A protestor defies police in Egypt Photo courtesy

The debate on Ivory Coast's predicament; Kenya's quest for justice through a deferral mechanism and shifting seismic forces of power bedeviling the Arab north reveal a system that focused more on eating instead of nation building. In my community, elders have a wise saying that captures the scenario above. It translates loosely as follows: "When a child has eaten to its fill, it will urge the mother to burn the granary down." Our leaders have eaten for over 50 years and now they are keen to burn down Africa's granary - and boy, is it not on fire already? 

For countries such as Kenya where many mothers know the face of famine; a child calling for the burning of a granary will be reprimanded strongly. The child will however wonder why a loving mother is so "hateful” for not nodding to the idea of burning the granary. It takes maturity to realize that the disciplinary action taken was in the child's long run interest. A wave of African leaders keen to burn the granary is sweeping the continent. While on one hand they preach democracy and justice; they abuse the very systems they helped create on the other. 

I invited a Kenyan based in Australia to brainstorm with university student leaders on aspects of leadership; challenges facing Kenyans in Diaspora and his perspective about the country after years of absence. He was full of praise for the country's infrastructural development, the growing urbanization and city skylines. He then paused as if lost in thought. When he came to, he made a statement that got even the most sleepy delegate wake up. I paraphrase: "To develop a country’s infrastructure but neglect building the nation is a recipe for disaster. People will pull down the infrastructure (such as bridges and railway lines). Good leadership must build nations - that is, let people be Kenyans in order to give real value to infrastructure development," he said. 

Kenyans voted for a new constitution as a tool to guide leaders to build the Kenyan nation through effective people participation. Kenya’s leadership has invested in politics and economics of ethnic exclusion but expects the outcome to be one brand: Kenya. The assumption is that roads, railways and high-rise buildings among other physical show of development will automatically create Kenyanness in people's hearts. Instead, following in the leadership's strategies, people are building ethnic walls around their hearts. The dream of a Kenyan nation might be lost and turn the country's beautiful landscape dotted with smooth tarmac roads into a ghost country.

African people have given the leadership on the continent "food" to grow in stature and wisdom to facilitate navigation in murky and shark infested waters of global interests. Ivory Coast's leadership has instead surrendered their responsibility and allowed external interests to turn the people against each other. As leaders burn the Ivory Coast's granary, victory is assured to outsiders while the status quo of impoverishment to people remains. The Arab north with its great infrastructure captures best what it means when leaders invest less in building a nation. The protests in the north could be an indicator of a people tired of national facades that serve the interests of the elites as opposed to the people. 

Africa is bleeding and the sharks have smelt blood. Osagyefo Kwame Nkurumah is turning in his grave as he watches the African Union flip flop on matters of justice, leadership and governance in Africa. To secure the granary for the future, Africans must stem the tide of the "alliance of the satisfied" children keen to burn the continent. The world will not wait for Africans to grow up. Africans must rise up against tyranny in all its forms. 

By James Shikwati

The author james@irenkenya.org is Director of Inter Region Economic Network