Apart from tribal supremacism we also have this national supremacist ideology. You will hear Kenyans yapping about how our neighbours are a 100 years behind us. Some even claim to have travelled widely in the region.
Which neighboring country have you ever seen receive food aid during peacetime? Even some of those ravaged by war have enough food for themselves.
I always ask them where in the region you find the kind of slums you find in Kenya. When have you ever seen emaciated people in Tanzania, Uganda or Rwanda receiving food aid with half the flesh on their body?
There are people still obsessed with the days when our neighbours were at war and we were the proverbial island of peace. Many forget that success is work in progress not a destination. We are walking backwards and our neighbours are walking forwards.
We need to get out of these empty supremacist ideologies. Our neighbours are working day and night to make up for lost time. On the other hand, we think we have the luxury to mess up and bask endlessly in glory of days gone by.
There are people foolish enough to think that criticising your country’s political and economic situation is engaging in self hate. You can never make progress without introspection and self correction.
This is for those claiming how East African countries are 100 years behind us
“In 1990 Kenya exported 1,969,000 bags of coffee while Uganda exported 2,353,000 bags of coffee.
In 2017 Kenya exported 699,000 bags of coffee while Uganda exported 4,774,000” ICO
Of the neighbors, we have the worst ( if even existent) nationalistic culture. If you even get to that layer . A man will feast while his own brother starves, meanwhile he is a tribal demigod. The only people who are true nationalists are the athletes. Rest of others are Mjaluo, Mkamba, mluhya, etc.
Layers from the bottom up: Self, family, neighbor, community, Nation.
If you can’t guarantee your grandkids a decent education or healthcare, you are stuck at the bottom layer. And your nation moves accordingly.
Just look at that video. Those neighboring nations are only good at hiding their less flaterring realities[and their medias are not free]. But it is actually true that we are 100 years ahead of some.
I would rather hawk tomatoes than spend the whole day harvesting coffee. Mzee ako na 2 acres ya kahawa but alikata yote na kupanda nappier grass. The narrative is the same allover Central Kenya. We Kenyans cannot keep on farming a crop with meagre returns. Kina Sani ndio walikwamisha akili zao kwa kulima tu mahindi year in year out.