Fighting Inequality in Kenya is acknowledging the humanity of all
by Antonia Musunga, Kenya National Coordinator, Fight Inequality Alliance
Recently, the Kenyan media space has been awash with stories of despair. Tales of women and children dying because they were denied treatment in public hospitals, children dropping out of school for lack of school fees and men committing suicide because they could not provide for their families have become Kenya’s daily headlines. Add the corruption scandals, high cost of living, and abuse of public office to the mix and Voila! We have Kenya.
This brings to mind this question: how did we get here? How did we get to a point where families have to decide between feeding their children or paying for treatment? How did we get to a point where mothers have to decide to keep their daughters and sons at home because school is unaffordable? How did it become acceptable that social and development services are less of a priority to a nation than servicing a debt? Increased vulnerability of the poor, exacerbated by the grim reality where the government barely responds to their needs means that the poor are being immolated twice over. The scourge of inequality is quickly growing and so we must begin taking action quickly.
To unpack this, we must begin by acknowledging the presence of a class system. There are a few powerful Kenyans who have access to quality healthcare and education and enjoy security while there is a larger group that has to grapple in poverty on a daily basis. The elites have a lot of influence on what happens in this country and how resources are allocated. And so by failing to prioritize the needs of a majority of Kenyans, many are exposed to dehumanizing conditions and situations every day, at the very least.
We believe that the solutions to the problems perpetuated by the elite can only come from those affected by inequality, and this is the reason why the Fight Inequality Alliance — Kenya was organized. The Alliance here in Kenya is mobilizing activists, organisations, women’s groups, grassroots groups, religious groups and ordinary Kenyans from all walks of life to hold their leaders accountable in delivering the services we need and fighting to change a society that has a very small number of rich people while so many go without. We are taking concrete steps to make that happen next in our national budget. We have a progressive constitution that gives us the mandate to participate in the budget making process at all stages and we are mobilizing all Kenyans to take part in their counties. The interests of Kenyans should be reflected in the budget and their humanity respected in all governance processes.
We are demanding for just and fair distribution of resources to meet the needs of all Kenyans; food security, clean water, affordable and clean energy, free public healthcare and education being the immediate of those needs. We are demanding that the government taxes the rich to protect the poor; that the rich pay their fair share of taxes to fund social services. We are demanding funding towards social protection services for survivors of gender-based violence, human trafficking, police brutality, orphans and the elderly. We want to see a government that actually delivers to us as Kenyans.
In this video, four activists from different walks of life are featured to show how they are making a difference and fighting inequality. Watch Juliani, Javan the Poet, Beth Wanjiku, and myself, as we let you in to our everyday realities, and how our common struggles unite us to #fightinequality.
The journey to a more equal society begins by treating the most affected and vulnerable in our communities with dignity and respect. We have to recognize and understand that not only is amassing huge wealth by the elite while there are people who struggle to make ends meet incredibly immoral but it also puts tremendous power in the hands of the few. Amassing scandalous amounts of money results in inequality, and the current system that allows this to happen is the same system that denies the poor human dignity.
Meanwhile, while the world recognizes the evils of inequality, those who are most affected know the solutions to this problem. We can no longer afford band aid solutions, and it is time that we tackle the problem by its roots. Kenyan leaders must do the right thing for the people they purport to represent. Representing the people must always involve protecting their interests, ensuring that they live in dignity and are protected from exploitation, violence and abuse. Not just for the present generations but for the generations to come.
