Development has for long been approached in an overly narrow manner.
On any ordinary campaign platform, aspirants and elected leaders alike often take pride in their accomplishments or the promises they make in the name of development.
They readily list their priorities—extending electricity, building roads, improving education, and bringing water—presenting these projects as the ultimate measures of progress.
While these initiatives are crucial, they are frequently pursued with a limited perspective.
Development should not be judged merely by the presence of these utilities but by the tangible impact they create in people’s lives.
Electricity should not only be about lighting homes; it must facilitate economic activities such as manufacturing, value addition, artisan work, security enhancement, and ICT ventures.
Without these outcomes, it simply becomes an additional expense that adds to the burdens of the people.
Similarly, access to clean water should go beyond domestic consumption and contribute to agricultural productivity through irrigation.
This ensures food security and economic sustainability rather than water being just another utility.
Improved infrastructure, such as roads, should serve as a catalyst for trade and economic activity rather than existing merely as a passageway for vehicles.
When roads do not foster commerce and industry, they serve little purpose beyond facilitating travel and, at worst, enabling criminal activities.
The construction of better classrooms should not be limited to improving literacy and numeracy.
Education must be guided by a vision that nurtures entrepreneurial thinking and professional direction, instilling in learners the ability to seize opportunities and drive self-reliance rather than just acquiring the ability to read and write.
True development is about transformation, not just the provision of facilities and utilities.
The focus must shift from merely supplying these amenities to ensuring they serve as a foundation for sustainable socio-economic change.
Without this broader perspective, we risk remaining in a cycle where progress is measured by what is built rather than by the impact it has on people’s lives.
We have a very long way to go!
Dr Odongo is a socio political pundit
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