KENYAN REJECT FINANCE BILL 2024 FRUSTRATION AND MENTAL HEALTH.
Kenya is our homeland, loved by all for relaxation and escape from the busy life. The scenery, the serenity, the ambiance, the accommodating people, and the cool weather all in one. How many Kenyans can afford to visit these sites? Why can’t more people afford to explore their beautiful motherland and drop by the incredible wildlife parks in Kenya? Our pockets are empty, and we cannot give what we don’t have. Medical bills, Electricity bills, water bills, tuition fees, commuting fees, phone bills, rent, food, fuel, pay-per-view subscription, finance/money transaction charges, tax, NSSF, SHIF, Licences, insurance, garbage, Council toilets, clothes, land rates, express highway, parking fee, business advertisement, Internet, Internship/Practicum fees, security, and forget the norm of leta kakitu nikufanyie (Give me something I help you) plus miscellaneous. Everywhere you turn is pay or no service. “Pay up or leave my premises. Pay or excuse for the rich people, pay or ulale ndani. Pay or receive no treatment here. Pay or pack your bags and leave my house. “Payment is required, or “Your child will be sent home from school.” Pay or… Eiish!”
The pen is fast and furious. It can’t stop penning the pain of Kenyans. The mind is running wild with the WHY question. There is no job, there is no vacancy, there is no opening, you have no ten years experience, come tomorrow, you are a woman/man, “The position is occupied.” you are too late, there is no budget to hire new employees, we are cutting down, you have no Good code of conduct certificate, your credit is low due to HELB loan, you have no certificate of tax compliance, you have no ethics and anti-corruption clearance certificate, you have no…Eiish!
You Kenyans, as Gen Z, should focus on generating jobs. How many times have you heard that? Alright, bring ideas, and let’s create these job opportunities. First, you can start a business through SME loans, Sacco loans, bank loans, or any other finance institution. You ‘’ONLY” must have two guarantors, must have a six-month bank statement with an active account, must be a citizen, must have operated a business for more than six months(“I thought we were starting.”), must have a registered M-pesa line, must pay a one-time registration fee, must have a good credit history with CRB, must demonstrate the ability to pay(“Really? How do I do that if I have not yet started?”), must repay the loan using M-pesa, must have a business license, must have a website for the business (“website kill you there.”), the enterprise must have a positive net worth, must have…Eiish!
The madness is madding, the hunger is angering, the heartbeats are rising, and the brain is running wild. The stress is stressing. Frustration is wanting. “You find yourself in a hospital without a proper diagnosis due to life’s challenges.” The queue is not mathing. Go to triage, go to room one, go to the lab, go to x-ray, go to ct-scan, go to Doctor Ofweneke for brain and emotional specialist, come back, then go to Professor Obinna for chest pain and back specialist, go to doctor Terrence for low self-esteem and stress specialist, go to doctor Mohamed for hunger management, got to doctor Jalang’o nutritionist to prescribe a supplement for your mineral deficiency, go to the leg section to check the protest syndrome, go to the eye level 2 to check the clarity of the bill, go to…Eiish!
I step onto the streets to protest against my troubles. I step up to the screens to express my concerns. I step into the parliament to voice my worries. Instead, I am shot at. I am called a criminal. I am detained. I am teargassed. I am washed with water cannons. I am pursued, hunted, and thrown off the streets. I am tracked like an animal. I am told I am spoiled. I am called weak. I am slain. I am…Eish!
Our motherland, where did we go wrong? Who do we turn to? Who will listen to us? What do we do? Where do we start? How do we start? When do we start? What did we do wrong? Is it because we voted you in? Why?… Eiish!
