Mwai Kibaki was the President of the Republic of Kenya for 10 good years from 2002 to 2013, and in all that time he was unable to initiate a single Pharmaceutical factory in Kenya, or build better Medical Facilities that can cater for his medical needs ranging from common cold to Organ Transplant. Kenya as a country still prides itself in Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) founded in 1901 and renovated in 1952 by Colonial Government where it was renamed King George VI Hospital.
Since independence the only achievement the African Government of Kenya has done so far is rename it again to Kenyatta National Hospital while at the same time tries to run it down, which seems to be taking longer than they hoped.
In terms of natural resources, Africa is the world’s richest continent. It has 50% of the world’s gold, most of the world’s diamonds and chromium, 90% of the cobalt, 40% of the world’s potential hydroelectric power, 65% of the manganese, millions of acres of untilled farmland, as well as other natural resources.
Eleven African leaders have died in office since 2008 and majority of them it was in a hospital abroad or soon after arriving home. Zambia’s Levy Mwanawasa (France) and now Michael Sata (UK), Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi (Belgium), Omar Bongo (Spain), Ghana’s John Atta Mills and Nigeria’s Umaru Yar’Adua all fit in that category.
Ideally, the poor health infrastructure in most African countries is the reason African leaders, who are ironically charged with improving these facilities, can’t use them. But it’s also true that African leaders are very secretive about their health; and so, being hospitalised abroad helps them to keep their illness secret and thus their power intact.
It’s a shame that a leader can be in charge of a country for 20 years and still fail to create conditions that would enable him or her to get medical attention at home. Perhaps it’s because their own health is never really at stake as they have taxpayers’ money at their disposal in case they need even the simplest treatment abroad, while their poor citizens are left to their own devices.
It’s about time African Leaders are compelled to be Hospitalized in their own countries and probably even die in their own countries. African taxpayers have more problems besides shipping dead bodies of their former and current leaders living abroad for Burial
Kibaki rushes to SA for treatment. Proof that he failed to enable local access to affordable and comprehensive medical care.
— Robert ALAI (@RobertAlai) August 22, 2016
He was finance and health minister, Vice President then President for 10 years. He FAILED to improve our healthcare. pic.twitter.com/cDhysG29AY
— Boniface Mwangi (@bonifacemwangi) August 22, 2016
