Geoffrey Kerosi is an economic and public policy analyst who is currently focusing on the publicly available five-year plans popularly called County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs).
These documents are hiding in broad day light. It’s sad that some counties do not implement the mega “flagship projects” as listed in these mega plans.
I’m a sad man since I discovered that counties spent millions of Kenyan shillings to hire consultants who developed the plans, additional millions were spent on public forums and conference packages across the country.
After spending astronomical figures on the important policy documents why then do we set them aside and start implementing projects from elsewhere. Are we firefighting? Implementing projects based on our emotions as opposed to our intelligent planning? It is so strange. Today I was telling one of my course mates – Ben- at my postgraduate class that if the state would just implement the grand plans in our County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) Kenya will be transformed into one of the best countries to live in in Sub Saharan Africa.
My plans
For the next five months, I will dive into the 5-year plans of all the 47 counties and expose to the world whatever I can to promote debate and participation in demanding for accountability from our elected leaders at the county level.
Let’s push for the implementation of projects as they are listed in the CIDP or better still make revisions and then implement. Imagine we are supposed to start reviewing the documents across the country (possible in 2020) before most of the 47 counties would even scratch the surface of these plans.
Why do I care?
My logic is simple. All of us pay taxes. Taxes are mandatory. This means whether we like it or not, we must do two things. 1. Pay taxes. 2. die. Period. Now that these two items are compulsory, let’s see how we can embrace them and live our best lives as we do so.
First, since you and me pay taxes, while you are at it, let’s make sure the tax money is spent prudently in accordance with the Principles of Public Finance Management in Kenya. Who doesn’t need good roads, affordable housing, available and affordable drugs and services at our public hospitals? affordable and readily available education and even clean piped water in adequate quantities? We all do, or so I guess.
When our countrymen migrate to New York, Washington DC, London, Geneva, Berlin and Stockholm among other leading western capitals it is because they are searching for green pastures. I strongly believe that we can cultivate that green pasture here at home. In fact we can learn from ordinary souls such as Robert Moses who build New York to a magnificent city that it is today or should seek for inspiration form Georges-Eugène Haussmann a man who helped re-built the French capital city, Paris.
Robert Moses was nicknamed “Master Builder” and he was a super civil servant. Nearer home we can equate him to the super Minister and prefect of all Kenyan Cabinet Secretaries Dr. Fred Matiang’i. The two have similarities in terms of delivering in time and making things happen.
Robert Moses was responsible for building the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan as opposed to Philadelphia. He earned a PhD in political science from Columbia University.
Death
Apart from taxes, death is also inevitable too and that will form a topic for another day. Death plucks people from among us. Our turn will come.
Recently, I lost my grandpa and now the celebrated Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with a Midas touch, Bob Collymore, is no more. He has gone to be with the ancestors.
Bob’s remains were cremated yesterday at Kariakor Crematorium. He would afford all the material wealth you can dream of but he is most remember for his humanity and ability to related with people from all walks of life. He was an amazing man from the stories of those who know him personally. People like the news anchor and radio host Jeff Koinange, musician Julian and the bravest award winning photojournalist Boniface Mwangi among others.
Bob Collymore was at the helm of a leading blue chip communication company in Kenya, he had seen it all having spent his childhood in Guyana (his country of origin), later he studied in the United Kingdom (UK) where his mother used to reside. Before coming to Kenya to head Safaricom he work for Vodacom in South Africa.
He was a global citizen. When he arrived in Kenya, he fell in love not with the county alone but also with its people. That is why he gracefully took Kenyan citizenship and even married one of our own – Wambui Kamiru Collymore back in 2016.
As you have learnt, there are many reasons why we should be active citizens. It has economic, social and cultural benefits attached to it.
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