Mohammed Hersi . A hotelier passionate about Tourism & Governance in Africa

African leaders and African Union should be ashamed. We must hang our heads in shame.

More than half a century after gaining independence we can’t even feed ourselves, war between some two neighbours in Europe is causing us pain real pain.

Let’s talk numbers

Africa’s  land size is bigger than USA, Canada and South  America combined or Russia , China, India and Europe combined 

Let now look at Africa more closer. Africa is 30 million sqkm land size

Congo DRC is 2.3 million sqkm more than 4 times the size of Kenya, River Congo alone can light up entire Africa through hydro power.

South Sudan fought hard for independence but feeding itself is a one major challenge despite having vast oil reserves.

Ukraine that is feeding most part of Africa is a mere 603, 548 Sqkm almost similar to Kenya or South Sudan. The latter has river nile flowing through it yet hunger is their middle name.

Even South Africa is begging Russia to allow Ukraine to release the grains in their silos. Zimbabwe farms are lying idle after eviction of white farmers and silos are empty.

Even Egypt is facing crisis since bread will soon be alien and The Pharoahs will erupt. It is not any better in Tunisia where the Arab spring started. It is clear it doesn’t matter if you are black or white African the DNA for deficiency to engage our brains is the same .

None other than Chairman AU and President of Senegal went to swee talk Putin to go easy on Ukraine since Africa will starve. Even powder milk was coming from Ukraine and wheat from both Ukraine and Russia.

So Africa after half a century of independence what is our contribution to mankind?

We don’t invent anything, even vaccine for covid we waited for donations and when PPEs were donated the kits were stolen. When Pfizer vaccines were donated we had to also ask for the syringes to administer the jabs.

If we can’t manage ourselves is it about time we outsourced leadership like what firms do.

✅How about Nigeria and East Africa managed by Singapore.

✅Congo DRC managed by Switzerland

✅Egypt & Sudan managed by UAE

✅South Sudan managed by Rwanda

Then pay management & performance fees to these countries trust me we would be happy. We would pay far less in management fees compared to corruption and kickbacks. Why lie to ourselves that we can run a continent let alone a country.

Of what use is political independence if we cannot give ourselves the economic independence

Just look at Zimbabwe and even South Africa where power rationing is order of the day. Our boys and girls are risking the choppy waters in the Mediterranean chasing some elusive better life out there but we still dare claim Africa rising, rising where?

A man who cannot feed himself is not man enough and Africa is one sad case. My own Kenya is not any better where we have failed to produce our own food by undermining farmers where cartels have been allowed to rein.

Africa it’s time to self reflect seriously…great continent full of resources but nothing to show for it hence African union you earn a barb from me. You should not be begging Putin and Russia , you should be challenging these African heads of states to get their ducks in a row and start producing our own food. We will suffer for one year but we can be self sufficient and food secure in under 18 months.

What is so hard in growing and pressing sunflower to produce cooking oil. We are waiting for Ukraine a country that experiences severe winter a third or even half of the year to supply us . Coconut oil is alien yet we have the ocean and coastal belt surrounding the entire continent. Why is it rocket science to grow our own wheat? Or maize?

Kenya we discovered oil 10 years ago and if today we had focused on it we would have been cushioned from the escalating messy world oil price. We have paid more than Ksh60B as fuel subsidy yet we could have spend Ksh42B to fix a brand new oil refinery.

I am choosing to remain an optimist in that let the Ukraine Russia war be a wake up call.

Totally useless leadership, wearing authoritative dark suit speaking polished English is not leadership. It’s far deeper than that, think !!!

Mohammed Hersi
Mombasa