Page 51 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 12

MY AFRIKA

proved a loan to Kenya worth $
2.34 billion and unwittingly set off
a social media storm with Ken-
yans taking their protests online.
This new loan came on the back
of increasing disappointment and
discontentment with the govern-
ment’s management of the country’s
increasing public debt as well as
the theft and misappropriation of Nigeria 2020 EndSars protest. Photo: Pexels.com
funds - with the president him-
self admitting that $18 million is with everything you have against a
lost daily from state coffers due to massive rock that seems immovable, Obviously, thriving in the middle
corruption. According to reports, other times the rock shifts just an of civil strife is only the domain of
the country has received over inch, yet others perhaps a mile. It those in control of the strife; arms
$6.4 billion in loans in the past 12 can seem discouraging and futile dealers, rebel leaders, their funders
months or so. A petition to the IMF sometimes trying to change Afrika’s and so on. For the citizens, there
was started which quickly garnered heart and ways but one cannot af- really isn’t much that happens by
over 200,000 signatures, asking the ford to give up. Like Tracey Chap- way of safely raising their babies to
international body NOT to lend man sang, “Don’t you know, they’re adulthood or planting food crops
money to the Kenyan government, talking about a revolution, it sounds and expecting to be able to tend
citing an excessive debt burden, like a whisper. Poor people are gon- them until harvest or even to har-
graft and misuse of funds as the key na rise up and get their share, Poor vest them if you do. The uncertainty
reasons. Within days of the approval people are gonna rise up and take leads to instability and tension that
of the loan, Kenyans had reduced what’s theirs... just finally the tables Afrika doesn’t need. So, even while
the IMF app rating from 5 to 1 as are starting to turn...” creating a tidal wave on social media
part of their protest and flooded can get people to hear a message or
IMF Facebook live series comments International and Afrikan bodies while being disgruntled and march-
section with demands that loans to were all quick to condemn the ing through the streets as part of
the country be stopped using the military takeovers in the examples the exercising of one’s civil rights
hashtags #StopLoaningKenya and above because they cannot be seen can help draw attention to an issue,
#StopGivingKenyaLoans. The IMF to approve of a coup in this day and even while forcibly removing an
responded to Kenyans, saying that and age – no matter how that coup evil dictator and sending him to the
they had loaned the government may have been started and despite ICC for trial, while bringing in stale
more money to help them con- them not taking decisive action on blood to run things for an interim
tain public debt. The institution, it the evident injustices prevalent in period can shift the nature of the
seems, had far underestimated the those countries - until the military landscape for a while – the more
ire of Kenyans four out of five of action was taken. It is a blatant hy- fundamental revolutions in Afrika
whom, according to a recent survey, pocrisy that Afrikans have become can only begin from within. Within
felt anxious, fearful or angry because accustomed to. In times of peace, the individual.
of the debt burden. The IMF – of everybody says, just hang in there,
course – has not had a change of let’s not upset the applecart, let’s We need a MIND
heart and pushes relentlessly for- make step changes – when radical REVOLUTION
ward to soak Kenya in more debt. change comes they adapt and deal It is impossible to divorce corrup-
with the situation at its new level... tion on any scale or wickedness
Those are just five examples in a before going back to the same old and cruelty or nepotism from the
continent of fifty-five nations with step-change rhetoric. Meanwhile, individual. It is either by the choice
multiple stories just like those of the person left to bear the heaviest of or compliance and complacency
weary citizens pushing for change. of the burdens for their rhetoric of the individual that the rot takes
Flashes of brilliance, barometers of is the one who has to live with the root and spreads. I do not discount
social change... indicators of public wickedness and injustices each day, the very real threat of repercussions
sentiment and levels of commit- while their defenders turn on them that exist in many of these despotic
ment. Sometimes it’s like pushing to attack and oppress them further. nations. Death by assassination is

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