Firstly, sincere apologies for a delayed reversal; this came at a time we were in the nick of things stitching things together for the Kisumu Reunion, and at the same time recovering from the marathon GoSS/CTO conference in Juba.
Having said that, I want to reiterate the importance of paying a close look at the Singapore Model! This belief was even more fortified when Dr Seroney yesterday shared with us the Singaporean Experience (being not far from Fiji where he is based), and more so the fact that despite being a ‘tiny’ island (the size of Mombasa: I don’t know!), Singapore is perhaps the world’s 3rd or 4th strongest economy (fastest growing? Per capita? GDP/GNP? The Economists can tell us). I am reminded of a study we had to take for the Ethiopian Govt about 3 years ago. Initially, some of the countries picked for comparative study were South Africa, India, Egypt, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius and Rwanda. The first thing I learnt was not to mix Egypt with Ethiopia; they are archrivals. At the time, the population of Ethiopia was either 76m or 80m depending on your source. Egypt’s population then was quoted at 78m; for the ‘patriotic’, Ethiopia’s had to be 80m to be Africa’s 2nd most-populous country after Nigeria!!
But more fundamentally, one of the people I was answerable to told me point blank: “Rwanda and Mauritius are such tiny economies that there is little to learn from them!”. And he meant it! As to whether he was right or wrong I leave to each person’s judgment. Yet one thing that I can say and reminds me of when in the same year a grouping of over 200 young Kenyan professionals invited me to Naivasha for a retreat and gave me as Guest Speaker the topic ‘Is Kenya a Failed State?’ May response was the same thing I would have told the Et officer concerned: “If you asked me if Rwanda or Mauritius (or Singapore by extension – despite being ‘tiny’) are failed states, I would know what to answer because neither/none of them is. But if you asked me if Kenya (or Ethiopia by extension) are/is, I am not sure what I would answer because they are both pretty much on the verge of failed states, but not yet.” Indeed, the current on-goings and confusion on the national stage have strengthened even the more my resolve to so believe. The far and short of it: a country’s greatness is not necessarily in its geographic size – or even population. It is more in its wealth, knowledge, power to innovate, and LEADERSHIP (as Nd. Rogers says very well).
Courtesy of Nd. Jared Oluoch in the US, I am almost completing reading the Book by Father of Modern-Day Singapore, Dr Lee Kuan Yew (Former Prime Minister): Singapore - From Third World to First (one may add ‘in 30 years’). In an article recently by Visioner Donald Kipkorir, he talked about Singapore, Rwanda and Turkey as models, and argued how Turkey’s Leadership turned the country around in a span of 10 years! Nd Seroney yesterday informed us of how President Mutharika turned Malawi’s Agricultural/Food sector around in just one year (where he once worked; he currently advises 17 Ministries of Health in the Pacific, yet Kenyan Health Minister can’t have time just for tea with him)! Some of you may recall that just in one year of Malawi’s Govt’s policy change to subsidize implements to farmers, the country moved from huge food insecurity/deficit to surplus. We were informed that last year when we faced food shortage, Malawi ‘donated’ some food/corn to Kenya! What shame, if true!
The one thread of argument – and which appears true in most the success cases cited is some degree of benevolence/selflessness and dictatorship aka ‘benevolent dictatorship’. Dictators even Kenya can have in plenty; what’s a far shot is the latter attribute: benevolence and selflessness.
Even just from a few sample sub-titles of Lee Kuan Yew’s book, it is a compelling must-read:-
i) Getting the basics right
ii) Building an army from scratch
iii) Surviving without a hinterland
iv) Winning over the [trade] unions
v) A fair, not welfare, state
vi) Straddling the middle ground
vii) Nurturing and attracting talent – [one of the parts I like most]
viii) Many tongues, one language
ix) Keeping the government clean
x) Greening Singapore
xi) Managing the media
xii) Conductor of an Orchestra
xiii) ASEAN – Unpromising start, promising future
xiv) Following Britain into Europe
xv) The Soviet Union – An Empire implodes
xvi) America – The Anticommunist Anchorman
xvii) Taiwan – The Other China
xviii) China – The Dragon with a long tail
xix) China beyond Beijing
xx) China: To be rich is glorious
His candidness – even when he talks about living world power presidents he encountered is unrivalled. The following words of sample world leaders who commented on the book and author say it all:-
“In office, I read and analyzed every speech of [Lee’s]. He had a way of penetrating fog of propaganda and expressing with unique clarity the issues of our times and the way to tackle them. He was never wrong.” Margaret Thatcher
“There are two equalizers in life: the Internet and education. Lee Kuan Yew is a world leader who understands this and is using the power of the Internet to position Singapore for survival and success in the Internet economy.” John Chambers, President & CEO, Cisco Systems
“This is a personal history of a man who, almost single-handedly built a great nation from a small island… this is the first textbook in the world on how to build a nation.” Kuchi Miyazawa, Finance Minister, Japan [Perhaps someone should right a rebuttal on Kenya on ‘how not to build a nation’. In the earlier years – about 10 ago, UK was used by some as an example of ‘how not to build e-government’. I guess it has since changed.]
“Lee Kuan Yew’s vision, astute political judgment, and strategy turned Singapore from a trading post into the successful thriving nation that it is today, respected by others. For those interested in politics and economic development, his memoirs should be required reading.” Tun Daim Zainuddin, Malaysian Finance Minister.
Having served GoR (Rwanda), and now Nd. Rogers confirms – Singapore’s leadership is the script Rwanda reads from. In terms of Rwanda’s Vision (which is owned by the people, like our new constitution), the Kenya’s Vision 2030 is owned by a small clique/elite. I hope one day we can have a truly people’s vision.
Given the importance of Lee Kuan Yew’s book, I decided [courtesy of Dada Wams] to give as a small present two copies to my President and Minister (not Kenya, of course!). After several months/years of searching, a bookshop at JKIA’s duty free now stocks the book copies. Incidentally, a good friend of mine at CCK [Wakili John Omo] who has recently picked a copy from the airport holds that a couple of years ago, while in Singapore itself he couldn’t get the book as it was ‘out of print’. Several times while connecting flights at airports in Jo’burg, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Bangkok – and last month in various Chinese Capital Cities – Beijing, Shenzhen & Shanghai, we had great difficulty finding the book in any of the bookstores!
Finally, as Nd. Rogers attests, apart from a vision, a clear implementation plan is necessary. For those of us striving towards the ‘third way’, one thing we need ahead of 2012 is a sound ‘manifesto and economic blueprint’, akin to what NARC had in 2002. Any takers? Let’s talk via private mail.
Warm rgrds,
Shem
From: Rogers Ngotwa <ngotwa@yahoo.com>
To: NVK-Mageuzi@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, 13 December, 2010 11:37:05
Subject: Re: [NVK-Mageuzi] Honouring the man who linked Kenya to world.
From: Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho@yahoo.com>
To: NVK-Mageuzi@yahoogroups.com; PICTA Kenya-LIst <picta-kenya@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: NYCIV Group <nyciv@googlegroups.com>; ProgressiveMinds <ProgressiveMinds@yahoogroups.com>; Madaraka Party <madaraka-kenya@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, December 13, 2010 10:17:39 AM
Subject: Re: [NVK-Mageuzi] Honouring the man who linked Kenya to world.
Comrades,
Many thanks for the compliments. I am sincerely humbled.
One thing that continues to bother me though is that in the land of my fore-fathers and mothers, excellence and merit are not recognized and/or rewarded. Instead, 'mediocrity, political expedience, and ethnic bigotry' rein high. I feel VERY saddened that even as tributes and accolades are being churned all over the world for mPesa, nobody knows and even cares to ask about the young Kenyan university student who invented the product; instead MJ & Safaricom are feted on every high table for ripping off and continuing to rip-off Kenyans. Did somebody say as if that's not enough, he has now been crowned Chair of KTB/KTDC? Please.... I hope one day soon I'll convince Nd. Okiya to take Safaricom to court not only for exploiting Kenyans through poor quality service (CCK confirmed that recently in its own study) and
over-pricing -
just like the oil companies are doing, contrary to provisions of the Bill of Rights in the new Katiba.
For the time being, I'll keep my Award under the bushel until the young boy of mPesa shows up and is appropriately recognized and feted. Even better, I'll rejoice more when another Kenyan/African evolves a product superior to mPesa. Identifying, nurturing and retaining talent is the magic that propelled Singapore to greatness. Rwanda is reading from the same script as Eng. Rogers will confirm. Southern Sudan too is taking cue.
Aluta continua, and best rgrds,
Shem
From: Rogers Ngotwa <ngotwa@yahoo.com>
To: NVK-Mageuzi@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, 13 December, 2010 9:59:51
Subject: Re: [NVK-Mageuzi] Honouring the man who linked Kenya to world.
From: Evans MACHERA <evansmachera@yahoo.com>
To: NVK-Mageuzi@yahoogroups.com; YOUNG PROFESSIONALS <youngprofessionals_ke@googlegroups.com>; KENYA ONLINE <kenyaonline@yahoogroups.com>; Vugu Vugu <vuguvugumashinani@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: PICTA Kenya-LIst <picta-kenya@yahoogroups.com>; NYCIV Group <nyciv@googlegroups.com>; ProgressiveMinds <ProgressiveMinds@yahoogroups.com>; Madaraka Party <madaraka-kenya@yahoogroups.com>; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Sun, December 12, 2010 5:14:47 PM
Subject: [NVK-Mageuzi] Honouring the man who linked Kenya to world.
Dr.Ochuodho. I wish to register my congrats to Dr.Shem Ochuodho as he receives and appreciates the Honour and his recognition. As a read the Local Daily Newspaper that carried the story,my thought could not help but went round and about Dr.Shem the Politician ( one time Mp for Rangwe) and Dr.Shem Ochuodho the Professional. My heart settled on the professional since in professionalism,one comes up with an initiative that changes the whole world if not part of it as opposed to a politician who is sometimes entangled in episodes that decolourise his good side to the extent of soiling the career life picture already made or burrying it wholly. I take the liberty to question thus; Should Professionals seek elective posts i.e Mp! Thanks to you all. Evans MACHERA. --- On Sun, 12/12/10, PAUL GITONGA <gpmaina@gmail.com> wrote:
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