STOP SUBJECTING THE NOBLE KAZI KWA VIJANA INITIATIVE TO POLITICAL PING PONG.

Dear Peace Loving Kenyan, Reports that the noble Kazi Kwa Vijana Initiative is grounding to a halt due to non release or delayed release of funds by treasury are extremely disturbing. It is even more disturbing to learn that the reason for the non release of these funds could be politically motivated. However the fears that the program was to suffer from political ping pong was never far from the surface. It had always been said that certain government functionaries were unwilling to see the government finance a noble and popular program that was a brainchild of the Prime Minister. With concerted efforts from the well meaning leaders and the larger public, treasury was forced to play ball. And now they are reverting back to the same old dirty tricks. For one to assert that treasury is only funding priority projects is untenable as it is akin to saying that the empowerment of the youths is least among the Government`s priorities. This argument is an obvious contradiction of the development pillars of this Government. It doesn`t require a genius to tell that this hasty retreat, nay, abdication of the treasury from its rightful role in the social welfare and development of this program is ill informed. Moreover, the move is inconsistent with the Country`s vision 2030. Yet it is clear to all and sundry that where there is no vision people perish. Don`t we know that even the devil can cite scripture for his own purpose? Behind this façade is the reasoning that the youths have to remain perpetually poor and vulnerable to the smooth talking politicians. But we know who and what they are. In the words of W S Gilbert, “Skim milk masquerades as cream”. That is why they loath anybody with concrete a program to aid the vulnerable in the society. Perhaps, Cardinal Elda Camara captures the truth when he said that “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint but when I ask them why the poor have no food, they call me an opposition and a communist. Using this line of thought we can easily contextualize the predicament that the youths in Kenya find themselves in. Since independence no successive government has come up with a strategy to pull the youths out of the debilitating poverty. The reasoning has always been that they are left perpetually helpless in order to make them vulnerable to the machinations of the political elites. The painting of an illusory future is the preferred means of keeping the youths hooked to them. Yet it is abundantly clear that the panacea to the grinding youth unemployment, poverty and increased crime levels is a concrete empowerment program to steer the youths into self reliance. The Government must be a facilitator and an enabler of the youths ` process of self development. It was this in mind that the Prime Minister came up with the Kazi Kwa Vijana Program. This was not only a way of empowering them but to also make them less vulnerable to politicians who are to always ready to use them as mercenaries for their selfish political interests especially during the electioneering periods. But it seems as if some politicians are unhappy with the success of this noble program and are hell bent at disrupting it and dismantling it altogether. They opine that it is giving the Prime Minister a cutting edge among the youth. This is quite unfortunate because I thought that it is competition among politicians, in terms of constructive ideas that we desperately need today. This action or inaction by treasury brings to the fore the need for the public to demand consistency in quality management by the various government organs. Consistency is borne out of determination by the public to place the right people in their rightful positions of responsibility commensurate with their experience and training and to demand the de-politicization of services in the country. After all the ministers and technocrats in the ministries are public servants entrusted by the public the responsibility of managing the public`s resources. To the public and especially the youth, let them draw inspiration from John P Curan who said that “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. TOME FRANCIS, BUMULA CONSTITUENCY.