Follow
Wandia Njoya
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Reviews
  • CV
  • Media
  • Gallery

Dear First Lady (Reloaded)

14/3/2016

11 Comments

 
Picture
Source: Beyond Zero official website
There’s no doubt that for the last few years, Kenya’s First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has been one of Kenya's most popular public figures. The height of her popularity is usually experienced during the First Lady’s Half Marathon, an event organized to raise money for the #BeyondZero campaign. The campaign’s goal is to raise funds for mobile clinics which would provide maternity and neo-natal health services, and contribute to reducing the unacceptable number of Kenyan mothers and new-born babies dying from lack of access to emergency care.
​As far as popularity goes, Mrs. Kenyatta could easily be our Duchess of Cambridge, or maybe even Michelle Obama. She’s petite, with a beautiful smile, a soothing voice, and simple style. Her public charm alone makes her extremely difficult to criticize. But add on to that her philanthropy, a well-oiled PR machine, several awards – including from the UN, overwhelming sponsorship from politicians, companies and foreign embassies, the literally fanatic support her husband enjoys among a segment of Kenya’s population, and you’ve got the perfect formula for silencing a Kenyan woman who is otherwise quite outspoken about our public healthcare system and the problem that public officials present.

That Kenyan woman is me.

As it so happens, every philanthropic intervention in healthcare by a Kenyan public official hurts me very deeply, and I speak about it very openly.  You see, I once had breast cancer. By the grace of God, the sheer willpower of my parents, and the resources of the Kenyan taxpayer, I was educated enough to know that I should keep getting checked, and so the cancer was detected early and treated with only six chemo cycles. But the cost of each chemo cycle was almost equivalent to my monthly salary, so that even if my employer provided me with insurance, the idea never left me that I was vulnerable to not affording treatment. 

During my treatment, I was particularly haunted by stories of women who chose between paying KES 3,500 for a chemo cycle and feeding their children, and who decided to go for the latter, and only returned for treatment when it was too late. At that time, Kenyatta National Referral Hospital was the only public hospital offering cancer treatment in the whole country, despite breast cancer stats showing that one in eight Kenyan women would be diagnosed with the disease, and that cancer was killing about 40,000 Kenyans every year.  After I finished my treatment, I was told that research shows that the cancer strain I had has the highest rate of recurrence. But this time, when I returned for the expensive hormonal treatment, my insurance provider said it was a chronic ailment and would cover only a fraction of the cost.

And so, I also know that if the cancer returns, I will, most likely, have limited options in seeking treatment. People in my income bracket and social circles are already jaded by numerous requests and fundraising for cancer patients, and so if I suffer from cancer again, they will probably be too fatigued to help. Public health facilities that work are, therefore, my best hope.

That is why every story of healthcare and public officials that is personalized, from the so-called heroism of Anyang’ Nyong’o and celebration of Beth Mugo surviving cancer, to the one-million shilling Christmas gift from Muhoho Kenyatta, to Ruth Odinga’s orange-colored cast at a London hospital, to now the First Lady’s Marathon, leaves me livid and frustrated. 

I am livid, because despite the precarious situation of the 90% poor and employed Kenyans when it comes to healthcare, many citizens are willing to substitute asking critical questions about healthcare for drooling over public officials kind enough to donate hospital fees, run a marathon and start a foundation, as our public healthcare system remains in shambles. I am frustrated, because the attempts of several Kenyans to speak out about the contradiction of private philanthropy by public officers is silenced by a bevy of media houses, media personalities and a well-oiled PR machine. The strategy is simple: portray Kenyans who ask those questions as haters attacking a selfless woman with a big heart. 

I, too, got intimidated by the support, but because my questions wouldn’t leave me, I penned a boot-licking piece apologizing to the First Lady for doing what Kenyan tax-payers paid for when they funded my education:  thinking. The idea behind my apology was to silence the almost inevitable backlash from Margaret Kenyatta’s supporters. But what happened instead was that the person I silenced was me.

Not any more.

In contrast to what I said in my groveling post, I don’t admire the First Lady. But I don’t not admire her either. I do think she’s a beautiful woman, and a good role model for my students who are mimicking Vera Sidika and Kim Kadarshian. However, I know her for political reasons, not because she’s nice – which I have no doubt she is. She is married to a politician, and my taxes fund the Presidency which publicizes her, fund her security, her residence, and I’m sure, a whole host of many other things. It is therefore my duty as a citizen to analyze her public actions first as a public official.

And just like I’ve said before, I find private philanthropy by public officials, especially around healthcare and education, deeply disturbing. As I’ve said in many different ways, these social services are broken in Kenya for two main reasons.

First, our politicians have contempt for trained professionals, especially doctors and teachers. Second, our politicians and their immediate families seek these social services abroad or in expensive, private local facilities. Because they don’t have to seek medical care in public hospitals or take their children to public schools, politicians have no real commitment to improving our hospitals and schools. The lip service they pay is normally limited to paying hospital bills and bursaries, and talking about that generosity at election time. 

That is why, against the backdrop of the First-Lady’s Half Marathon, the ironies of Kenya’s social services, are simply mind-blogging. For instance, it was reported that the mobile clinic donated by the Beyond Zero campaign to Kisumu County was grounded for lack of staff, yet counties are refusing to employ the 600 doctors the country graduates every year. Nurses, who are the backbone of Kenya’s healthcare, are leaving Kenya in the thousands, for greener pastures in the private sector or even abroad. Among the donations to the marathon was a multi-million mobile clinic from the wife of the Samburu county governor, a county which, you would think, would be the beneficiary of the mobile clinics.

Philanthropy remains annoying because no matter how many billions our royal family raises, that money is useless without doctors and nurses to treat our people, and decent working conditions for our medical staff. And the risks that Kenyan medical workers take to treat their own people, especially when they could get better opportunities abroad, should be ranked among the most patriotic gestures in this country. So instead of raising money for clinics, why not create prizes to celebrate ordinary doctors and nurses? Why not raise money for scholarships for medical training, or social amenities and fellowships for medics, especially in remote areas? Why not focus more on the people who provide healthcare, and leave the question of medical equipment and infrastructure to the national budget?

I suspect that politicians do not support medics and teachers, because they fear professionals, especially people who touch our bodies and minds, interacting with ordinary wananchi. Recall that even Jesus Christ caused a lot of anger among the religious teachers when he healed the sick and taught in parables, because he was disrupting the dependence of the people on the government and religious leaders for teaching and healing.

Just like the Pharisees cared more about the law than about whether the people were taught, healed and fed, our politicians care more about the money than about the service. But money cannot treat the sick or teach our children. And that is why, until we have a law compelling politicians and their nuclear families to use public schools and hospitals, we the citizens have to fend for ourselves and ask the tough questions.

And so public healthcare remains one of the topics I will continue to address with great passion, and hopefully with great honesty from now on. I am not alone.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of Kenyans who still ask the bold questions despite being shouted down. I speak from the heritage of people like Mekatili wa Menza, Mary Nyanjiru, the Mau Mau, the Saba Saba demonstrators, and the thousands of ordinary Kenyans who have raised their voices against structural injustice.  As a public official, the First Lady is obligated to protect my voice, not to suppress it, be it deliberately or by proxy. She remains free to perform philanthropic acts as a citizen of this nation, but the price should not have to be my silence about something that affects me so personally.

And yes, for me, public healthcare is personal, not just political. For me, it’s about life and death. I know it is even more so for millions of Kenyans who have even less access than I do, because they may not have a regular income, a voice, or even a healthcare facility within a 100 kilometer radius. It would seem, however, that those Kenyans less fortunate than me have the First Lady and a horde of sponsoring companies and foreign embassies to talk for them. So if I have to talk for anyone, I have to talk for me.
11 Comments
GMurgor
15/3/2016 07:42:56 am

Can't agree more. We, those that have been to class and know better, have to lead the seemingly helpless masses by objectively analysing such pertinent issues. Wandia, I do admire your zeal, boldness and dedicated spirit in sharing your thoughts on such. I do hope that a day is coming soon when we can all engage in constructive discourse on matters that affect us without feeling that we are betraying someone but rather doing ourselves justice.

Reply
Jacqui Gitau link
16/3/2016 06:26:45 pm

Thank you for writing honestly and objctively. Charitable works should pay for extra nice-to-have stuff like accommodation for parents needing to stay with long term sick children, research, etc. But not to replace what the state should be paying for.
Thank you.

Reply
Electina
8/1/2017 08:18:27 pm

You are refreshingly honest and very bold.
You say what millions believe, but dare not even 'think'...
One day this your razor will finally bring down the tree. One day.

Reply
Wandia Njoya
8/1/2017 08:33:10 pm

I really hope so. I hope I live to see universal healthcare in Kenya. #LipaKamaTender

Reply
Joyce
8/1/2017 10:21:14 pm

How do we go about having the law that wI'll compel the political class to go to public hospitals and send their children to public school?
Am in this for the long haul

Reply
Jane Kranz
8/1/2017 10:42:49 pm

Well put Wandia Njoya. Do not be silenced... be the voice of the voiceless, a Single voice... a couple of murmurs from those who agree and soon it will be a cry of protest.
Just keep saying it as it is.

Reply
Jacqui
9/1/2017 06:53:36 pm

Thank you for your heartfelt and honest expression of truth that me as a Kenyan needs begin to deal and begin to be critical enough in my thinking to raise. I pray that we will not as a people give up our right to demand our rights.

Reply
Mwendwa
9/1/2017 11:25:58 pm

The name we gave those mobile clinics is white elephants..why, they don't exist and truly don't help anyone. They are monuments stationed in Level 5 Hospitals all over the country being of no use. In one county, not mentioning names the started was stolen and replacing that part is a whooping 300k..money that sounds like the CBA we are asking for..as medic it saddens me how far this crisis has reached. Now they are onto the next agenda, mobile containers.. aka Dinosaur's let's see how far this theatrics will go. Great read Wandia and very true. Now to those who believe in God, let us pray for this nation. It is very disheartening to be a doctor in this country!

Reply
Charity kihit
28/1/2017 04:28:27 pm

Very sad. However if many of us talk louder exposing the ills affecting us, one day we shall be heard and something will be done.

Reply
james
28/1/2017 05:36:07 pm

To the learned friends here, what does it take to make such a legislation compelling public servants including politicians to use public health facilities n schools...without being an MP or a senator?

Reply
Silla.Ke
12/2/2017 11:21:07 am

Pole for the ordeal with CA.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    THANK YOU
    ​for voting for wandianjoya.com as
    ​best
    social issues and active citizenship blog
    2019!



    Wandia Njoya

    African. Woman. Wife. Teacher.

    Categories

    All
    147not Justanumber
    Administration
    Africa
    Arts
    Education
    Faith
    Football
    Health
    Ideas
    Kenya Elections 2017
    Kenya Elections 2022
    Land And Environment
    Leadership
    Love And Revolution
    Music
    Neoliberalism
    Racial To Ethnic Capitalism
    Rwanda
    Speeches
    Youth

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.