I weep for the Generation of my children and that of my children’s children!
It is with a heavy heart that I have to write this one…..‘that I cry for the generation of my children and that of my grandchildren’.
As I have always indicated, economic history is full of turning points in the development of any nation. Nature, in her wisdom, grants various generations opportune moments to introspect on their ways of life, re-think their growth trajectory and redefine the developmental path of future generations.
That is why in her wisdom she brings about things that challenge any known standards of living and stretches the imagination of a people. In our time, COVID-19 is what nature has given us as our lot. It shall be a ‘generational folly’ not to learn from economic history and get clear signals from this pandemic and consequent economic crisis.
Before February 2020, nobody would have imagined the whole world could lock their borders without exception and ground all planes. Nobody could have imagined an equalizer for all races under the sun was feasible leave alone becoming a reality for over 3 years. Nobody could have imagined a ‘unifier’ of the rich and the poor with a single stroke. Nobody could have imagined a world where it’s no longer cool to ‘check-in update’ on Facebook or tweet to the world ‘here I come’. Yet coronavirus just did that in split seconds.
As the world races to re-establish our new normal, nature has re-called unto herself from our midst those of high moral standing; she has sought to distinguish men and women from boys and girls in the realm of leadership, and through a hard economic tackle she has called our generation into order.
Shifting through economic history, the agricultural revolution turned humanity from hunters and gatherers. It ushered us into the age of civilization. The Industrial revolution mechanized labour and brought speed, economies of scale, and ‘shortened distance’ across various markets around the world. The knowledge revolution brought in its wake the economic miracles of Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Botswana, and now Taiwan (countries that are not driven by natural resource endowments) yet with enormous shared prosperity.
In the 21st century, the digital revolution has reduced the world into a global village. It has re-defined the way we live, with particular social media dictating the rules for leaders of nations and captains of industry. As COVID-19 caused economic havoc around the world, the privileges of our generation have saved many households of their livelihood. Just imagine how the world would have been to ‘stay home’ without the connectivities that enabled us to work from home.
But everything that has benefits has its fair share of negatives. The pandemic and technological privileges have also exposed pitfalls in leadership on the political and corporate fronts, especially now that people are working long hours online. Our children were kept away from school for several months. The past two years have been tough as schools raced to cover for lost time.
So, as the nation marked its 60th birthday, questions abound what have we made in these many years of independence? It is sad how thousands of people are trapped in cities and towns with no jobs and hence no livelihoods. Our cities and townships are growing more and more into slums instead of modern hubs of civilization. Across the villages, farmers are struggling with produce with nowhere to sell or always afraid of rains failing once more and turning their many days of labour into hot air or wild goose chase.
Thousands of poor folks do know not where to get their next meal. From official statistics, many MSMEs were never able to recover from corona and now are extinct.
But alas, what an anti-climax! An economy on its belly and struggling to recover is consumed in political blame game and leaders checkmating one another; a nation that has not been able to Marshall resources to provide food and assure basic supplies for essential health tool-kits for millions of its citizens in the face of a deadly pandemic; and a nation whose middle class and the masses poor are under the grip of fear and so much uncertainty of what tomorrow shall bring.
Yet, and sadly so, that which gives its leaders sleepless nights, those constitutionally entrusted with the management of the economy is the resumption of political theatrics. It is my view these Constitutional changes will never put any plate of food on the tables of vulnerable and desperate households. The sure outcome is a polarization of hungry people and a further dent to the few economic activities that have survived Corona shocks.
How insensitive? How low can a society sink? Ooh, how I weep for the generation of my children….woi woi…how I cry for the generation of my grandchildren!
But that is not the tragedy, the tragedy is my generation sees nothing abnormal or wrong with these turn of events; my generation continually lines up for a dance they know not who beats the drums and for what ends; my generation lines up for ‘dry bones’ as a generation of yesteryears share the choice meat, grown from their sweat and blood; my generation, the bright young men and women, the brightest, energetic in our Universities and colleges, and those who ought to bear the hopes and the vision for our children will dance to tunes for a morsel; and thereafter be condemned to economic misery and joblessness as their best years fly away!
It is not that we don’t appreciate the sacrifices the yester-generation made in service of our motherland, but every age of revolution demands a fresh thought process and a re-imagination of the way of doing things. In this world, everything has an expiry date. Every generation MUST accept a time comes to pass on the baton!
Who shall stand up in my generation? Who shall do the bidding for my children’s generation? Who shall leverage for my grandchildren’s generation? Where are the men and women of vision and courage in my generation? Where…where aren’t though?
For when the ‘economic storm’ strikes our shores, it will surely wipe us all without exception!
Ooh…how I cry for my children’s generation….Eloi…Eloi…I moan for the generation of my grandchildren. Yes, I weep for my nation!
Ooh Gracious lord…have mercy for the few remnants who are able to foresee the times and seasons, just as was the time of your servant Joseph!
God bless this, our land of Kenya!