“The strong global economic tide has lifted the boats of most South-East Asian countries, but perhaps the most impressive performer is Singapore. Its national income per head is already higher than Spain’s and New Zealand’s, and five times that of its nearest neighbour, Malaysia…since the 1997 Asian Crisis, it has fared markedly better than its rival, Hong Kong.
…Singapore has sustained its growth through unusually clean and efficient government, and by having one of the world’s best education systems.”
The Economist (October 27, 2007)
Lee Kuan Yew, the architect of Singapore’s rise from third world to first in one generation, is long gone from the seat of power. Yet the Singapore success story continues apace, without any sign of slackening.
It is easy to forget that we are talking about a nation that was until quite recently just a bunch of islands populated by fishermen. Its total land mass is just over 600 square kilometres. It is low-lying, hot and humid, and singularly lacking in any mineral or energy resources. Most food needs to be imported, and there is no natural source of drinking water.
Yet this is the country that now rubs shoulders with the long-prosperous, resource-rich nations of Europe.
As we discuss whether our own take-off is going to happen in Kenya, what should we discern when we gaze at those distant Asian islands? For one thing, we should see what clean government does for a country. Singapore is ruthless about corruption. Transgressions at any level are not tolerated. Ministers have been jailed when caught with their hands in the till. The country’s first-world, sparkling infrastructure is a poignant testament to what is possible when national resources are used properly to do the right things. In Singapore, a job in the civil service is not something to be ashamed of. The public sector attracts the cream of the workforce, not the larcenous or the lazy.
Education is undoubtedly another key driver. Singapore was not content with having just a good education system – it wanted the best. Singapore’s superb education structure is now the envy of most of the world. Let us gaze at that too: what well-equipped classrooms, top-notch teachers and outstanding research institutions do for a country.
But here’s a paradox: Singapore has some the world’s best human capital, yet it sucks in millions of immigrant workers. Its people are, on average, superbly educated; yet almost a third of its residents were born in other countries. Singapore’s visionary government has always been keen on foreign workers: it recognises that economies do not grow without access to a growing and diverse stream of human talent. The USA proved that case a long time ago.
In Kenya, sadly, we remain stuck in failed paradigms. We are still mistrustful of people who hail from even a few kilometres away, let alone from across oceans. Our history has brought rich streams of immigrants to this land, from all directions, and those streams have fed our national talent pool. Yet we still remain mired in village thinking, and are to this day mistrustful of ‘foreigners’. We could be so much more, but we are content to be surrounded by our clansmen.
Countries do not transform themselves just from within. We must remain open for business, and must allow talent, ideas, capital and culture to move freely, within and across our borders.
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Hey Sunny,
Great article. and to think we r all caught up in this tribal and corruption nonsense while Singapore is in the space age. Shame on us!
Hi Sunny.
Good post. It is disheartening to see Kenya with all its natural resources lagging so far behind. Even more serious is fact that we seem not to be aware of the resources. Take the water that flows to the ocean via Tana and Athi for example. It passes though regions that have a lot of sunshine! Has anybody thought of how much hydrogen can be produced using this water and solar electricity? Any country that is not thinking of diversifying its energy sources is doomed.
Sunny
That’s a brilliant observation and the saddest thing is that the village thinking runs through to even the top echelons. I would say that the fear of the unknown and the lack of courage to venture into new territories has a lot to play in this.
You don’t discover new land with old maps!!!
Fellow Kenyans, sound leadership will make the whole difference between what we are now and that what we dream to be. Vote with heads not your hearts.
Sunny,
I never miss my copy of the Sunday Nation just to read your articles. They are gems for anyone interested in leadership and good management practices. It is my wish that one day I will have the opportunity to attend your classes – if any. My major concern as a young African, with all the education we have, is that our people are still backward and poor. It’s like Educated Africans don’t want to share their knowledge with their people and they prefer an illiterate populace so that they can remain envied. This has to change. Africa and Kenya in particular has the potential to develop like Singapore. This can only be achieved if we harness the human capital that we have instead of retreating to tribal cocoons when we feel that our tribe is under threat. Kenyan expats are doing their bit in Botswana and other African countries and what counts is their expertise. Why can’t we as a country use our enormous human capital to build ourselves a modern and prosperous nation?