matters the most is the advancement of self-interest at all costs, even if it means the death and suffering of their countrymen and women. Such greed and primitive accumulation in situations of this nature points to serious moral decay that Kenyans need to deal with, if we are to have a prosperous society that guarantees happiness for all.
This integrity quagmire is appalling and mechanisms to severely sanction such inhuman characters ought to be implemented without further delay. These individuals are no better than killers and robbers.
Going by the above observations, it is safe to conclude that many Kenyans are inherently indisciplined, irresponsible and unethical. It is, therefore, not farfetched to argue that more often than not, Kenyans are authors or co-authors of their own misfortunes.
Notably, Covid-19 is not the first national challenge to which citizens have failed in their responsibility. Similarly, citizens are co-authors of the corruption pandemic in Kenya on account of their failure to discharge their complementary responsibilities.
Surveys have shown that Kenyans love corruption and even those who do not engage in it, tolerate it. We glorify corruption. We castigate and ridicule the public officers who uphold integrity and fail to enrich themselves with public resources. To be point blank, we consider them foolish. On the other hand, we complain about the catastrophic effects of corruption in our nation.
It is the people who sometimes elect into office politicians we know to be morally ill but complain later that the government is not doing enough when such thieves steal our resources. As the ultimate victims of corruption, citizens should be in the forefront to not only shun corruption but also refuse to tolerate it.
As Kenyans, we must admit that majority of us have failed our motherland by deliberately contributing to the exacerbation of our national challenges. For the country to realise its goals and in order to secure common good in all aspects, citizens must take up their individual and collective responsibilities. Only then they can have the moral authority to pursue full enjoyment of their rights and entitlements in the social contract.
The popular mantra of Serikali saidia should be preceded by self-discipline and responsibility. A cultural re-engineering is urgently needed.
The writer is a constitutional lawyer and PhD student at the University of Nairobi, School of Law
([email protected])
There is a reason, I have said, that we have the highest levels of HIV/Aids (a very preventable disease), the highest death rates from preventable accidents and violence, the poorest life indicators, etc etc in the world - INDISCIPLINE.
What I continue to find incredibly irritating is that even our educated people readily refuse to face the truth and make all manner of excuses to shift blame to others but ourselves. The other day I was irritated to no end to see hundreds - HUNDREDS - of supposedly educated Kenyans calling a simple, poor landlord names eti she had ejected a mother who had failed to pay rent for three months. Allegedly, she was not humane. Invesigating a little bit on the net I found THAT THE TENANT WAS JOBLESS, HER ABSENTEE HUSBAND WAS JOBLESS TOO, BUT BETWEEN THEM THEY SOMEHOW HAD SEVEN CHILDREN AND ANOTHER ON THE WAY, all under 15!!!!!!!!!!!! What ferkery in god-forsaken Ferkistan is that? But instead of asking, why did this woman get so many kids when contraceptives are free, supposedly intelligent people were on her poor landlord who was trying to eke a living herself! If this is not retarded tell me what is.
From the days of Klist, I have seen thousands and thousands of threads blaming our 'poor leadership' for the poverty besetting Kenya and the continent and I keep asking you people; IS IT A COINCIDENCE THAT THE CONTINENT THAT BREEDS LIKE RATS IS THE WORLD'S POOREST? How come people can't make simple connections, cause and effect, abou such obvious things (you get 7 children, you have to feed them all, no money for rent!). People here literally wade into pools of petrol to loot (get burnt and start shouting 'serikali saidia'), drive vehicles without brakes at 140km/hr ('KNH saidia'), ferk without condoms like idiots and post millions of threads about where they do it (USA tupatieni ARVs, kwetu Migori 1 in 5 is infected), have a very poor work ethic ('Mchina is a slave master'), basically have no civic responsibility (litter, steal transformers, manholes and road signs,), etc etc and THEN cry to high heaven when other peoples tell them they do not want anything to do with them in their countries. We are despised all over the world for a reason, but instead of asking why and tring to correct the situation the whole day is spent whining about how 'our leaders' are corrupt.
Which is why, by the way, I coined the word 'bonobo' to describe the low-IQ behaviour and instincts that sometimes make me ashamed to be called an African.
The reason I am hyperventilating, in addition to a few glasses of cheap White wine, is because of this super article. I don't think I have seen such an excellent piece of writing in the Kenyan media for the last 20 years. Kudos The Star.
And I know this will anger many of you, but the writer comes from the same region @Mwalimu-G and I come from, and we strongly hold and expouse the same views? Coincidence? I don't think so. Now, go ahead and call me a delusional tribalist.
Asanteni.
Kenyans inherently indisciplined, irresponsible and unethical
Citizens must take up their individual and collective responsibilities.
By Eric Ngumbi
INDISCIPLINE: Business as usual for traders at Wakulima Market on March 25, 2020
The ongoing national response to the outbreak of Covid-19 brings with itself lessons of monumental significance to all Kenyans.
One of them is citizens’ responsibility vis-à-vis duties of the government in the enjoyment of individual rights and protection of public good.
To contextualise this argument, I revisit the social contract theory, first explored in ancient Greece by Plato, a renowned Greek philosopher, and later advanced by Thomas Hobbes, which underscores the relationship between citizens and their governments.
The overriding objective of the social contract is that for individuals to effectively realise their pursuit of happiness, they ought to cooperate and cede part of their happiness and freedoms for the common good of all.
As part of the social contract, the government of Kenya has the legal and moral responsibility to manage public affairs on the benefit of all. This presupposes that rights accrue for the citizens and duties on the state. Indeed, the Constitution vests all sovereign power on the people and decrees that all persons exercising public authority do so in trust for the people.
Sanctions that include removal from office are prescribed for holders of public office who violate this hallowed public trust. The Constitution expressly prescribes an avalanche of rights for the citizens including the right to health, safety, socio-economic rights, and clean environment, among many others.
Whereas the government often implements diverse measures aimed at protecting the welfare of its people and enabling them to enjoy their rights, majority of citizens, not only fail in their civic responsibilities, but are also oblivious of the fact that all rights have corresponding responsibilities. Indeed, the degree to which a right is to be realised or enjoyed is directly proportional to the extent of the discharge of the corresponding responsibilities.
In the wake of this civic responsibility crisis, the most disturbing question is how then is the government expected to guaranteed full attainment of citizens’ rights?
During this Covid-19 crisis, it is clear in the minds of all right-thinking persons that the greatest responsibility in containing the pandemic is on individual citizens. While citizens of other countries have heeded their governments’ call to embrace the prescribed preventive measures, it is a sad tale in Kenya.
Citizens have largely, and for no justifiable reason, failed on their part. They have continued with their daily lives with utter disregard for the extraordinary nature of these moments.
It is clear even to those who harbour natural hate for the government or any its officials, that it is making significant effort protect its people. It is doing what is in its purview and has issued guidelines on the complementary responsibilities of citizens for compliance. Unfortunately, as severally stated by Heath CS Mutahi Kagwe in his daily briefs, the levels of indiscipline and irresponsibility on the part of citizens are alarming.
It is distasteful and extremely annoying that in spite of the danger that coronavirus poses, Kenyans still conduct themselves as though it were business as usual. Not even experiences of countries such as Italy have awaken our conscience. One wonders what goes on in the minds of those who are deliberately engaging in actions they know or ought to know will exacerbate the spread of this dangerous virus. One must also wonder why Kenyans should be policed to take actions that require basic logic and aimed at safeguarding their own welfare.
It is difficult to comprehend, for instance, why one would have a problem with merely observing hygiene, social distance, avoiding non-essential movements or isolating themselves as appropriate. Similarly bewildering in equal force is why some individuals have exhibited an insatiable appetite to enrich themselves from this pandemic.
We have seen them hiking prices of hotels and goods required to help the country contain the pandemic. To them, what matters the most is the advancement of self-interest at all costs, even if it means the death and suffering of their countrymen and women. Such greed and primitive accumulation in situations of this nature points to serious moral decay that Kenyans need to deal with, if we are to have a prosperous society that guarantees happiness for all.
This integrity quagmire is appalling and mechanisms to severely sanction such inhuman characters ought to be implemented without further delay. These individuals are no better than killers and robbers.
Going by the above observations, it is safe to conclude that many Kenyans are inherently indisciplined, irresponsible and unethical. It is, therefore, not farfetched to argue that more often than not, Kenyans are authors or co-authors of their own misfortunes.
Notably, Covid-19 is not the first national challenge to which citizens have failed in their responsibility. Similarly, citizens are co-authors of the corruption pandemic in Kenya on account of their failure to discharge their complementary responsibilities.
Surveys have shown that Kenyans love corruption and even those who do not engage in it, tolerate it. We glorify corruption. We castigate and ridicule the public officers who uphold integrity and fail to enrich themselves with public resources. To be point blank, we consider them foolish. On the other hand, we complain about the catastrophic effects of corruption in our nation.
It is the people who sometimes elect into office politicians we know to be morally ill but complain later that the government is not doing enough when such thieves steal our resources. As the ultimate victims of corruption, citizens should be in the forefront to not only shun corruption but also refuse to tolerate it.
As Kenyans, we must admit that majority of us have failed our motherland by deliberately contributing to the exacerbation of our national challenges. For the country to realise its goals and in order to secure common good in all aspects, citizens must take up their individual and collective responsibilities. Only then they can have the moral authority to pursue full enjoyment of their rights and entitlements in the social contract.
The popular mantra of Serikali saidia should be preceded by self-discipline and responsibility. A cultural re-engineering is urgently needed.
The writer is a constitutional lawyer and PhD student at the University of Nairobi, School of Law
([email protected])
