This archive report was first published on 8 December 2019.
Published on December 8, 2019, by Lukoye Atwoli, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Moi University School of Medicine.
Kenya's reputation for developing impressive plans is well-known, but the country's inability to implement them is a major hindrance to its development.
Our institutions have lofty aspirations, and when facilitated, we demonstrate our world-beating abilities. However, the lack of support and facilitation can be squarely blamed for many of our failings.
For instance, we excel in individual sports such as long-distance running, where our athletes have an astounding amount of natural talent that they nurture with minimal resources or support from any official source.
On the other hand, we perform dismally in team sports that require a lot of resources and support from the government or other official institutions, such as football and rugby.
Our inability to plan for the long haul and cooperate for extended periods of time is a major contributor to this disparity.
While we pride ourselves in our 'traditional African' communal society and cooperation, the reality is that we have become more individualistic than those communities in the Global North that we like to accuse of the same.
This is evident in our infrastructure, which is often unprepared for heavy rains. Our structures, having been constructed for the sunny season, are completely unprepared for torrential rains.
As a result, our roofs leak, roads develop deep gullies and erosion, and poorly maintained cars break down on our roads during heavy rains.
For us to truly lead from the front, we must change our ways and plan further ahead than our next meal. Only then will we realise our true potential and claim our place in the community of civilised nations.
