Where credit be, let it belong, John F. Kennedy on March 18, 1968 while addressing a rally in Kansas said “Even if we act to erase material poverty…. There is another greater task, it is to confront the poverty of satisfaction…….. that afflicts us all”. Words well thought and yes, it was foreseen and now we live in it and it has overtaken the poverty of ‘Basic needs’. The poverty of Africa and the Caribbean is what we have known whether true or justifiable we are aware of the hourly adverts of donation to save a life. My intention to resurrect Kennedy’s words is to reflect on certain individual lives and to put speed bumps to those who are cruising to an undefined destination looking for more of what they do not need or require. The Poverty of satisfaction is the mother of Extremism, poverty of basic needs, immorality, Corruption, 3 jobs for rent etc.
I will rather expound on this concept by reflecting on how the poverty of satisfaction is wrecking the youths. It is putting us into endless dreams, imagination and magnifications of life to ends that will otherwise be achieved after 120 years’ time limit on planet Earth. Consider this scenario as told by a friend in diaspora, trying to find greener pastures. “After form four I really wanted to go to college eventually find a job, build a house and have 2-3 good cows and raise a family.” Here is his present situation: I work 2 jobs, I have a degree, I am planning to marry but I am not sure when and I am thinking of investing in some business. I asked how much money you think you need now and he answered without hesitance that he needs about 10 million shillings and I will humbly go home and start life. It is so exiting to understand how the poverty of satisfaction can magnify your wants/needs without allowing you to climb the ladder from A-Z. This man has shifted his mindset to a different level of thought, but he has not been able to complete his original plan although he is capable of accomplishing it now.
I understand without necessity of burden of proof that Safaricom, which is a Giant business in Kenya belongs to certain individuals and I truly acknowledge their skills and abilities to set up such a great venture. On the other side, I am amazed to also understand that similar billionaires are also engaged in other activities which have ruined and put the country in great turmoil. Some individuals are mentioned in major scandals and scums, some are political brokers wanting power by pay and others are engaged in drug trafficking and the majority are laundering money. My question is so simple, what makes you want more when you can’t spend what you have? In the end, we are left with the same ends: sleeplessness and dissatisfaction. The only difference between these two ends is that one will eventually exploit or rob the one who is genuinely poor and adds to the excess of what he already has.
Take a great look at the Kenyan politicians and the appointed officials: They earn up to a million shillings a month and then loots everything from the department of disability, youth empowerment or Healthcare to add for themselves. It is embarrassing to belong to such a nation and God himself won’t be fair to Judge me with this heartless persons. To add insult to same wound, they buy a large screen Television to watch the starving Children of the slums and streets. What kind of persons are these? Was it not written somewhere in the Bible that the natural Law of Giving is for the Rich to the poor? How then did we arrive at ‘reverse justice’ as Lincoln once said. Why are the Rich robbing the poor? I suppose then that in the Land of “poverty of Satisfaction”, moral judgement cannot hold.
Mention any evils of the 21st century and you will realize that the Poverty of satisfaction has been always the root cause. Take a look at the extremism and you will be able to spot the difference. It is a fight of the poor nations with the rich: the rich are trying to quench their thirst of wanting too much for themselves and when greed is in, morals will have no place to stay. If you still question that perspective, consider the recent emergent cases of Homosexuality .The society is overwhelmed by minority funded programs and affirmative actions have been put to place to balance the gradient, eventually the Government with its poverty of satisfaction is creating and making room for more unnecessary bed room affairs into a national budget/discussion. The people are tossing and shuffling life trying to find an end of satisfaction and in so doing, they have become like the man once written to have climbed the mountain and could not realize he had reached the top and began descending from the other side.
I can write endless pages on this topic, but it was not my intention to do so, I only wanted to stir your thoughts and allow those who will read this to reflect on themselves. On what extreme end of life are you? Are you the one taking from the genuinely poor to add to your full pocket? Are you that person inventing a plan each year, but unable to satisfy? Are among the few breeds thirsty for a turn to rob and begin dancing the tune of today?
Personal views subject to constructive critic.

