A campaign dubbed "Kenyans for Kenya" has seen hundreds of thousands of Kenyans raise about $7.6 million to assist fellow starving citizens in the nation's northern region. Whereas the unfolding events clearly demonstrate that hunger in Africa is not entirely an African problem, the zeal by Kenyan Diaspora and those within the country is a demonstration that given the right leadership, focus and power to participate in national matters, African citizenry can transcend their ethnic, religious and political alignments to solve their part of the problem.
On 25th August 2011, the African Union will marshall dignitaries from Africa and far beyond the continent to give focused attention to the situation in the Horn of Africa. So far, out of some $2.4 billion needed in humanitarian requirements for the Horn of Africa, more than $1billion has so far been committed, but a further $1.4 billion is still needed.
While the intervention by well wishers is welcome, what is crucial for African citizenry is to use the same zeal they are using to donate money to look beyond weather patterns, identify people responsible for the recurring episodes of famine and hold them to account regardless of the culprits' ethnic or party affiliations. This will be the only true “Africans for Africa” spirit.
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