As 300,000 Kenyans in U.S look forward to celebrate, “Independence Day,” this is a great time to also make a declaration to advance constitutional rights for Kenyans in Kenya. Every person in the U.S has the “right to life,” achieved through food, clean water, clean environment, housing, healthcare, education and other systems. The right was in the U.S independence declaration, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Kenyans through the constitution 2010 declared rights for themselves and future generations. Constitution Article 26 (1), “Every person has the right to life.” Article 42, “Every person has the right to a clean and healthy environment, which includes the right—to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations…” Article 43, “Every person has the right— (a) to the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to health care services, including reproductive health care; (b) to accessible and adequate housing, and to reasonable standards of sanitation; (c) to be free from hunger, and to have adequate food of acceptable quality; (d) to clean and safe water in adequate quantities; (e) to social security; and (f) to education.”
Rights declared are achieved through a declaration to develop the rights for others. 300,000 Kenyans who migrated from Kenya did not develop the food supply that that they needed every day after arrival. The migrating Kenyans did not build the house and supply the house with clean water and sanitation when arriving. The expectant mother migrating with just a few dollars did not have enough resources for herself and the child; yet, the child and mother rights to life were never at risk for the rights were already developed.
Diaspora entrepreneurs, PhD holders, engineers, healthcare professionals and other professionals who got these rights and became developers of these rights also saw this as a challenge and opportunity to develop them in Kenya. They declared, “It is our responsibility to find ways to develop these rights we enjoy for Kenyans in Kenya.”
The declaration led to hard work that resulted to the Kenya University Project – Master Development Plan to develop the rights. Bishop Donald Mwawasi of Atlanta hard work led to Institution Town Plan approved by the Taita Taveta County. He continues to work on other aspects of project. Dr. Wilson Endege continues to engage the National Government so the rights of housing, clean water, quality air, clean environment, food, healthcare and education can be met. Diaspora Kenyans joined and continue to join with the single goal to develop the rights for others.
A percentage of the 44 million Kenyans alive in Kenya, “right of life,” is threatened by lack of food when there is variation of weather that causes drought. A community stealing others resources be it cattle or other resources is many a time based on the threat of the “right to life,” than “hate or greed.”
Poor housing and slums; lack of clean water; lack of healthcare professionals and facilities; and lack of education, all contribute to a lower life expectancy. All these can be developed. However, 20 million Kenyans who are aged below 18 years cannot develop rights for themselves; they have to rely on those aged 18 years and older to develop these rights for them.
As each Diaspora celebrates, Independence Day, that came about after a declaration; it is a good time to also declare that they shall develop the rights of food, housing, clean water, education and other rights for those in Kenya. It is a good day to declare that they shall develop rights for the newborn child to the point where no child’s life shall end before age of 18 years, adult age, due to lack of food, housing, clean water or any other thing that is preventable or achievable through development. It is a good day to declare, “I shall join Kenya University Project and develop Kenya Constitution rights.”
By KUP/kenyauniversity.org
