By Oketch Kevin

My name is Oketch Kevin from Kenya, I am currently a member of the East African network of young people passionate of bringing change in Africa.

The network has representation from all the East African Countries. I also run a number of projects in Kenya to support the young people.

Your Excellency the key aim of this letter is to remind ourselves that Africa still suffers from a number of adversities namely; Poverty, Poor Education, Violence, Hunger and food insecurity, Poor access to financing, low economic growth rate caused by failure in the intra-african trade, Gender based violence, rape cases, Poor power transitions after every election among many more problems that keep rising daily in Africa.

Your Excellency young Africans today run away from Africa to solve the unemployment matters in other continents when Africa has it`s natural resources that if well utilized can offer greater opportunities to the young people. (please look at the gold in Congo and it`s rivers that can serve the entire Africa with electricity).

Africa requires a well guarded united fund that can sponsor Education amongst the young people and African countries are capable of funding such opportunities, for how long are Africans going to depend on foreign aid while such civilizations were far below Africa in the days of yore?

On a daily basis the African leaders go to other civilizations to seek medical services when as Africa we can possibly fund such when we have a better administration of how things should be appropriately done.

The South African xenophobic attacks is a menace that paints black our picture as a people, The African union has been very silent on this and many Africans die younger than expected due to unnecessary attacks.

Your Excellency this includes the periodic violence that is always witnessed after every election in our African countries.

What can the African Union do on all these and bring change to Africa, What is really the role of the African Union, is it not to help in changing Africa as we prepare vehemently for the Africa agenda 2063?

Is the African Union truly a body to be celebrated by us Africans?

The current invasion of the Chinese government in the African soil is a great thing but are there limits in the way the hire and fire Africans, what roles do the African companies play in such international tenders and is a licensed African in Chad allowed to operate with their license in Malawi, Egypt or Botswana?

Are these too uncomfortable questions to us?  What component of our raw materials do they use in their daily operations as we partner in the different development projects? are the debts that Africans will pay due to the current development projects reasonable?

Mr. Chair I hope we are comfortable with the questions that I am asking.  Are our leaders being blindfolded by the thirst for money and not seeing the other side of the coin  as far as all these civilizations coming to Africa is concerned?

Are the key decisions made during your meetings realities or are they just words on paper? If they are not words then how are the follow ups done and implementations?

Your Excellency my voice depicts voices of other young Africans who are speaking even in their silence but are unaware of what to do.

If we do not handle the small problems facing Africa then Africa will never realize her potential and the African Union is a key driver in this. There are many issues that I have not pointed out but the request of the young people is to have sanity on the way we do things in Africa and leave a better Africa for us, our children and our children`s children.

I look forward to seeing a more redefined Africa if the African agenda 2063 is anything to go by. The 55 African countries talk about these matters but silently, Can`t the African Union come out soberly on the aforementioned and the unmentioned contentious issues? I am hopeful though.

Regards

Founder and Director
Right Hearts Against Poverty CBO in Kenya.