Return of the Dark Continent: Kenyan MP Warns Pan-African Parliament
Hon. Passaris, Esther Muthoni Rosanna. Kenya National Assembly. Image courtesy of Pan-African Parliament Media Unit
Addressing fellow parliamentarians and dignitaries, Honorable Esther Muthoni Passaris of the Kenyan delegation to the Pan-African Parliament asserted that Africa remains a “dark continent” due to pervasive issues such as corruption, population growth, debt, and manipulated elections.
The Kenyan Legislator submitted her intervention during a plenary debate on peace and security at 3rd Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament .on 2 July, 2024
“We have seen it in every election cycle,” she stated, highlighting the manipulation and false promises that plague African elections. The Kenyan legislator lamented the loss of trust in the electoral process, noting that in her home country’s last elections saw 8 million Kenyans abstain from voting due to a lack of confidence.
Hon. Muthoni Passaris called for an end to corruption, advocating for a continent where leaders, irrespective of personal connections, are held accountable. “Whether it is your brother, your wife, your mother, your son, corruption should not be tolerated,” she declared.
The parliamentarian also addressed the continent’s population growth, recalling a historical perspective from the 1960s when Kenyan leader Tom Mboya spoke of population control as a goal. With a 40% employment rate and the increasing impact of artificial intelligence on job markets, Hon. Muthoni Passaris stressed the urgent need for family planning to avoid unsustainable population growth.
Debt and climate change were also major points in her speech. She underscored the debilitating impact of high-interest rates on African nations and the pressing need to address these financial burdens. Hon. Muthoni Passaris called for a collective approach to engage with global financial bodies and address the continent’s debt crisis.
The Kenyan MP did not shy away from critiquing the internal workings of the Pan-African Parliament itself, urging her colleagues to strive for a corruption-free institution. “If we have corruption, if we manipulate elections, if we don’t talk about the population, we will have to manage not only machinery but also conflicts,” she warned.
Hon. Muthoni Passaris also touched on food security and climate change, advocating for a unified African voice to engage with global partners and address these critical issues. She called for reparations and accountability for the continent’s colonial past, emphasizing the need for fair tax exchanges and tangible support for Africa’s development.
The legislator passionately issued a stark warning about the future as she referenced the dire consequences of bad leadership, including the potential for total anarchy, drawing parallels with conflicts in Syria and Libya. “No one wants to see their children without medicines in hospitals or unable to get a job after obtaining a degree,” Hon. Muthoni Passaris stated, emphasizing the human cost of governance failures.
“The spirit of Africa as a dark continent is actually coming like a shadow and very soon it will consume us,” she cautioned. Honorable Esther Muthoni Passaris implored her colleagues to commit to real change, saying, “If we want to stop being the dark continent, we must have an honest reflection on who and how we represent ourselves and what we dream for Africa.”
