Update On Steve Biko’s Request To Speak With The President Of The Republic Of Kenya

Robert Heinlein once said that a generation that ignores history has no past and no future. A week ago, I launched a public appeal to meet the President of Kenya and present to him 14 items in a memorandum that I had compiled from engaging other Kenyans online: Issues Steve Biko Wafula Would Like To Meet And Present To The President Of Kenya Before Demos Are Called.

I have been wondering if my generation remembers its history or the comforts of middle class that have dulled their minds and drowned their memories? This has been gnawing at my conscience for a while now.

Since I did the story, there has been a national conversation around the issue and others have picked it up and taken a different route. Various leaders have called me, offering their advice and guidance but the common denominator is, no one cares about the plight of the ordinary Kenyan, and the middle class are so far gone into their debt supported comfort to even realize that their homes are up for sale, their jobs are no longer there.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi once said that a small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.

I started alone, but am happy with the feedback and that is why I am writing this blog to update you on how far my ques to meet the Head of State has reached. For the past week, every Kenya, online and offline, they have been talking about the issues that I raised in my aforementioned letter.

I must give credit where it’s due. The CAS for Industrialization, Trade & Enterprise Development Hon. David Osiany, HSC reached out to me, and said, Steve, let’s meet and talk about the issues you have raided and narrow them down and see what we can achieve so that we can take our country forward.

Happy to have hosted my brother @SokoAnalyst this morning at @Trade_Kenya @IndustryKE. I reached out to him following his quest to secure a meet President Kenyatta to discuss challenges facing MSMEs. Had a helpful & insightful discussion on existing interventions & way forward. pic.twitter.com/BKa9jIiey6

— Hon. David Osiany, HSC (@DavidOsiany) May 3, 2021

I was skeptical of being handled but I was pleasantly surprised. From the 14 issues we discussed, we narrowed them down to the following:

1. Tax Code; The need to reform it to factor in the different sizes of SMEs in the manufacturing sector (Tax Bands) and the need for tax relief for SMEs for the period 2020/21.
2. The need to amalgamate IDB, Consolidated bank, and others into one KEY bank for SMEs in manufacturing. Create Key access for funds.
3. The issue of BBI and the youth involvement. The need for us to judge our leadership based on policies that create a better and enabling environment for businesses to grow. The Handshake generation will pass BBI but it’s my generation that will implement and carry its burdens and profits. Hence the need to involve the right youth in the national conversation.
4. Unemployment aspect and why only manufacturing can be able to fix this issue is linked to production and Agro-processing
5. The need to set up key factories per county so as to jump-start our industrial revolution as a country and in the process address key challenges we are facing as a country
6. The vaccination question; Why healthcare is critical and how best to go about it
7. Access to affordable energy;  Manufacturing, Production, and Agro-processing will never take off unless affordable energy is available
8. The need to focus on exports; why we need to focus on exports, especially with our African partners.

The above eight points will resolve the following issues if addressed and implemented well:

1. Unemployment will be solved and jobs created in a more orderly, sustainable manner.
2. Streamline vaccination and fight COVID-19 better.
3. Access to credit will make it easier to invest more.

The CAS promised to do whatever he can to see how best to address the above 8 points and ensure that the Head of State gets them. He assured me that His Excellency will listen.

Ayn Rand once said that either we believe that the State exists to serve the individual or that the individual exists to serve the state. Am wondering which is which.

Am hopeful that we will get an audience with the President to pass our concerns and solutions. The reason why I am pushing this in every possible manner is that those charged with the responsibility to think for us, to serve us, are either lying to us and the President (Evidence is there for what officials at the Ministry of Health have been doing publicly) thinking we are morons. Hence I believe we are on our own and the President is not being told the truth.

However, I have reached out to the Speakers of both House of Parliament and I am focusing on ensuring they get a copy of the Memorandum and we can push to ensure that the issues are debated alongside the BBI issue.

I would like to exhaust every possible civil route to have a national conversation and if this fails, then you will guide me on what to do next because the youth and the young people of this country have no one speaking for them but CAS Osiany impressed me today and am hoping and praying that he keeps his word. That would be a gem.

We need to raise the tempo of our conversation because no one else will speak for us.

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