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EDITORIAL: Youth take centrestage in East Africa

Tuesday October 23 2018
By The EastAfrican

For the better part of the past quarter of a century, one thing has defined Rwanda and Ethiopia.

Led by thick-skinned men who had a single-minded focus on their objectives, the international community often did not know what to make of Paul Kagame or the late Meles Zenawi.

In the same breath that they praised them as the new breed of African leaders, commentators from the West were given to describing them as African “strongmen.” Domestic policies that emphasised discipline often attracted more than a frown from the casual observer.

Yet whatever the collateral damage associated with their uncompromising pursuit of the daredevil visions they crafted for their citizens, one thing cannot be taken from the two men. They presided over some of the most radical transformations of society in modern times.

In just over 20 years, Ethiopia has become an industrial powerhouse while Rwanda has done a 360-degree turnaround from a basket case to one of the most forward-looking communities in Africa.

Ethiopia and Rwanda pioneered technocracy in East Africa and this past week, the two appeared to be taking the next logical steps in their social and economic transformations.

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In Cabinet reshuffles that came almost back to back, the leaders of the two countries, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Kagame, appointed an unprecedented number of women and youth to office.

This came weeks after the two countries again took critics by surprise by setting free political dissidents.

In Tanzania, President John Magufuli has been trying to inject new energy into public affairs by bringing men and women of letters into his Cabinet.

To a large degree, the changes in Rwanda can be described as incremental, since they build on what has been achieved over the years. The country already had the largest representation of women in governance globally and it has been developing the legal and judicial systems to steer a dynamic society.

Because it disrupts and draws people out of their comfort zones, change often brings anxiety. The pace of the recent changes in Ethiopia has been so fast that observers cannot be faulted for wondering if these latest bets will pay off for the two countries.

One hopes they do, especially because they represent two broad internal movements. One is an attempt to expand inclusiveness by putting the next generation in charge of their future. The other is the liberalisation of politics in line with the pace of technology.

A defining feature of the African political landscape, amply reflected at the African Union Secretariat, is the unwavering determination by mostly octogenarian leaders – and men at that – to run affairs that call for new skill sets that they often lack.

The net effect of this has been to create a social divide that often manifests as radical discontent, trapping countries in a vicious circle of repression.

Ultimately, the future belongs to the next generation, so it is only logical that they be given the opportunity to determine what kind of future that will be.

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