50 years of independence later, Africa still helpless

Mzungu aende Ulaya, Mwafrika apate uhuru

Monday, May 27th 2013, By John Harrington Ndeta
In the early 1960’s African countries smarting from decades of colonisation were determined to be independent and self-reliant.

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Many of the leaders at the time had to employ guerrilla tactics to realise independence to be realised. In one accord, the leaders and the masses were arrested, put in detention camps and in some circumstances, sprayed with bullets but even the bullets could not silence them.  

The leaders made the loudest of the noise at the time and that earned them a name and a place in the leadership of the new nations.

In Kenya, Mau Mau clarion call was that Mzungu aende Ulaya, Mwafrika apate uhuru which loosely translates to the ‘the whites should go back to Europe and Africans should become independent’. When the whites left, the vacuum created was taken over by few African elites who got into office and became worse than the colonialists.
George Orwell must have had a premonition when he wrote the Animal Farm many years back. Indeed, most African countries are a reflection of this all-time literary work.  In the Animal Farm story, the animals, who felt abused by their master ganged up against the farm? No sooner had they managed to chase away the owner than the pigs turned against the other animals with the strappings of power.  Like our newly elected Kenyan leaders, the pigs argued that all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
It is this persistent state of affairs that led to a true Kenyan son, JM Kariuki to describe Kenya as a nation of 10 millionaires and 10 million beggars in apparent reference to the manner in which the new African leaders were behaving after independence.
The political and academic elites of the time muscled out fellow Africans off the resources that were left behind by the exiting whites. From the fertile White Highlands to shares in major companies and Governmental parastatals, they looted and irregularly allocated resources that were meant for the public.
The gap between the rich and the poor has been widening to unimaginable levels rendering many Africans dependent on donor aid to survive. Today we have close to 40 billionaires in the country against 40 million paupers.
The list of who is who in Kenya indicates that all except for one or two are those who have ridden on the backs of fellow Kenyans in their quest to become rich.
Kenya is just but an example of what is happening across the African continent. Attempts to reform and change things through multiparty democracy since late 80’s and early 90’s became a cropper just like the independence struggle. The civil society leaders of yesteryears are now senior government officers and have abandoned the masses who are still taking to the streets to protest if anything to be done. Some of the leaders have receded to their tribal cocoons to ensure that they retain power not to help the populace or their tribes; but to protect their ill-gotten wealth.
With 50 years having elapsed, it is imperative that all Africans everywhere look back with a keen eye to see how independent we really are as people.
When we talk of independence, it should not just be flying a flag (Uhuru wa bendera) but taking charge of our own affairs as a nation. These affairs vary from independence trio-enemies of poverty, ignorance and diseases to modern day challenges of increasing population and economic meltdown.
Structural barriers erected by the colonial masters and perfected by the independence chieftains have continued to date. Cultural believes and practices are not helping either. Dependency syndrome; whether on government or donor rations has become synonymous with Africans. This is not a mark of a people who are independent.

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There is a need for the current African leaders to review their policies and approaches to leadership and governance with a view of making their electorate self-reliant.

The Asian tigers have managed to revolutionise their citizenry in the same span of time that Africa has been mark timing. It is time that all the bottlenecks of the old and present are smashed to allow Africans exploit their full potential.
From knowledge power to natural resources, technological endowments to practical skills, what Africans need is enabling environment to actualise their full potential.  Actualisation of this potential should not be limited to few individuals due to the position they occupy in the society.
As one adage says, it is better to teach somebody to fish than provide fish for a person year in year out.