Comments on: Is Kenya A Failed State? http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/kenya-failed-stat "A black market is a free market operating against the wishes of the state." –Harry Browne. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:42:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3079 By: panafricanist http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/kenya-failed-stat#comment-105842 panafricanist Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:50:04 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=2369#comment-105842 Kenya is not failed state but it could head there if politics continue to go in the wrong direction and the mass of unemployed/underemployed youth continues to grow. I am not certain that failed states need to have leaders driving civil war - such individuals exist in every country and they only need the right conditions (unstable political setting and large unemployed youth) to gain traction. On the other hand, Kenya is one of the black african countries in sub-Saharan Africa that has the potential to transform itself - we saw it briefly during the NARC days climaxing in the 7%GDP growth rate. Kenyan people are hardworking with a well-educated and moderate middle class that could drive the transformation. On balance, I think recent developments actually demonstrate that Kenya could take the positive path to transformation. Parliament is getting stronger and providing an important check to the executive; institutions are becoming more independent; corruption, while still prevalent, is nowhere near where it was before and more cases are coming to light; despite all its flaws, the draft constitution is an improvement; the wobbly and much maligned coalition is still alive; and the economy has survived the post-election upheavals, global financial meltdown and is now showing signs of growth. Few countries in black Africa can match these characteristics - I am still cautiously optimistic about Kenya.

Kenya is not failed state but it could head there if politics continue to go in the wrong direction and the mass of unemployed/underemployed youth continues to grow. I am not certain that failed states need to have leaders driving civil war – such individuals exist in every country and they only need the right conditions (unstable political setting and large unemployed youth) to gain traction. On the other hand, Kenya is one of the black african countries in sub-Saharan Africa that has the potential to transform itself – we saw it briefly during the NARC days climaxing in the 7%GDP growth rate. Kenyan people are hardworking with a well-educated and moderate middle class that could drive the transformation. On balance, I think recent developments actually demonstrate that Kenya could take the positive path to transformation. Parliament is getting stronger and providing an important check to the executive; institutions are becoming more independent; corruption, while still prevalent, is nowhere near where it was before and more cases are coming to light; despite all its flaws, the draft constitution is an improvement; the wobbly and much maligned coalition is still alive; and the economy has survived the post-election upheavals, global financial meltdown and is now showing signs of growth. Few countries in black Africa can match these characteristics – I am still cautiously optimistic about Kenya.

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]]> By: CALEB MUMO http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/kenya-failed-stat#comment-105147 CALEB MUMO Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:11:29 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=2369#comment-105147 :shock: How is the local mwananchi benefiting with all these 'Kenyan stereos' of 'monkeys' jumping from a mango to guava tree?Theres no way on how 'we' are feeling any changes because life in 'us' is even worsening.Why should the constitution allow the gray haired men continue serving the 'office'?And why are parents struggling to educate their children if the offices cant let new faces pump in their skills? Shame to coalition/oops confused government for it will never come out with something that will hold water for kenyans instade they'll turn the bread on the buttered side and throw it to innocent mwananchi.

:shock: How is the local mwananchi benefiting with all these ‘Kenyan stereos’ of ‘monkeys’ jumping from a mango to guava tree?Theres no way on how ‘we’ are feeling any changes because life in ‘us’ is even worsening.Why should the constitution allow the gray haired men continue serving the ‘office’?And why are parents struggling to educate their children if the offices cant let new faces pump in their skills?
Shame to coalition/oops confused government for it will never come out with something that will hold water for kenyans instade they’ll turn the bread on the buttered side and throw it to innocent mwananchi.

]]> By: anonymus http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/kenya-failed-stat#comment-105146 anonymus Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:39:24 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=2369#comment-105146 :mrgreen: non sense ,yes we are a failed state unless the two principals and all politicians who have ever served under Moi regime/KANU party should be chucked out. They should stop recycling themselves and yet they are the same people who have led us into bondage what change do they want to bring now?

:mrgreen: non sense ,yes we are a failed state unless the two principals and all politicians who have ever served under Moi regime/KANU party should be chucked out. They should stop recycling themselves and yet they are the same people who have led us into bondage what change do they want to bring now?

]]> By: kimanikaymann http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/kenya-failed-stat#comment-105058 kimanikaymann Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:27:42 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=2369#comment-105058 <blockquote>These are just excuses. The Country was on equal footing with South Korea…. Please don’t bring us this nonsense excuses. Something went seriously wrong somewhere and that’s Just the Fact. It has nothing to do with Kenya being 50yrs old or colonial rule. Passing the buck won’t do you good around here buddy. If you want to cry we can get you some paper towels to blow your nose, Facts are just that Facts accept them and move on.</blockquote> true true!! The answer? It all dwells in our minds our votes and our sanity and sanctity. If we realised this then, 2012 will be as peaceful. Its me who holds the answer to this country's future, its you. Not Kibaki nor Raila!
These are just excuses. The Country was on equal footing with South Korea…. Please don’t bring us this nonsense excuses. Something went seriously wrong somewhere and that’s Just the Fact. It has nothing to do with Kenya being 50yrs old or colonial rule. Passing the buck won’t do you good around here buddy. If you want to cry we can get you some paper towels to blow your nose, Facts are just that Facts accept them and move on.

true true!!
The answer? It all dwells in our minds our votes and our sanity and sanctity.
If we realised this then, 2012 will be as peaceful.
Its me who holds the answer to this country’s future, its you. Not Kibaki nor Raila!

]]> By: didier http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/kenya-failed-stat#comment-105040 didier Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:30:01 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=2369#comment-105040 Mkenya, I have a quote from what you just said.... "In every race, there is first and last." You see, this is where you go wrong. I believe this statement should read like this... " In every race there is a first and Last. I will be the first." Let me show you the difference in these two statements. Statement one acknowledges that every race has a first and last person. Despite statement one acknowledging first and last. It leaves in the open the question of where he/she is supposed to be. For all we know the person saying the statement might be gunning for an average score or less. Statement two on the other hand acknowledges a race has to have first and last. The person saying statement two goes further to claim their imperative of being first than any other position in the race. In my humble opinion I plea the person saying statement two is more of an optimist than the person saying statement one. ;-)

Mkenya,

I have a quote from what you just said….

“In every race, there is first and last.”

You see, this is where you go wrong. I believe this statement should read like this…

” In every race there is a first and Last. I will be the first.”

Let me show you the difference in these two statements.

Statement one acknowledges that every race has a first and last person.

Despite statement one acknowledging first and last. It leaves in the open the question of where he/she is supposed to be. For all we know the person saying the statement might be gunning for an average score or less.

Statement two on the other hand acknowledges a race has to have first and last. The person saying statement two goes further to claim their imperative of being first than any other position in the race.

In my humble opinion I plea the person saying statement two is more of an optimist than the person saying statement one. ;-)

]]> By: mkenya http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/kenya-failed-stat#comment-105039 mkenya Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:36:01 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=2369#comment-105039 in every race, there is first and last - while we are not ahead on this race, we are far from lagging behind. comparing to india, south korea etc, does show that we could have done better. however, we dont have the same culture and society which are key in setting development goals. i'm not pushing for us to rest on our laurels having outperformed somalia, however, we also need to be realistic about what can be achieved in a given amount of time. we keep bashing the development we have had so far, forgetting that investors read these as well. why keep harping on the negatives if all that does is reduce foreign investor confidence. doesnt that ultimately slow us down? i believe pessimism will take us nowhere. optimism albeit grounded in what we can achieve over a given timeframe is what we should be looking at.

in every race, there is first and last – while we are not ahead on this race, we are far from lagging behind.

comparing to india, south korea etc, does show that we could have done better. however, we dont have the same culture and society which are key in setting development goals.

i’m not pushing for us to rest on our laurels having outperformed somalia, however, we also need to be realistic about what can be achieved in a given amount of time.

we keep bashing the development we have had so far, forgetting that investors read these as well. why keep harping on the negatives if all that does is reduce foreign investor confidence. doesnt that ultimately slow us down?

i believe pessimism will take us nowhere. optimism albeit grounded in what we can achieve over a given timeframe is what we should be looking at.

]]> By: didier http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/kenya-failed-stat#comment-105037 didier Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:55:31 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=2369#comment-105037 Mkenya, Please all these excuses ..... STOP !! We have heard enough of all this stuff about kenya being 50yrs and colonial legacy.... These are just excuses. The Country was on equal footing with South Korea.... Please don't bring us this nonsense excuses. Something went seriously wrong somewhere and that's Just the Fact. It has nothing to do with Kenya being 50yrs old or colonial rule. Passing the buck won't do you good around here buddy. If you want to cry we can get you some paper towels to blow your nose, Facts are just that Facts accept them and move on. India and Indonesia and Malaysia had colonial rule and got Independence around the same time as Kenya. What do you have to say about them.. Nothing... Just shut up and keep your excuses..... NEXT !!

Mkenya,

Please all these excuses ….. STOP !! We have heard enough of all this stuff about kenya being 50yrs and colonial legacy….

These are just excuses. The Country was on equal footing with South Korea…. Please don’t bring us this nonsense excuses. Something went seriously wrong somewhere and that’s Just the Fact. It has nothing to do with Kenya being 50yrs old or colonial rule. Passing the buck won’t do you good around here buddy. If you want to cry we can get you some paper towels to blow your nose, Facts are just that Facts accept them and move on.

India and Indonesia and Malaysia had colonial rule and got Independence around the same time as Kenya. What do you have to say about them.. Nothing… Just shut up and keep your excuses….. NEXT !!

]]> By: mkenya http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/kenya-failed-stat#comment-105029 mkenya Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:43:25 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=2369#comment-105029 before we go out and proclaim kenya as failed.. a couple of points * kenya is just under 50yrs old - to put that in perspective, our parents lived under colonial rule, some of our grand parents could relate to a time before we were fully colonized. it will take time for the idea of one nation (rather than 42 different ones) to really sink in. a fair proportion of the older generation still identify more with tribes than as kenyan. * stable structure - a lot of what we have gone through over the last 20 yrs: saba saba, molo, goldenberg, anglo leasing, '07 elections etc. we've been able to bounce back from these without a complete loss of government. the base seems solid, its the top that needs to be polished. im fairly optimistic that kenya will build on good governance (whether that comes in '12 or '17). when that happens, i belive the growth rate will be very high

before we go out and proclaim kenya as failed.. a couple of points

* kenya is just under 50yrs old – to put that in perspective, our parents lived under colonial rule, some of our grand parents could relate to a time before we were fully colonized. it will take time for the idea of one nation (rather than 42 different ones) to really sink in. a fair proportion of the older generation still identify more with tribes than as kenyan.

* stable structure – a lot of what we have gone through over the last 20 yrs: saba saba, molo, goldenberg, anglo leasing, ’07 elections etc. we’ve been able to bounce back from these without a complete loss of government. the base seems solid, its the top that needs to be polished.

im fairly optimistic that kenya will build on good governance (whether that comes in ’12 or ’17). when that happens, i belive the growth rate will be very high

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