AFRICA
Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa
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Of Sleeping Giants and Roaring Lions
Ok, this economic tiger language seems to be gaining momentum.
Well, I exaggerate.
A little.
It’s two people. But, it’s who those people are that signifies.
First, during his visit to Kenya earlier this month, Thomas Friedman says
that although it’s too early to call us an economic tiger, we’re
definitely worth watching.
Now Colin Bruce the local head honcho of World Bank has chimed in, calling
Kenya one of three countries in Africa that have the potential to be
Economic Tigers, the other two being Nigeria and South Africa.
He, in effect, placed resource challenged Kenya alongside Nigeria, which
has significant oil deposits, and South Africa, which has vast mineral
resources. I think that says heaps. One of the things it says is that,
although not resource rich like the other two, Kenya has a highly skilled
labour force and that can translate, in the right economic climate, to a
knowledge economy to reckon with, after the fashion, for example, of
Singapore. Our problem seems to be translating potential into actual
significant, tangible gain, that is, sealing the deal.
So, are we really getting better at that? Or, are people just talking?
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What She thinks It's About
We Want To Know What You Did Last Summer
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So,
apart from grappling with the big mysteries of life, like why elephants
can’t dance, I have been listening to all the political rambling in Kenya
as background noise.
Sort of like leaving the TV on while having an animated conversation.
I have to admit, I’m impressed. Someone has definitely upped the ante in
the domestic political scene.
The presidential candidates in the opposition are actually putting
strategic plans on the table, defining in detail their vision and
expounding (a little) on how they plan to go about implementing it.
Good stuff.
Raila had my ears perked with his plan to concentrate on improving the
infrastructure. I think this is where the rubber meets the road in this
country at this time. The dreadful state of repair of our roads and our
railway system is what is curtailing economic growth of a kind we have the
potential to experience.
So, enticing proposition, Raila.
Kalonzo for his part tickled my fancy with his plan to ease the tax burden
significantly. And this after the incumbent government took his free
secondary education plan, combed its hair a little, hurriedly applied some
make up on it, and called it their own. Bravo, Kalonzo. Quick (almost)
save. Any plan that proposes to increase the flow of hard currency into my
account is red-carpet-cheering-crowds welcome.
Thing is, though, once it's in the door, you're obliged to interrogate it
thorougly, you know, to make sure it's the real deal. And, I’m not
convinced that he can make up for the significant loss in government
income from this reduction in our taxes simply by improving on collection
of legitimate taxes. Sorry. And since I cannot hold a man to a plan I’m
almost certain he cannot fulfil, he will have to pull a third carrot out
of that bag of goodies of his. I'm sure he's more than upto the task.
Still, all this is good stuff. Gives me hope where I'm inclined to
despair.
But, there’s an angle that’s glaringly missing in all of this.
Everyone’s talking about what they will do in the future. What about what
they’ve done in the past? Why’s nobody falling over themselves to report
what they’ve managed to accomplished in all their years in active
politics? Or at the very least, in these past five years?
We want to see the report cards, people, whip out them report cards. We
Want to Know What You Did Last Summer.
In the meantime, tell me, if you know, is it that Elephants can’t dance or
that we don’t recognise their dancing for what it is?
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Three Tigers