Page 49 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 14

Economy

cost of a pineapple in Marsabit is correctly, that’s almost five hours
one dollar, but in Kajiado County But, let me tell you how I ended to complete a task that in Amster-
(ranked 20 places above Marsabit up here, reflecting on the issue of dam would probably take less than
in the list I mentioned earlier) is economic apartheid and its national 2 minutes to do. Also, our network
fifty US cents and what that means and international roots and effects interruptions during our interview –
to the health of the citizens of on Afrika’s ability to thrive. The and others that we have experienced
Marsabit, who cannot affordably other day, I was transcribing an – mean that we are not currently
access the potassium, bromate and interview we did on Msingi Afrika able to stream live interviews to our
vitamins in this fruit. This seems TV with Marcel Kwedi the CEO audiences as would be our prefer-
to work in direct contradiction to of WOHAOO S.A.R.L. on a new ence. Instead, we have to record,
the IMF’s claims to be in support cryptocurrency for Afrika that is spend hours editing, then upload
of the UN’s Sustainable Develop- designed specifically for her. I was (using double the amount of data
ment Goals, one of which is to do typing away when something he said we would have used) in order to
with health. How would causing in the interview suddenly jumped share. It is a limitation that we have
immense economic pressure on a out at me. During our interview, our come to tolerate in Afrika as being
county such as Marsabit, in Kenya, internet connection had gone down ‘one of the hurdles’ we have to deal
help people overcome poverty or for a few minutes and when it was with – but it is not a limitation that
become healthy and live peaceful- restored, he explained that such a others in the west face. Think about
ly? In fact, if my reading of Wario thing never happened to him in the that.
Mulicha’s article in The Elephant five years he spent in Amsterdam.
on ‘The Politics of Violence in Neither internet, nor electricity Another thing Marcel said was that
Marsabit County’ is correct, the would go down because the com- we imported the use of asphalt
solution to the conflicts which panies felt a responsibility to supply roads to our countries in Afrika,
Marsabit faces could be the equi- a reliable service to their custom- where the weather does not support
table allocation of resources. This ers. But that in Afrika, the mobile their longevity. It’s too hot. So, they
sounds, to me, like the solution companies, many of which are break down frequently and have to
to many of the problems facing owned by former imperial coloniz- be repaired. Think about how much
Afrika as well. Which means then ers of Afrika, provide a service that money your country has invested in
that there is no ‘one size fits all’ is sub-par and that they don’t feel a its asphalt road network and how
economic policy that the central responsibility towards their custom- much time they spend fixing it.
government of Kenya can make in ers. This little domino he uttered That’s two steps forward, six steps
order to meet the needs of its citi- triggered an effect in my mind that back. Or, in other words, it is the
zens across the country. Or that the connected to many other pieces illusion of progress. It’s the mom
IMF and the World Bank can force I had been considering over time. who is keeping the children distract-
down our throats. It also means ed, while she gets done what she
that a different approach, based on For example, I was working on a needs to get done in the house. It’s
‘seeing’ each other and recognizing new website that we are hoping the west and the east keeping Afrika
that we are in this ‘boat’ together is to launch soon, and our internet occupied with the notion that devel-
needed and urgently. Which makes kept disconnecting and reconnect- opment means schools, roads and
one wonder at the implementation ing, as did our electricity. For this hospitals, while in reality working
of the fuel price increases in the reason, for every action I took on behind the scenes to change the
manner in which they have been the website, I had to wait at least standards of education to exclude
done. There has been talk that the three minutes before it was accom- our graduates, erode health through
current president has restrained his plished. I have had better speeds, agricultural and pharmaceutical
hand on at least two occasions that even in my current location, where means and provide infrastructure
I am aware of and has held back one click yields a result in a second that will break down very soon
from increasing prices. That is com- or two. This time I was waiting 180 and leave the continent using for
mendable, however, perhaps finally seconds before a single task was repairs money that was intended for
putting his foot down and doing for accomplished for just one aspect growth. It’s China giving Kenya an
the country what the country needs of that website and I needed to old train (based on the comments
would be the ideal way to go. The perform this action a minimum of of one Chinese passenger that my
same goes for every other head of 91 times before all the tasks were husband and I overheard while trav-
state or government in Afrika. completed. If I have calculated this eling to Mombasa some time back)

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