TIGblogs TIG | TIGblogs GROUP TIGBLOGS LOGIN SIGNUP
asudi's Blog
asudi's Blog
FOOD SECURITY ( UNGA DEBATE IN KENYA ) VERSUS SECURE SECULAR KENYAN POLITICS
Related to country: Kenya

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Following the Saturday 29th November 2008 kibera public fiasco (Raila's HOME COMING), the government seemed to portray the national unga crisis as an emergency situation. Media highlights from early this year however have consistently warmed of a looming food crisis while some hungry demonstrators , compelled by rising food prices, were teargassed by the usually ready and turtle dressed paramilitary police, the GSU, FANYA FUJO UONE( " TRY JOKE OR CREATE COMMOTION AND SEE THE RED").

As if the new political refrain, most politicians have equated the exploitative actions cartels in the maize sector to impunity, an iniquity act to deny faithful electorate what they ought to have. Hon. Ruto, Agriculture Minister, in his customary assertive proclamations accepted that the back stops with him but was rather quick to turn the ball to the PM’s court during Raila’s homecoming party.

As economics student, threats to control unga prices I think will not work in the foreseeable future. We are in the free market economy where the law of demand and supply reigns. This has been the pillar and economic position of President Kibaki administration which even refused to devalue the local currency last year in the height of strengthening shilling to stimulate demand for Kenyan exports. Attempts to control prices may also necessitate collusion between millers and distributors in an attempt to beat the quick- fix- system.

The truth of the matter is the government may subsidize the sale of maize to milers but it lacks legal and required capacity to control the complex distribution system and channels. At the same time, it’s a common knowledge in Kenya that those in power (mis) use their influence to amass high profits by creating monopolies, shelving competitions and protecting illegal businesses. Unga business, high demands commodity cannot be exception. With the surge of globalization, price control may work against our economic system policies and VISION 2030. We will implement price ceilings and floors every time there is a stakeholders' outcry? In my view, price control is like either a philanthropic or short term charity gesture by the mandated rulers. It guarantees not sustainable food security and the current and future citizenry right to prosperity.
The seemingly viable way would be to ignore so much complex donor conditions and endless poverty reduction schemes and go the Malawian and Israel way.

We have always prided ourselves to be developed by the regional standard and even exports brains to the western world. If USA could copy Britain in mitigating the escalating knock on effects of the financial crisis, what should stop us form importing Malawian agricultural technocrats? We have to quickly get to work, subsidize farm input prices, carry out extensive research, open up dry arable land for mechanized iirigation faming, dismantle the existing cartels and educate the farmers on new farming techniques. We surely cannot achieve sucha a dream food security status with partly 4% of the budget allocated to the agriculture ministry.


However if we insist on the populist yet controversial approach of price control, as the Kenyan solution to Kenyan problem, I suggest that we “peacefully” agree to implement a pseudo-communism/socialism management of the cereals sub sector( ideology which I do not subscribe to, yet seem to be popular among price control advocates). The government would need to exert its control of the National Cereals and Produce Board , clean its image and empower the agriculture PS as the chief implementation. The government should then build to own millers and form a corporation to handle the distribution system. This would require visionary hands on leadership that is purely driven by national agendas to in attempt drive out 30 rent seeking miller billionaires.

After all, the current financial crisis has taught the world to rethink of the failures of hard to monitor-greedy cruel capitalism. This situation has necessitated debates on the roles of Private-Public-Partnership and third sector services as emerging concepts in stewardship for resources. Such corporations should be guarded from the executives’ new found appetite for Initial Public Offers as well the fiasco that bogged the Kenya seed company’s shares, one of the genesis of the impunity in the cereals’ sub sector.

Going for a quick fix may not outlast the current financial year; it may just be used as another political rhetoric in public gatherings like the infamous MPs’ allowances taxation. The should be implementers would still by next year be shouting, “bei ya unga irudi chini or else mass action……….if unga cannot cost less we have no business governing”, while behind the scenes some wine and dine with the very cartels which exploit over taxed hapless Kenyans. If we don’t act decisively it would still be like any other talk like “we MPs have no problem with being taxed”, but in the chambers bay for Hon Michuki’s blood over proposal to tax their allowances.


Asudi Michael, KU


December 5, 2008 | 1:17 AM Comments  0 comments

You must be logged in to add tags.


ASUDI's Profile

ASUDI's Friends


Latest Posts
IRAN POLL VIOLENCE;...
2009 World...
African Youth...
MODEL ITU YOUTH...
Untitled

Monthly Archive
July 2008
August 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
February 2009
March 2009
May 2009
June 2009

Change Language


Tags Archive
condolence food ict kenya maize moodle online security students training volunteer

Filter By Type
Events
Travel
Topics

Friends
Ashley Okumu
*Steph
Adhiambo
Alison Lazaro
Andre Robb
Annpreet M
Arnold Mol
code
Commonwealth Youth Ambassador - Barbados
Danish Khan (webmaster@mdanishkhan.tk)
davyk
Elvis O. Aigbogun
Fi McKenzie
Gakime Richard Githinji
GSimon
Hugh Switzer
idreeskhan
ilyes
Isimeme
Jennifer Corriero
Liz
Madelaine Hamilton
Mali Bickley
Marc Ludwig
mario whang
Michael Furdyk
michellep
mohamed elkashash
nancy
Nkubizi Clement Papy
Pauline
PEACE-SEEKER
Peace2Peace
Sanam
Shamin Mohamed Jr.


7369 views
Important Disclaimer