MY WISH LIST FOR 2012

I have decided to write my wish list for the kind of President i desire and maybe just maybe my wishes will come true.So here goes....

1.A president who walks the talk on corruption.
A lot of the time we have had a lot of talk about this issue that has haunted our country since independence but nothing seems to come of all the talk.P L O Lumumba the head of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission and his staff seem to be making a lot of headway but we are still waiting for heads to roll.The talk against corruption needs to start with the head of government declaring it will not be tolerated and saying it till our ears hurt.When the head of government has to the moral courage to stand his ground on this,even the traffic cop on Mombasa road will think twice before picking up the fifty shillings left on the rad by the driver with the overloaded matatu.

2.A president who sees the bigger picture on environmental issue
A lot of the time we celebrate the opening of a new road and we envision the formula 1 speeds we will be having on the highway as rubber meets the road,not caring about our safety or that of other road users.We have enacted the so called mututho laws,NEMA ( National Environment Management Authority) authorizing that all psv vehicles carry a waste basket with such gusto we miss enacting those that would save lives.
Kenya is growing at the rate of a million every year and our resources like land remain constant.Take the example of lake Victoria which is seeing a war being waged on it from all sides.We have the flowing sewage finding its way into the lake and the water hyacinth menace, yet this lake is still expected to feed the growing mouths on its shores and generate enough water for the Egyptians downstream.With no time this lake that is the largest fresh water lake in Africa will be unable to meet the demands being placed on it.
After watching a documentary on the effluent that flaws into this lake i swore i wouldn't touch any fish other than that from a fish farm.These are the issues NEMA should be focusing on instead of on trivialities.And it would be a great boost if the President led the way in matters environmental or at least had someone competent enough to lead this fight.Otherwise we will have these people who rely on the lake for their food becoming instant candidates for famine relief very soon.

3.President who champions accountability and integrity.
Just this week a report detailing a study by the American Center for Disease Control found out that maize millers have been feeding Kenyans on flour whose aflatoxin levels were abnormally high, so much so it was deemed unfit for human consumption.I have yet to hear a word if any from either the Prime Minister or the President asking the millers to answer to this.This comes at a time when the Minister for Medical services had jetted back into the country after a prolonged stay in the United States where he was being treated for cancer.Aflatoxin is even secreted in milk from animals that may have fed on animal feed that is contaminated.According to Wikipedia high levels of aflatoxins may later result in liver cirrhosis or carcinoma of the liver.With such a gloom picture on the dangers of contaminated maize meals and other flours which Kenyans are fond of from wheat flour to that used to make porridge for babies who are this country's future,who is going to look out for the interest of Kenyans.

4.The President needs to be a people president.
Since independence Kenyans have relied on an elite pool of individuals from whom they choose a leader.It is about time we elected someone who understands what the common mwananchi goes through.From the rising fuel costs, to the rising price of a packet of unga,the Kenyan mwananchi is struggling to make ends meet.And if one has a family to feed,rent to pay and an extended family to support it is a miracle the way the average Kenyan man or woman is still able to get up in the morning and go to work,the stree of daily living could be more to balme for the rising inciddences of hypertension and other heart related ailments.Maybe if we had a President who recognizes the struggles we face everyday just to put food on the table then we may see changes in the way government is run.

5.We need a President who will unite Kenyans.
With 42 tribes so entrenched in their beliefs on why they should have a go at the top job,we need a President who will rise above tribal ethnicity and champion the need for a Kenya devoid of tribal baggage and one who understands that diversity should be celebrated and not used to divide us.A president who will unite us will be the first step towards building a Kenya for the future.

6.I need a President who dreams and sees visions.
A lot of the time when you listen to speeches from key leaders in government there is nothing to inspire you.Now a president who would paint pictures in words of what Kenya will be like in 20 0r 30 years and follow that with action definitely has my vote.He needs to be someone who inspires Kenyans and shows that hard work and perseverance will result in a better future for us and future generations.We are only on this earth for a time and we need to live it better than we found it.

7.A President who leads by example.
A lot of the problems that trouble us today can be laid squarely on the door of indiscipline.Just look at the way we drive,the way students vent their feelings by burning down educational institutions to the way we loot tankers of petrol .We need a President who will bring order to the chaos we are beset with today.Kenyans need to learn it pays to follow rules and the results of this will be seen in efficiency of services in government offices without the need to grease an officials hand and a more or less orderly society which cannot be a bad thing for any one.



I could go on and on on what i would like but i would be asking for perfection from a human being which is impossible to achieve.But maybe it would be easier to instill the values listed above in my children who hopefully will not have to live through the turmoil our country and its citizens have gone through.