DOES AFRICA HAVE FUNCTIONING SYSTEMS ?

2409DOES AFRICA HAVE FUNCTIONING SYSTEMS?

1. My Sunday Memo to Africa today is on Democracy. As a scholar who read Political science I must use these tools to explain some things to the world .African leaders are TROOPING IN NEW YORK for UN General Assembly .But some events in Africa in the last few months have been troubling to me . As a Pan African I need to re-examine why ?

2. In Kenya a REACTIONARY DEMOCRATIC FORCE seem to have grown through HIRED democracy. The RENTED type of politics that Kenya is following now could lead to a state of DESPONDENCY. There is now an active George Soros “sleeper cell”in Kenya that wants to frustrate efforts of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s efforts of a progressive Kenya.

3. While in my native Uganda there is a new wave of REACTIONARY POLITICS OF MOB HYSTERIA that wants to demonize the type of legacy of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni . These forces want change without learning from the past that violent change brings another violent revolution .

Why are these forces appearing now ? Why is George Soros decided to unleash his forces on Uganda &Kenya ?

4.So given these scenarios in Africa I have decided to talk about what is real democracy. It can be simply defined as 'rule by the people'. The word is derived from Greek 'demos, ' meaning people, and, 'Kratos', meaning power. (people power).

5. Not only has democracy become an ideal in Kenya but it has acquired additional layers of meaning that go beyond the basic definition of rule by the people.

6. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln, defined democracy as government of the people, by the people, for the people. In that sense it implies majority rule.

7. Therefore 'majority ' is a quantitative factor and not a qualitative one, which would connote people with certain qualities.

8. Many questions arise when teaching democracy. What is actually involved in of, by, and for? Can democracy be of, and for, without by? In Africa can we look at what ails Africa from these words aboce.

9. Of the people.

This simply means that the government governs the people; and that the object of government is the people. From....'of the people', one may also read that the government itself is drawn from the ranks of the people, not from an elite, a monarchy or an aristocracy.

10. By the people.

This is a very central theme of democracy. It means that the government must derive it's mandate from the people. The Kenyan Constitution talks of power belonging to the people which they can exercise directly, or indirectly through their elected representatives.

11. For the people.

Democracy requires the government to govern 'for' the people. It requires that the government should govern in the interest of the people, and that it is no longer the exclusive concern of the rulers, the aristocracy or the wealthy.

12. Democracy vs Anarchy.

Democracy has been widely misunderstood and misused especially by the political class in Africa.
Some have construed democracy as holding of regular elections, without understanding that elections are just one aspect of democracy, this is because legitimate mandate must be a product of universal suffrage.

13. For a government to be truly democratic, it must carry people's trust, hopes, and aspirations throughout the period of the mandate, not merely citing the percentage of victory during elections.
Similarly, election losers must accept outcome of democratic processes when they are not in their favour.

14. The tragedy I personally see in Africa and of Africa is the type of politicians who refuse to respect the people's verdict. Such politicians, were they to be in power, cannot hand over the same if they were to lose elections.The case of Zimbabwe Nelson Chamisa and MDC Alliance Party

15. There's always going to be majority and minority. The nature of democracy is that majority will always have their way but minority must have their say!That's why some people say that.. Democracy is the worst form of governance except all the others.Because it leave out ideas for 5 years .

16. Africa is replete with power thirsty warlords. Both in opposition and Government. They have turned their parties and countries into crime scenes and graveyards just because they cannot accept defeat and democratic expansion of the people .Look at Cameroon where President Biya has turned on his own people and eaten them.

17. Before America introduced term limits, they had presidents who served for 20 and even 25 years. These are the people who had ample time to build institutions that make these democracies work today.

18. I have today decided to talk about this issue because I see George Soros coming back to Kenya and destroying the gains it has made on that route of democracy.I see the plight of some Kenyans seeking George Soros advise to bringing something called new democracy

19. Therefore it is incumbent upon the people of Kenya and Africa at large to rescue the continent from the path of oblivion scripted by the likes of George Soros through evil society player. We have to choose the path of true democracy as opposed to anarchy.

20. As I have said elsewhere, democracy is a process, and for democracy to function well there must be a properly functioning system.