EDITORIAL Need For Ruto’s Policy Stand in Home, Foreign Trade

BY MARTIN KURGAT

Ever since William Ruto became President of the Republic of Kenya almost a year ago, his star is brighter as an African diplomat than as the Head of State-where he is seen to be ruling the country on slippery ground.

He has, however, become the most invited Kenyan President to visit foreign lands in the shortest time ever.

What could have triggered Ruto’s position in international arena? Is it because he wants to succeed where his predecessors couldn’t? And /or is it that Ruto is strategizing campaign for a new generation African Unity?

Arguably, Ruto has been seen as a potential African leader who should be “embraced” because of his campaign for not only African unity in matters trade and more while in COMESA Summit in Lusaka, Zambia, he urged African countries to drop trading in US dollars and turn to local currencies.

He told the 22nd summit that Africa must have a stand so as to gain – a way of bargaining as a continent on trade and security.

President Ruto in several international meetings has been a key African speaker, and a statesman whose agenda is to enhance intra-Africa trade to enable the continent which even with the African continental Free Trade Area

(AfCTFA) still makes misses in complimenting business in so far as regional blocks are concerned.

He sees slow development taking place because of cross border and tariff issues as well as poor infrastructure in place.

Historically, Africans for centuries suffered slavery and colonialism- scars that are still a challenge to endure today. King Leopold II, who triggered the scramble for Africa in 1880s introduced brutality and cruelty to the African black population who lived in harmony minus colonial boundaries. African natural resources were stolen: Ivory, Rubber, Gold and those villages who resisted the white man invasion were gunned down- the scramble for Africa was indeed a club of greedy European powers: Belgium, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, British and later the Netherlandish who became the Boers of “Racist South Africa” (RSA).

Factually, African societies were torn apart –several Colonies and Protectorates were shared among the European powers from North to South and East to West as well as the Central parts of the African soil.

The modern states of our continent were born out of this scramble when they created artificial and intentional borders.

Their invasion made sure that the existing Kingdoms and

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Chieftainship were dismantled and brought down, thus diluting African cultures and integrity of communities.

After last years’ election and peaceful transfer of power in Kenya, some western economist called Kenya “The future Singapore of Africa”.

Instabilities in the continent and the subsequent election of president into indeed could be the reason-young, educated and workaholic a person could become the real African diplomat; an ambitious leader who wants African nations forge unity by “copycat” European union style of trading in local currency-expanding Kenya’s diplomatic footprint across nations.

However, the recent protest in major towns and cities have engulfed more and more challenges in so far as internal stability of Kenya is concerned.

Peace talks with opposition protestors failed. The moral and constitutional foundation of poli- tics in Africa remain poor. Unfortunately, the already gained democracy is taking a new direction - retrogressive democracy.

Traditionally, in this country, losers are considered opposition to government- an idiom of exclusion.

Ruto maintains that he cannot share power with opposition and as per the constitution – while deepening economic woes at home, has emerged as the weakest link in the country’s democracy – a real threat to stability. Will Ruto’s global diplomacy bring harmony to Kenya’s internal challenges as he continues to share the future of Africa?

Mr. Martin Kurgat

Is a Lecturer at the School of Information Sciences, Dept. of Publishing, Journalism and Communication Studies, Moi University- Eldoret. Kurgatmartin1@gmail.com