Happy 48th birthday - Nchi Yetu by - Yvonne Mumbi

I didn't attend today's Jamuhuri Day celebrations I hope you did. Anyway I found this song on You Tube Nchi Yetu - Yvonne Mumbi. She was supposed to be one of the performers for the day so hopefully you got to watch her live.



Anyway reason I am posting the song is because it just captures all the things we want to see for our country. Things such as an implemented constitution, resettled IDPs (can you believe it is four years down the line and there are Kenyans still living such desolate lives.) Maybe Mumbi didn't mention this in her song but many of us want to see prices of basic commodities come down.

We may also want to at least hear a viable economic explanation on these spikes.

Finally a couple of things we might be able to do for ourselves. When we ask for pay rises whether we are lecturers or doctors let us just remember that wages, salaries are a reward for labour...if we have a pay hike and there is no change in quality or quantity of the services we supply then we are just helping push inflation in the country higher.

If we are asking for pay hikes - the sky high prices should not be the only reason to want a pay increment...God knows we all could do with some extra cash. If we ask for a pay hike let us peg it against what greater performance and what better output we bring to the table.

Second thing we should all do for ourselves before our country hits 50 is to get rid of all our current crop of leaders young who joined this current parliament, old, new and the ancient ones who have been in parliament from 1992 or since the times of our first president.

I don't hate our leaders - some of them are really good hearted and have the right intentions but in this World, in the 20th Century or is 21st they don't have what it takes to lead a developing country to prosperity. If Kenyans want to achieve Vision 2030, if Kenyans want to achieve the MDGs by 2015 they need to bite the bullet and clean the August house of all of them. Do not spare a single parliamentarian at the ballot. Get yourself new leaders ...get your local Masters student who you have been paying for school through harambee, get your leader of the Women's Chamaa, get your Priest or Pastor, get the boss of a local company that's doing well - make them your Senators, Parliamentarians and Governors.

Clean our system of career politicians - then we will have better lives.

Okay I might keep going on and on but here are Yvonne Mumbi's lyrics to Nchi Yetu - ENJOY.

Nchi Yetu (our Country Kenya) lyrics

Yvonne Mumbi

Intro

Oh Lord of all creation
Bless this our land and nation
Justice be our shield and defender
May we dwell in unity, peace and liberty
Plenty be found within our Borders
(taken from Kenya's national anthem)

Kenya Kenya Kenya (x8)

Chorus

Kenya ni inchi yetu
Kenya ni inchi ya amani
Hapa ndio nyumbani
Ata tukienda wapi


Verse 1

In 2013, it'll be 50 years
50 years since our independence
50 years we've been ruling ourselves
tell me brother, sister what do we have to show for it.

Are we together or are we still divided?
Because divided we will always be conquered
Are we enlightened or are we still in darkness
because ignorance is the cause of all hatred


Verse 2

We have an opportunity
to pursue a bright new destiny
but each of us must take responsibility
for the things that hold us back and keep us behind
lets fight corruption in the ways that we can
lets keep education as free as we can
implement the constitution as soon as we can
settle our IDPs as soon as we can

Verse 3

Kenya, Kenya
Habari Zenu (swahili)
Kenya, Kenya
ado aitu muri'ga (Gikuyu)
Kenya, Kenya
Koro Bess (luo)
Kenya, Kenya
Habari gani (swahili)
Kenya, Kenya
Chamge (Kalenjin)
Kenya, Kenya
Uuvo wenu (Kamba)
Kenya, Kenya
Orie
Kenya, Kenya
ero, sobo (Maasai)
Kenya, Kenya
Jambo!