Kenya's Planning Minister, Wycliffe Oparanya holds the Kenya Economic Survey 2011, which estimates that 14 million Kenyans are vulnerable to food insecurity. Photo/ standardmedia.co.ke
Dear Sir,
I am not sure whether it would be appropriate for me to offer my congratulations to you for the good news of an impressive economic performance, or if this is a preserve of your higher ups. Blame it on my poor mastery of protocol.
Perhaps I should not even be proffering compliments on account of the presentation that you made. Some sections of the Kenya Economic Survey 2011 struck me as very disturbing.
Of what use is an impressive economic growth if up to 35% of the population is classified as ‘vulnerable’ with regard to food security? Of what use is the performance of the economy fitting snugly with your predictions if one in every three Kenyans does not have access to sufficient and nutritious food supply at all times?
Sir, my humble submission is that this country needs much more than to ‘widen social protection policies’ to accommodate these 14 million Kenyans as you suggested. Consider the maxim that ‘we live in order to eat’ and juxtapose it with the fate of a person who does not have enough to eat. This is a matter of life and death. A state of emergency.
As you rightly mentioned, we need to solve into this issue of food insecurity once and for all. However, it calls for more than just talk. Listening to you pronounce how ‘we need’ to do all these fantastic things that would put food on the table of most, if not all Kenyans, one would think that’s all we need (that word again) to have them done. It sounded like the ‘Let there be’ story of creation.
Maybe am a tad too harsh. But what do you expect of me when a seed shortage falls bang in the middle of the planting season? And when a bumper harvest goes to waste because there are no proper storage facilities?
This is from a country that has this lofty vision, nay dream, of turning itself into ‘a globally competitive and prosperous country with a high quality of life’ and poverty alleviated from its face in the next 19 years.
I am not a pessimist; neither am I downplaying the things that you and the rest of the Kenyan government is doing. Mine is a simple message: we can do more. And that is where you, as the Honourable Planning Minister come in.
As one illustrious son of our land, Prof Calestous Juma has noted in his latest book, The New Harvest, political will makes a huge difference in changing the status quo.
In conclusion, I leave you with the wise words of Winston Churchill, who said, “He who fails to plan, is planning to fail”. Over to you, Mr Minister!
Yours Compatriot
But Still... 