This archive report was first published on 3 January 2020.
Kenya's Stagnation: A National Ethos of Corruption and Thievery ¶
Deputy President William Ruto's assertion that Kenya's underdevelopment is due to the teaching of social sciences in schools and universities is a revisionist attempt to distort history and justify the country's stagnation.
However, Kenya's problems run deeper than just the education system. The country's thinking is distorted by tribal considerations, which have led to a culture of thievery and dishonesty among the political class.
Despite having professionals in fields such as engineering, IT, and agriculture, Kenya's research centers and innovation hubs have failed to contribute significantly to national growth. The country's manufacturing sector is negligible, and its IT innovation is not maximally harnessed.
Furthermore, Kenya's technocrats and civil servants have been complicit in the country's corruption scandals, with some even perpetuating the sale of carcinogenic foods to the public. The country's road engineers have made shortcuts to amass wealth, and its agri-scientists have failed to end famine.
It is not a lack of science and technology professionals that has kept Kenya a poor Third World country, but rather a lack of a national ethos that values personal and professional integrity and a high work ethic.
As Abiola Irele argued in his seminal essay, In Praise of Alienation, Kenya needs not just science but the scientific spirit as well. Similarly, the country needs a national ethos that rewards personal and professional integrity and a high work ethic.
However, cultivating such a national culture cannot happen without a certain kind of leadership. The Singaporean miracle, for instance, would not have happened without the leadership provided by Lee Kuan Yew, who redirected national effort from breaking down the colonial edifice to building the foundations of a new future.
Unlike Singapore, Kenya has created a culture where no one takes responsibility or is sanctioned for failure. The country has nurtured a symbiotic relationship between cartels and government, with every department under the influence of cartels.
As a result, Kenya's politics has nothing to do with creating a stable society welded together by values of justice and equality but everything to do with grabbing power in order to accumulate more personal wealth.
Mr. Ruto's revisionism will never eliminate the history of struggle against Kenya's unequal and tribalized society. His demagoguery can cover up but never eliminate the truth of why Kenya is poor.
One day, the poor will remove their tribal blinkers and see the truth. And the truth shall set them free.
— Tee Ngugi, a Nairobi-based political commentator
