Posted
Saturday, July 6
2013 at
10:21
Every time the Fund for Peace publishes its Failed States Index (FSI), it is greeted with uproar from Kenyans and other Africans. Kenyans and their leaders are emphatic: We are not a failed state.
Every time the Fund for Peace publishes its Failed States Index (FSI), it is greeted with uproar from Kenyans and other Africans. Kenyans and their leaders are emphatic: We are not a failed state.
In this year’s index, Kenya was ranked at position
17 after Nigeria. Seven out of the top 10 countries are African. The
first five are Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan
and Chad. Our other neighbours, Ethiopia (19), Burundi (20), Uganda
(22), and Rwanda (38) rank better.
Debate on weak and failed states has gained
currency because of the belief that they pose serious threats to
international peace and security.
The designers of the index argue that the FSI
makes political risk assessment and early warning of conflict available
to policy makers and the public.
The index is based on 12 social, political and
economic indicators that have an average of 14 sub-indicators. They
include youth bulge, pollution, IDP camps, ethnic violence and brain
drain.
The effort of the FSI is commendable, but is this index intended for us and should we pay attention to it?
There is no consensus among political scientists
on what state failure is, but there is an appreciation that all states
exist in a continuum spanning stability and collapse.
But before one attempts to classify states as
stable, weak, failed or collapsed, it is necessary to first understand
the concept of the state. The state can be seen as a set of institutions
that generates and administers laws within a specified territory. To
understand state failure, we should then evaluate the extent to which a
state lives up to this definition.
States fail to the extent that they lose their
control of the instruments of violence or certain socio-political and
geographic spaces. Armed militant and secessionist groups within a state
is therefore a key indicator of state failure.
So, we should check whether our state has a
monopoly over the instruments of violence. Do we have militia groups? Do
we have secessionist groups?
If we were to review the events of the past one
year, we would revisit the murder of 42 police officers in Baragoi
within the Kenyan territory.
We would also recount the killing of 118 civilians in Tana River county between August and December 2012, and several grenade attacks on innocent Kenyans. Is the state in control of these spaces? As a citizen, do you feel secure?
We would also recount the killing of 118 civilians in Tana River county between August and December 2012, and several grenade attacks on innocent Kenyans. Is the state in control of these spaces? As a citizen, do you feel secure?
There are many indices that are meant to indicate
the health of states. One can consider the WHO cholera country profile
the UNDP Human Development Index, or even the Low Income Countries Under
Stress (Licus) index from the World Bank.
Each one of these has its own merits and demerits.
We can spend our waking hours analysing and criticising them, but
towards what end?
The FSI may not be targeted at an audience in the
developing world. It may not even be perfect. But do I really need an
index to tell me the state of my country when people are being killed in
inter-clan conflicts in Mandera in northeastern Kenya?
What do I need an index for when I live in fear
that the next grenade attack may be on my path? Is Kenya a failed state?
You decide.
Uganda should not be a haven for fakes
Stanley Kamau
Via E-mail
Via E-mail
Uganda should not be a haven for fakes
It amazes me that the Ugandan government seems to
be scared of traders and taxi drivers, and always gives in to their
destructive demands — like opposing pre-shipment inspection.
This is in the interest of everyone. We cannot afford to position Uganda as a haven for counterfeits.
This will counter our efforts to attract
investors. One fellow made a fortune importing recycled plastic into
Uganda in form of sabots (locally called Niigiina). The things are now an environmental hazard.
Ethiopia, which is strict on quality, recently got
one of the biggest Chinese leather companies to manufacture shoes for
such European brands as Tommy Hilfiger. This is the way to go if Uganda
is to become a middle income country.
Free trade does not mean anarchy. Uganda must deal
with manufacturers, not speculators. And since we are moving close to
integration, this should be done at the East African Community level. We
should not allow traders hold us to ransom.
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