Beautified by mountains, lakes and wildlife,

Africa is innocent in alluring sunrises and sunsets.

She is that child born beautiful and strong,

Loveable in majestic dances and laughter,

And rich in talent and natural resources.

 

But she is that child that won't sleep at night without being ravaged by nightmares.

Nightmares of corruption.

Billions line a few people's pockets,

While the majority die of hunger and disease.

 

Nightmares of assault,

As ignorance to the rule of law,

Absolute ignorance of Constitutions that found the essence of countries,

Presidents extending their reign by might,

Just so they can keep harvesting off the public's coffers,

While the innocent are left decaying in the street,

Like they are children born of lesser wombs.

 

Africa is bleeding from stab wounds of illicit financial flows,

Trillions lost in wastage,

As the elite few take expensive trips,

Refurbish their big houses,

And all at the common folk's expense.

 

What is to become of this motherland?

This place we call home?

When will we love her more than we love our pockets?

 

We've got terrorists killing because they don't like the name we call our God.

Mad men bathing school children in bullets,

And all in the name of Allah.

Boko haram stealing children from their mothers,

And Al-Shabaab reducing Somalia to an ugly stain on the global fabric.

 

I turn to the South and see Zuma drenched in selfish controversies.

I turn to the West and see Nigeria drenched in corruption,

Reserving wealth from their oil only for the lucky few.

I see Libya lying in her deathbed,

No thanks to NATO who were no doubt 'only trying to help'.

 

I look at home and I can't fight a tear,

As police gun down innocents indiscriminately and hide behind childish lies.

As corruption bleeds us dry.

Dear Kenya, when will the bleeding stop?

 

I look to my neighbor Tanzania,

I see the changes President Magufuli is trying to bring,

And I see hope.

I see where Rwanda has been and where she is now,

And my heart bursts with joy.

I look to Malawi and Botswana,

I recognize their valor in the fight for economic empowerment,

And I can't resist the urge to stand up and salute them in respect.

 

But when I think of Mugabe and the way he has bled Zimbabwe dry,

When I think of Ethiopia and her stringent laws,

Meant to quash one's freedom of expression,

My hope dims significantly.

 

When I turn to Morocco and see people dying,

In a desperate attempt to swim to Spain,

In a desperate wish to run away from home,

I can't stay in a silent room

For fear that the world will hear the deafening sounds of my breaking heart.

Why would you push people into running away from home,

Or die trying?

 

South Sudan, are you not tired of the fighting?

Egypt, are you not tired of the human rights violations?

Kenya, aren't we weak from the haemorrhaging effects of corruption?

Uganda, are you not bored with the Constitutional violations?

Burundi! Nkurunziza! You are jailing kids now because you don't like that they scribble hate messages against you in their books when they are bored? Get out of office already!

 

But I must love Africa because she is all I got.

I do not have to be Sauti Sol to live and die in Afrika.

I must share the sentiment of assassinated Rwandan Prime Minister.

Madam Agathe Uwilingiyimana in her infinite wisdom expressed,

That it is easy to love a beautiful and smiling child,

But when that child gets ugly, is she still easy to love?

 

I love you Africa.

I love you for your beauty,

And I love you despite your ugliness.

And I will do my best with what I have to remedy your shortcomings.

And I will keep loving you long after I am dead and buried.

This I promise.

So help me God.