Harambee is a Kiswahili word which means pulling together. As a philosophy, Harambee was popularized by Kenya's independence leader Jomo Kenyatta to mobilize Kenyans to work together to improve the quality of their lives. On June 1, 1963, during Madaraka Day celebrations, he said "As we participate in the pomp and circumstance, we must work harder to fight our enemies: ignorance, sickness and poverty...let us all work harder together for our country Kenya." Kenyatta emphasized that it was through concerted effort and toil that Kenyans could build a new and better Kenya. In practice, Harambee involved fund-raising occasions at which political leaders and rich people contributed money. It further involved contribution of materials for community projects. Kenyans without money and materials offered labour for the various development projects.
Aim/objectives of Harambee The outstanding aims of Harambee were as follows:
The achievements of Harambee in Kenya
The
Aim/objectives of Harambee The outstanding aims of Harambee were as follows:
- To promote self-reliance through reducing dependence on government and foreign donors To enhance national unity through working together and sharing ideas.
- To promote democracy through allowing Kenyans to get involved in politics and development projects.
- To develop social and economic infrastructure through construction of schools hospitals and bridges
- To promote economic development
- To improve the quality of life of the lower Kenyans.
- To reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. The rich would contribute money for projects aimed at alleviating poverty
- To protect and consolidate the independence of Kenya.
The achievements of Harambee in Kenya
The
- Promoted education and reduced of illiteracy.
- Made improvement in health care.
- Reducted poverty levels.
- Promoted national unity.
- Developed economic infrastructure.
- Promoted participation in nation building. While opening parliament on 13th December 1963, Kenyatta said: "Our motto 'Harambee' was conceived in the realization of the challenge of national building that now lies a head of us... the government and the people of Kenya must pull together."
- Improved Kenya's international image.
- Diversificated Kenya's economy.
Promoted regional co-operation and Pan-Africanism. - Improved inter-racial relations.
- Created employment opportunities.
- Eliminated wastage of local and national resources
- Protected the environment.
- Promoted hard work.
- Failed to raise enough fund/finance.
- Failed to produce enough skilled labour.
- The proliferation and duplication of projects was another failure.
- Failed to end dependence burden. 5. Failed to cultivate unity.
- The Harambee projects were politicized.
- Failed to stop the monetization of politics.
- Failed to eradicate poverty and unemployment. President Arap Moi confirmed this while announcing the 1996-1998 economic reforms by saying: "It is common knowledge that poverty and unemployment are the major challenges facing us as a nation".
- The forced contributions for Harambee projects.
- Failed to end hunger and scarcity of water.
- Environmental degradation was another failure.
- Failed to end unfavorable land tenure system and cultural bias.