African leaders face off in a political beauty contest

So, in Africa, a country’s good performance varies wildly, and a winner in one area, is a loser in another. A “failed state” today, is a trail-blazing one tomorrow.

This makes any attempt to definitely determine the best, the good, the average, the mediocre, the bad, and the appalling of African leaders very difficult and messy, if you decide to look at every big man’s individual action and policy initiative on its own merit.

So, after five months, the only thing one can confidently offer if you take in so much information and data, is a wacky index.

This one ranks leaders how close the life expectancy, literacy, education and living standards of their people are to those of emerging economies elsewhere in the world.

It also looks look at their record on the environment, corruption, and delivering social services, and how imaginative their visions of the future are.

It takes on the relative level of the rule of law, how frequently they hold elections, how much they allow civil society to operate, and how women are treated, and the general level of crime in their cities.

At a wider level, it considered the leaders’ commitment to globalisation; so it looks at investment in IT, mobile phones, contribution to peace keeping forces, and generosity towards refugees and exiles.

Finally, it factored in what we publicly know about their personal integrity and character.

To debate this index and to suggest your own, go to www.theeastafrican.co.ke and www.africareview.com