By Kithure Kindiki
The hustler narrative has potential for incubation of a democratic conversation away from tribe. Hustlerism defies tribe and if the concept is fertilised with two or three ideas then the tribe card will be irrelevant henceforth
To stand out as a viable plank for ideological politics, hustlerism must pronounce itself on at least eight key issues which are in my view critical for the revival of our Nation’s economy, namely that:
1. It focuses on addressing the huge economic inequalities that are a product of flawed economic policies that have applied in most of the 100 years (1920-2020) of Kenya’s existence.
2. It can guarantee a significant reduction of existing economic inequalities in not more than twenty years, creating a new egalitarian society within a single generation.
3. It embraces non-violent discussion around socio- economic class inequalities but offers radical solutions tailored from existing acceptable interventions e.g. revolutionalising the tax system to ensure no taxes for persons earning less than 100k per month but the super rich individuals and corporate citizens (the top 2%) surrender 50% of net earnings as tax.
4.Envisages a radical overhaul of the now almost dead system of devolution & shall make redistribution of national wealth across regions, age groups and economic classes a reality.
5. Vouches for introduction of a 20 year
economic programme for reallocation of available national resources (devolving 50% of annual national Government budget to the grassroots) to jumpstart the collapsing economy especially in rural Kenya and among the urban poor.
6. Stands for prompt and painful punishment of theft of public resources including banning culprits from public office for life.
7. Guarantees an immediate stop of external borrowing for at least ten years and require that we live within our means for that period after which the need for external borrowing can be reviewed.
8. Design a 20 year pro-poor emancipation plan in which recurrent expenditure shall be reduced by half & 80% of the national development budget is applied in a “Marshall Plan” to uplift the poorest sections of society by investing in rural agriculture, cottage industries, rural commodity value chain promotion, start up capital for new micro and small enterprises & the like.
I don’t see where one’s ethincity arises within such a conversation. But also, a simple class match between the haves and have-nots without clear & practical models for righting the wrongs will generate chaos of unimaginable magnitude.
Source: KENYAGIST.COM