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The euphoria displayed by the South Sudanese during the voting and recent independence celebrations can perhaps be equated to the independence celebrations in Kenya 48 years ago.
After decades of colonial plunder, Kenyans looked forward to a new dawn full of prosperity as promised by their leaders. Hunger, disease and extreme greed were finally to be banished.
But half a century later, half of the population lives on the margins of these maladies. A notable proportion of the remainder hovers precariously around these extremes. What went wrong?
Are there lessons for South Sudan to draw from the Kenyan experience? After independence, the political elite distanced itself from the people.
They largely comprised Western-educated minorities that had quietly admired the privileged status of colonialists. Their first preoccupation was to plunder natural and financial resources.
Cash cows
Corruption quickly replaced racial privileges. Resources meant for basic services and infrastructure development were corruptly acquired for private gain.
Several parts of the Republic were starved of any meaningful development. The majority continued in abject poverty as they did during colonialism.
Governance instruments and practices were reviewed to support private interests. The constitution was amended to increase presidential powers and emasculate governance institutions like Parliament and the Judiciary. Political opposition was outlawed.
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