OPINION: Will Kenya Ever Be Good Enough For Kenyans?

As a citizen living in Kenya, past few months have been difficult to say the least. I have watched the prices of basic goods and services quickly skyrocket. It's become a running joke that Ksh 1,000 doesn't get you much nowadays.

To make life bearable under this increasingly strenuous circumstances, I have had to cut down my monthly spending on non-essentials and started considering price over brand preferences. Cooking oil is Cooking oil and tissue is tissue because every single coin counts.

I, like many Kenyans, barely survived the economic downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a brutal reminder that you can do all the planning and saving in the world, but there's so much that is out of your control.

We can't predict or prepare for pandemics or wars-like the one in Ukraine -or the blowback from climate change or the prevailing economic mess that is being witnessed in Kenya. Ordinary citizens can only do so much, especially in an unsupportive environment.

There have been conversations on social media about people wanting to get away from Kenya, and take advantage of global opportunities. To most, the country is described as a quick sand trap with opportunities only available for those who know the right people and are willing to play into corruption and mediocrity.

There's little surprise then to know that the government, including president William Ruto, is tasking Kenyans to consider seeking greener pastures elsewhere-that there are plenty of opportunities in places like Saudi Arabia, Germany, Barbados, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.

The president's idea is that for Kenya to achieve it's economic goal, at least one million of us need to work abroad and make remittances.

At the face of it, the plan to grow number of Kenyans working away from home makes sense given that the country is now earning more foreign exchange from diaspora remittances than it's major exports including coffee, tea and horticulture.

Data from the Central Bank of Kenya shows Kenyans working abroad remit an average of $4 billion annually(much as there has been a drop due to inflation and the global economic slow down)and the government's hope is that the amount will increase exponentially after the desired 1 million Kenyans travel abroad to work under the program.

And so just like every other Kenyan wanting the best for themselves and their families and given the it-will-get -worse-before-it-gets-better state we find ourselves in, I have seriously considered applying for job abroad and leaving the country.

Yes, leaving is an option but I am not ecstatic about it, because you only need to look at the ways in which people of color are being treated globally to see why it's not an exciting exciting proposition.

Of course there's the argument that not all black people are suffering and that it's a minor inconvenience considering the the better prospects in their adopted homes, but I beg to differ. Being regarded as a second-class citizen anywhere doesn't sound like an appealing life.

One only needs to scroll through X (formerly Twitter ) and see the "expats" especially of the tech-startup variety, going on about how amazing Nairobi is and how they are considering making it their second home while we are being pushed out.

Nairobi is constantly being ranked as the best city in Africa for it has taken time ,but that feeling that has been eating at me around this which I couldn't quite figure out finally came to me. I am angry. Angry that the best thing my country can see for me as a young person is unemployment, low wages or getting shipped off another country to break my back to send remittances home.

My country does not see me as a source of innovation and ingenuity so it doesn't try to figure out how to make Kenya work for me so I can stay and thrive here.

It is no secret that the relationship between the state and the youth of this country has been fraught to say the least. Kenya is a young country in all definitions of the word with about 75% of the country under the age of 35.

Government's policies and plans are not a reflection of willingness to grapple with that reality. I would also like to enjoy this Kenya that is being enjoyed by foreigners. I would also like to be good enough for Kenya.

The Writer, Vivian Kerubo is a Second Year Communication Studies student at Chuka University.

PHOTO/ Cryptopolitan