By Billy Mijungu
Cynicism and tokenism are some of the greatest threats to governance and economic growth. They cheapen our national discourse and weaken the moral authority of leaders to stand firmly for what is right.
These so-called empowerment drives that parade as generosity are in fact our weakest policies. They raise an important question, where is the money coming from. Are we whittling down our already strained development budgets just to promote political tokenism.
When over one million dollars is pulled from the treasury to fund quick handouts that create no sustainable industry, it leaves the nation poorer and jobless. For a country that needs jobs, industries, and genuine growth, these experiments are costly distractions that rob us of our future.
We cannot continue to trade away real development for applause that lasts only a day. The country requires serious investments in production and infrastructure that can open up opportunities for millions. The state has embarked on privatisation programs, but the question remains, who is buying these strategic companies and where will the proceeds go.
It cannot be that such proceeds are swallowed into the Consolidated Fund where accountability gets blurred. It must be made law and practice that every shilling raised from the sale of a strategic national asset goes directly back to the sector that generated that wealth. Only then can privatisation fuel growth rather than weaken sovereignty.
If you sell part of Kenya Pipeline, the proceeds should build a new pipeline all the way to Southern Sudan and Ethiopia. That is how to open markets, grow exports and secure strategic energy advantage. If shares in Kenya Railways are sold, that money must not disappear into recurrent spending but instead finance the new Railway City, expand commuter lines and extend the Standard Gauge Railway alongside the new pipeline.
These are not difficult economic choices, they are simple and obvious, yet they require integrity and courage to pursue. Such decisions would not only anchor growth but could lift our gross domestic product by three to five percent within a few years.
Kenya must embrace clarity in development. Our policies must be long term and grounded in reality. Tokenism offers nothing but a false sense of progress, and in truth it is another face of corruption. It denies the youth genuine opportunities, it strips the country of momentum, and it makes governance look like theatre.
The future of this nation cannot rest on handouts and public relations drives. It must rest on the heavy work of building infrastructure, supporting industries, empowering farmers, and creating a strong manufacturing base.
We must fight tokenism in the same way we fight corruption because it is in fact corruption in disguise. A modern economy does not survive on staged generosity.
It thrives on planning, strategy, discipline, and honesty in leadership. For Kenya to rise, every coin must go into projects that create jobs, generate wealth, and secure our position in the region as a strong and self-reliant economy. The time for tokenism is over. The time for real development is now.
