The hostile exchange between former president Uhuru Kenyatta and Kimani Ichungwa, the National Assembly Majority Leader as well as Moses Kuria, a cabinet secretary in President Ruto’s government brings to fore the levels of “unhappiness” among Kenyans these days.
Kenya is ranked 111th out of 149 countries in the 2023 global happiness index. Our happiness score is a paltry 4.54. This is closer to Afghanistan’s 2.40 score than it is to Finland’s 7.82, the world’s unhappiest and happiest countries respectively.
You would therefore be forgiven if you were to expect from our leaders a communication style which, if it cannot enhance our levels of happiness, at the very least it should not diminish it any further.
Take for example the current issue they are publicly squabbling about – Kenya’s underperforming economy.
President Uhuru says he handed over economy when the exchange rate was at KES 119 to the dollar – headed to route 119 towards Wangige and now its KES 155 to the dollar – there is not even a route number for that destination in Nairobi! Mr. Kimani on the other hand argues that the former president is being disingenuous given the debt burden incurred during his tenure.
On the sidelines are poor Kenyans whose level of happiness keeps on deteriorating. Imagine some of the richest people in the land squabbling about how bad things are, and that even worse is yet to come!
Can they discuss about the same issue but in ways that raise our levels of happiness? Yes, in deed they can.
They can structure the discussion to be about trade-offs between alternatives that are obtained at different points in time – President Uhuru borrowed funds to build roads so that Kenyans can enjoy good roads (?), now; while Mr. Kimani can argue, just like that ill-advised ice-cream you take after dinner and have to work it out in the gym, Kenyans are having to pay for the flashy infrastructure – some of which may not have been all that “up and up”.
Dr. Ndii actually makes this argument, even though he blames Kenyans for the poor economic choices as if we had any agency in their determination. This further reduces our happiness – being blamed for decisions we did not and could not make.
It is time high time we called on the government leaders to FRAME whatever public policy issue they are discussing in ways that raise rather than diminish our happiness and daily experience of positive affect!