>>> The Presidential Battlefield: >> same goal, different visions, different strategies!

It’s The American vs. Kenyan politics...

I am writing this with the hope that this post is going to find its way to at least one or two of the Kenyan political leaders.

The election date is drawing closer, and all who are seeking to clinch the presidential seat are busy campaigning and on a mission to woo voters to help them achieve their goal.

As we all know the election period is always an intense one and sometimes when proper care is not taken, conflict and hostility between the opposing parties could arise.

Mark this: the strategies you use as a leader to campaign could either build or destroy your nation!

I say this with great conviction because I have witnessed it in my own country, it is so easy to destroy a nation through politics and it always seems that when it comes to the political scene, people get so aggressive and corrupt deals become the order of the day.

"Know this, America: Our problems can be solved, our challenges can be met. The path we offer may be harder, but it leads to a better place. And I'm asking you to choose that future." President Barrack Obama

I was glued to the T.V screen watching and listening to President Barrack Obama’s speak to thousands of delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C:  I must say, his speech moved me into deep thought. The way he presents his vision with great confidence and composure automatically brings out his leadership skills.

On the other hand, trying to identify a great leader in Kenya is quite a hustle. Even with the campaigns going on, if one was to carry out a research on the most preferred presidential candidate, you would notice that either quite a good percentage aren’t sure, or if they are, the reason as to why they would vote for that particular candidate wouldn’t be any thing close to their vision.

The American general election debates between presidential candidates could be a very great idea to be incorporated in most African states; nevertheless, this also depends on the number of candidates vying for that particular position.

In Kenya we have over 10candidates each one of them battling for the presidential seat; the question to ask is; who is worth your vote? As they all go around campaigning in different regions it is very clear that the Kenyan politics has been and is still being driven by ethnicity and lack of a clear vision.

The problem with Kenya’s political scene is that the strategies being used by politicians to campaign is based on coercing the public to develop a hostile attitude towards the opposing side: and so in most cases time is wasted on attacking the opposition as opposed to presenting a clear vision to the public.

I dream of the day I will witness a nation where two opposing parties can sit in a room and present their manifestos to a group of people without being jeered at or attacked. A forum where leaders speak of what they stand for and where they hope to take this great nation without having to throw stones at their competitors.

Don’t get me wrong: I am not asking our leaders to be or talk like Barrack Obama or Martin Luther: but don’t you think there is a lot that can be borrowed from their leadership and presentation skills?

To our leaders: the people seeking to achieve the same goal as you aren’t your enemies but competitors, it’s just that your dream for the country and how you want to go about realizing it is different. So let’s all stop this hate speech and public attacks and focus on your vision for the country and the people you seek to serve. Speak in truth and conviction, and act on your word!

"I won't pretend that the path I'm offering is quick or easy. I never have. You didn't elect me to tell you what you wanted to hear. You elected me to tell you the truth. And the truth is, it will take more than a few years for us to solve challenges that have built up over a decade." President Barrack Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C

Written by:

Dorcas Waringa

September 7^th 2012

*** Snippets of my life >>> after campus... (Part III)

Moving on to the next level..*

After the party…

The excitement fades and it’s time to witness all your campus dreams come to reality… Right..? And you probably thought; since you have successfully completed your four or two year-course and you have your certificates and transcripts to show for it… that job is definitely gonna be yours!

I must admit that after I had gotten over the fact that I had graduated, it didn’t bother me at first whether I was going to get a job immediately or not, I felt like I needed a much more deserved rest; after all I had been working even before I graduated! It’s just normal but not okay that most people my age would have reasoned that way, considering the fact that I had graduated at a much younger age.

So the first month goes by, then the second and now the third; I have almost used up a big share of my savings on fun and now the thought of where I’m gonna get more cash strikes me. At least when in school it’s a little bit easier for some; because all you have to do is just ask for it from your parents or guardians and you get it in an instant.

My parents (thanking God for them) are the kind of people who really found and still find it hard to say no when they really can provide to us something that’s within their means. So most of the times in campus I would have my way with the school trips and being dropped off every morning and picked-up after my evening classes. I mean, getting used to such stuff and now having to think of independence?! I must say it definitely wasn’t going to be an easy ride for me… and true to my word; it became a challenge and still is.

Where was I? Yes after the third month reality suddenly checks in; I needed not just a job but a serious one! After all, who would want to go through a hard-work experience for four years in university with the expectation of ending up with a low paying job? Don’t get me wrong, in this generation at least most of us if not all would have expected more, and this is the time that you hope that everything you ever wished for came on a silver platter.

Your C.V has been well organized; with your profile reflecting highly on your achievements and vision perhaps with the hope that somebody somewhere is going to be impressed and be a part of helping you realize your dreams. You later come to realize that it wasn’t going to be that easy after all.

Time goes by and you realize your social circle has been reduced to discussions on recent job openings and the next place you are gonna drop your CVs. I mean, applying for a job in Kenya has been considered work in itself only that it isn’t paying:  the most annoying part of it is that at the end of the day you get no or minimal response.

On a lighter note; this is the time you keep your phone so close to you with the hope that any call you receive could be a miracle!

With all these frustrations, you get to realize how important networking is, when seeking to apply for the job of your dreams. How do you even survive in a country where almost each University produces approximately over 3000 graduates annually and almost concurrently? It therefore becomes a daunting task trying to prove oneself to employers in order to secure a well paying job.

Looking back, this period has been a learning experience for me and it still is even with my current job,,, a lot happened in between and that’s why I share my experience with the hope that somebody is gonna learn from it or laugh about it; after all it’s never that serious!

My Dad once told me that the reason why most people end up getting frustrated after campus is because: we live in a generation where being successful has been determined by whether you are employed or not. It is in this regard that we end up loosing ourselves, calling from one company to another, sending our C.Vs to almost all the companies that we know of and yet we forget our talents and other strengths. We can be successful in so many ways other than being employed; I can attest to this.

 

(The story continues … Part IV of ‘Snippets of my life after campus’ coming soon.)

Written by:

Dorcas Waringa

September 4^th 2012