Transforming Our Thinking

In my life, I have travelled to many countries in Africa, Europe, America and Asia. I have observed how people live and behave. I have seen similarities in attitudes that make developed countries distinctly different from Africa. This difference and its implications is what I discuss in this section of this book.

The first man was created from the soil, so says all major religions. Because the African skin is the colour of earthen clay, this suggests that Adam was African.

This, however, is not the question I am answering here. The question I am answering is: Why is the African the poorest here, there, everywhere?

Why? Because the African is trapped. He is trapped in the past. He is trapped in his traditions. He is trapped in his beliefs. He is trapped in his own mindset about himself. He sees himself as perpetually poor because that's what his forefathers were. He accepts poverty as his lot. He lives each day trying to get by. There is no hope. There is no dream.

I have observed that in developed countries, people generally believe in the power of their labour. They believe that through the power of work and dedication, one can achieve their goals. They are also more motivated by the power of the collective. Society as a whole benefits when individuals work to their potential.

In developing countries, and specifically in Africa, people are more motivated by the power of the individual. The attitude is that if I can get my share, others can fend for themselves. This is a self-destructive attitude because it creates an atmosphere of distrust and greed. Soon, corruption sets in, and society collapses.

In developed countries, they often plan long-term. They invest in education, infrastructure, and healthcare, knowing that these investments will benefit society in the long run. In Africa, leaders just think about the here and now. They want to get rich quick. They have no interest in the future of the nation.

There are bad cultural attributes that we must identify and leave behind, and there are good cultural attributes that we must identify and learn to practice them. Allow me to present a small part of cultural attributes related to collective goals or objectives.

What are some undesirable attributes in the category of Goals? At local level, elites' goals is to get power, wealth and influence by all means necessary. At international level, elites just want to alleviate poverty, reduce the suffering. They don’t care enough to treat the disease and repeal ignorance. They don’t talk about creation of wealth for Africa.

At the same time, local elites pursue personal advancement at the expense of society. They have no goal beyond self-aggrandisement. Local middle-class is lost in between the dirt-poor people they despise and the elites they admire and hate with equal measure. In this confusion, their goal is to simply to maintain status quo: don't rock the boat. The local middle class, consisting of educated professionals, are responsible for much of the decay in our society- they know what to do but cannot do it, wouldn’t do it, are scared to do and in this posture, they assist, willingly or otherwise, as the elite plunder the country.

For the people, the ones described by some as holoi-poloi, the mwananchi, raia, the downtrodden, the common man, the majority of our people, they have no specific goals - just live day after day. They will be called out to protest this or that, gassed by police, and left to die while the elites who used them rush to State House to make deals.

Over and over again, for 60 years since independence, we have tried to build our nation. Each time we expect better results but deep down we know we are lost. My conclusion is that Kenyans are damaged goods! I believe that our souls have been injured! Our humanity has been degraded, reduced to unacceptable levels! We must stop this madness. We have got to change our culture, our collective way of thinking, our way of doing things, our patterns of behaviour. If it ain’t working, fix it!

In here I propose that to fix our state, we must start by transforming our culture. Our culture here does not mean our tribal, or other ways. It’s our collective psyche! Our national mindset! We have to exterminate those things we do that are not beneficial to us, and start doing those things that are useful to us as one people. We must believe and act on this fact of faith: the greater good for all of us supersedes individual benefit.

We need to make cultural transformation a subject to be taught in schools and cultural transformation should be mainstreamed in every department in every aspect of work life, until we have acquired superior cultural values that will underpin our development and propel us to prosperity and a dignified way of life.

To achieve this cultural transformation, come with me . . .