OIL
- THE BLESSED CURSE
The prospects of oil being
discovered in Kenya were a termed as a blessing to the nation but do many of
the citizens know of the dynamics of a country being an oil producing nation?
It’s one of the most precious minerals in the world leading to growth and
prosperity of major economies of the world. European nations have developed
enormous economies due to exploitation of oil in someof the Asian and African
nations, Whereas these European nations are prospering, the oil producing
nations of Asia and Africa have been marred by either a failed government,
civil war, stagnant economies or all. Hopefully Kenya will soon be a major
producer of oil and it will face the test of time to the curse associated with
producing oil in Africa.
Oil is a fundamental
asset in boosting economic growth of any country. Commercial exploitation of this
commodity will not only earn substantial amounts of revenue to the country but
will also cause a reduction in the cost of living to the many poor citizens.
This discovery is a ray of hope to many Kenyans as economic analysts have
projected numerous jobs for the jobless and better living conditions. This oil
if harnessed well, will greatly spur economic development.
However,
pondering the situation in oil producing nations for instance South Sudan which
has been trapped in resource based conflicts; strategies need to be crafted to
mitigate similar scenarios. The government should strive to ensure that this
discovery will bring blessings not curses to our beloved country. Crafting laws
to manage this resource should be a priority especially in the northern region
of the Country where conflicts take splits-seconds to erupt. Therefore, the
government and companies involved should ensure the communities are direct
beneficiaries of this resource.
The nation
should avoid the economic consequence that brings about an economy dependent
only on oil neglecting other sectors like agriculture and tourism. The revenue
coming from oil should be used to strengthen and diversify the existing sectors
of the economy.
The citizens should appreciate that the
country is engraved in rampant corruption. This discovery should not aggravate
corruption but should be a tool to help the government curb it, at the same
time ensuring no one uses this resource to divide the people.
Therefore, the
priority should not just center on exploitation and mining of this essential
mineral but establishing necessary platforms to ensure multiple, equitable and
sustainable benefits to the society, right from the grassroots,
All the way up
to the national government. We are all hopeful that the new constitution and
the devolved governments have come at the right moment to help us manage this
resource. Let’s keep our hope high as Kenyans and believing that our our oil will
not be a curse but a blessing to us.
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