Kenyans continue to arrive at Uhuru Gardens in large numbers as the nation gathers to mark the 62nd Jamhuri Day.
The celebrations have drawn dignitaries from across the continent, including Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama, who has arrived in Nairobi to join the national festivities which include the parades, and performances.
Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki is calling on President William Ruto to institute measures that will cushion Kenyans from the vagaries of the high cost of living while asking Kenyans to be patient.
Speaking at the Chuka DC grounds during the Jamhuri day celebrations, Governor Njuki said Kenyans were becoming weary of the status as is and it was incumbent of the Kenya Kwanza government to reign in on the current status.
Consequently, governor Njuki has lauded President Ruto’s administration in its efforts of settling the country’s debt, noting the debt levels were now becoming manageable.
His sentiments coming at a time President Ruto has noted that the country is out of a debt distress level and now on a path to recovery, and also at a time the Kenya Revenue Authority has announced collection of a trillion shillings.
But even as governor Njuki calls of the President to reign in on the run away cost of living, he has asked the president to crack the whip on officials at the Kenya Power and lighting company whom he accuses of sabotaging the country’s power.
According to Governor Njuki, Kenya Power, which is a monopoly, is not living up to the expectations of Kenyans who are already paying high electricity bills.
Njuki says the KPLC was seriously letting Kenyans down yet President Ruto’s agenda to partner with counties to set up industrial parks in counties is pegged heavily on power.
Njuki, who is also the Council of Governors health committee chairperson says it is unfathomable that a country like Kenya, which ranks highly amongst its peers in the region, can have frequent power outages affecting the country’s main airport, yet no key action is taken.
As Kenya marked 60 years independence on Tuesday, President William Ruto delivered significant milestones made by his administration in education sector.
Speaking during Jamhuri Day in Nairobi, Dr Ruto highlighted his achievements so far touching on the new university funding, Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) funding model, hiring of teachers and the construction of additional classroom infrastructure in Nairobi County.
In the Education Ministry, the Head of State said that the Kenya Kwanza Government has increased the total allocation by an additional Ksh 127 billion.
Out of this, he noted that Ksh 46 billion will go towards the new university funding model, Ksh 9 billion to cover our TVET funding model and the hiring of 2,000 tutors, an additional Ksh 47 billion to enable Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to hire 56,000 teachers.
He further said that the government had set aside Ksh 24 billion for basic education to cover the Junior Secondary School and to support the construction of additional classroom infrastructure to ease congestion.
“To cover the chronic classroom deficit in Nairobi County, we have undertaken to build 3,500 additional classrooms with the first Ksh 1 billion allocated in this year’s budget,” he said.
The Government is also rolling out training and digital job opportunities in all TVETS countrywide to enable the youth acquire digital skills and address unemployment.
“Already 23,000 computers have been distributed with many students now monetising their skills online. The digital jobs ecosystem we are building is an intentional, dynamic and innovative mechanism to create jobs in the technology and digital space,” the President added.
President William Ruto Tuesday gave hope to Kenyans by assuring the economy was on a stable footing.
Ruto confirmed that the country which has been reeling under a huge public debt burden is safely out of danger of debt distress.
While addressing Kenyans during the 60th Jamhuri Day celebrations held at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, the President attributed the recovery to painful sacrifices made by both Kenyans and his government including cutting down on expenditure.
“Together, we have made the right choices, sometimes taken very difficult and painful decisions, to steer Kenya back from the edge of the catastrophic cliff of debt distress, and move our nation in a new direction,” he said.
The President who pledged to revive the economy when he took over leadership last year, said his administration had to defer the implementation of critical development programmes to rescue the country from an economic catastrophe.
“We have had to cut back significantly on expenditure and defer the implementation of critical development programmes to stabilise our economy. The policy measures required to mobilise necessary revenues have been difficult, but they were our only way and means of escape” adding that the sacrifices had finally paid off.
“We have had to cut back significantly on expenditure and to defer the implementation of critical development programmes to stabilise our economy. The policy measures required to mobilise necessary revenues have been difficult, but they were our only way and means of escape”.
Ruto was proud of bouncing back, the highlight being the significant drop in inflation rate to 6.8pc, from a high of 9.2pc last year.
“The economic indicators point to good news. Inflation is now at 6.8%, down from a high of 9.2% last year. In the last 6 months, our GDP has grown at 5.4%, making Kenya the 29th fastest-growing economy in the world, according to the World Bank. There is no question about it: What we have done together, the price we have paid together and the sacrifices we have made together have rescued our country from an economic catastrophe” he explained.
With the breakthrough, the President in his 17-page speech said the focus has now shifted to accelerating economic progress.
“After navigating our way out of a difficult and complicated debt situation, our second action is to accelerate economic progress, which is the cardinal assignment of our generation” he affirmed.
The government has been spending almost half its revenue on debt-servicing. Ruto last month committed to settle this month, the first installment of the $2 billion Eurobond which matures in June 2024.
President William Ruto has assured that all taxes collected by the state shall be put to their intended use and no single shilling shall be lost to embezzlement or corruption.
Speaking during the 60th Jamhuri Day celebrations on Tuesday, the President called on the Judiciary and anti-corruption agencies to discharge their mandate “without fear, favour, ill-will or prejudice.”
“I also give my personal undertaking to support the prosecution of all those involved in corruption, without regard to their social, economic or political status or connections, ethnicity or any other consideration whatsoever,” said Ruto.
“This is the minimum that is expected of us in fulfilment of our constitutional mandate, and Kenyans deserve no less,” he added
At the same time, the President said enhanced resources have been allocated to the Judiciary to promote its independence adding that the country will continue to be guided by the rule of law.
Additionally, Ruto noted that Parliament is now more independent with its own calendar and budget which has enhanced its decision making capabilities without influence from political parties.
The President further called upon civil servants to discharge their duties with transparency and accountability.
“Much has been given you by the people of Kenya and, therefore, much more is expected of you. On behalf of the people, I shall therefore hold you to the highest standards of efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability in serving our nation,” said Ruto.
The 60th Jamhuri Day celebrations were held at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi under the theme “Youth, Creative, and Sports”.
President William Ruto has arrived at the Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi where the country’s 60th Jamuhuri Day Celebrations are ongoing.
The Head of State is expected to lead the fete that is held to commemorate the day Kenya became a Republic.
This will mark his second Jamhuri Day since he assumed office in 2022.
A total of 30,000 people are expected to attend the celebrations.
Jamhuri is the Swahili word for “republic” and the holiday officially marks the date when Kenya became an independent country on 12 December 1963.
This was six months after gaining internal self-rule on June 1, 1963, from the United Kingdom.
Dignitaries who will be in attendance include Ethiopia President Sahle-Work Zewde, who jetted into the country on Monday and Zanzibar President Hussein Mwinyi.
Singapore, a tiny South East Asian country is often a point of reference for the political class in Kenya promising to make the country a first world nation when given a chance.
The comparison is mostly anchored on what could be, rather than what should be or perhaps, what must be for that matter.
Six decades ago when Kenya officially became a republic on December 12, 1964, Singapore was still battling internal political confrontations in a bid to break away from Malaysia, also a British colony. It was not until August 9, 1965 that Singapore became an independent country.
According to data by the World Bank in 1963, the Singaporean economy was $917.6 million while that of Kenya was slightly larger at $926.6 million.
Sixty years later, Singapore with a population of 5.9 million has had one of the most productive and vibrant economies in the world with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $466.8 billion. Kenya on the other hand with a population of 53 million has grown to have a GDP of $113.4 billion.
The Asian country also dwarfs Kenya when it comes to income per capita with $82,807.6 Ksh 12.7m) compared to the east African country’s $2,099.3 (Ksh 321,193).
As Kenya marks its 60th independence, free from the British rule, one would wonder how the country which is 793 times bigger than Singapore has lagged far behind the Asian tiger in both economic and social indicators.
“At independence, Kenya and Singapore were almost at the same economic junctures. They faced similar development challenges like poor infrastructure, poor health system, poor education systems and under- developed industries. But what set Singapore apart is leadership. Similarly, what holds Kenya from its rightful growth is leadership,” says Steve Ogutu, a development communications expert.
Africanization of the economy
The Kenyan post-independence economy can be traced back to 1965 through “Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965 on African Socialism and its Application to Planning in Kenya” which was issued by Tom Mboya, the then Minister for Economic Planning and Development who was the second minister to hold the docket after James Gichuru in post-independence Kenya.
The paper which laid the foundations which the Kenyan economy is built on covered a period between 1964 and 1970 and sought to give locals more control on the economy which had been dominated by British settlers and Asians.
“Our entire approach has been dominated by a desire to ensure Africanization of the economy and the public service. Our task remains to try and achieve these two goals without doing harm to the economy itself and within the declared aims of our society,” President Kenyatta stated in the paper.
The paper also sought to ensure the economy which was mainly centred on agriculture that produced raw materials which were exported to Europe became diverse.
“With independence, Kenya intends to mobilize its resources to attain a rapid rate of economic growth for the benefit of its people. Under colonialism the people of Kenya had no voice in government; the nation’s natural resources were organized and developed mainly for the benefit of non-Africans; and the nation’s human resources remained largely uneducated, untrained, inexperienced and unbenefited by the growth of the economy,” the paper reads.
While the economy has grown exponentially since the endorsement of the sessional paper by Parliament in 1965 and become diverse as intended, Kenya still needs to change some things according to Ogutu.
According to Ogutu, the development of a vibrant economy will mean borrowing a leaf from leadership style of Lee Kuan Yew, the late Singapore Prime Minister accredited for success of the South East Asian Country.
“He led from the front in tackling poor governance by putting to jail his ministers, allies and anyone involved in corruption. This inculcated a culture of patriotic leadership in his government. This became the backbone of Singapore’s growth,” he adds.
A regional economic giant
Though Kenya still experiences challenges, just like any other African country struggling to find its soul after years of colonization, the country has made remarkable progress when it comes to economic development.
Since 1963, the country’s economy has expanded with sectors such as art and entertainment, manufacturing, information and technology, agriculture, trade, tourism, finance, transport and construction playing a big part in job creation.
The country for instance boasts of a significantly larger population that have a form of financial access, thanks to mobile money which was introduced by Kenya’s largest mobile service provider, Safaricom in 2007.
Mobile money has been a key facilitator of trade with 38 million subscriptions. Last year alone according to data by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the value of money transfers was Ksh 7.9 trillion.
In a span of six decades, the country has also invested heavily in power generation that has been critical in ensuring electricity access to homes as well as running large industries.
The country has managed to generate 12,669.4 GWh of electricity as of last year with green sources such as geothermal and wind generation accounting for 5,517.5 GWh and 2,143.0 GWh, respectively. More than half of installed capacity is now green energy.
Similarly, the country has invested billions of shillings to develop new infrastructure such as roads, rail, airports and waterways in a bid to encourage domestic, regional and international trade.
The Ksh 450 billon Standard Gauge Railway running from Mombasa to Naivasha is the largest single infrastructure undertaken by the government to date.
The railway completed in 2019 has helped in faster haulage of cargo when compared to the more than a century old metre gauge railway line as well as reduced time it takes to travel between Mombasa and Nairobi to just 4 hours from 8 hours previously by road. Last year, the volume of freight transported by SGR stood at 6,090,000 tonnes while the number of passengers using SGR reached 2,392,300.
Kenya also boasts of having the best road network in the region following years of both public and private investments. Statistics by the Kenya Roads Board indicate that out of an estimated 246,757km of road network in the country, out of which 101,209km is maintainable around 18,000km is fully tarmacked.
Major achievements in the roads sector include, Thika Superhighway, Nairobi Expressway, Southern Bypass, Western Bypass, Nairobi-Isiolo-Moyale highway just to name a few.
Other infrastructural achievements including modernization of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, development of Mombasa International Airport, Kisumu International Airport and Eldoret Airport which have also increase connectivity and boosted tourism in the country.
The country has also invested heavily in developing Mombasa Port which is the gateway to the region, Lamu Port and Kisumu Port which continue to facilitate trade locally and regionally.
Additionally, the country has shore up its food production efforts in a bid to ensure it permanently deal with the perennial challenge of food scarcity which continues to affect a significant number of the population.
According to the National Irrigations Board (NIB), the country could put an estimated 1.35 millon acres under irrigation. However, only half a million acres has been developed.
Kenya has since constructed 209 irrigations projects across the country and rehabilitated public irrigation schemes among them, Mwea, Ahero, Bura, Galana-Kulalu, Pekerra, Tana, Bunyala, West Kano and Lower Kuja which have helped put 35,326 acres under crop cultivation.
This has further been supported by construction of multi-billion shillings dams among others, Kariminu II, Thiba, Siyoi, Ruiru II and Mwache.
However, the country still struggles to expand employment opportunities. As of 2022, only 3.2 million Kenyans were in formal sector employment while majority were self employed or in informal sectors.
“Per World Bank, about 30pc of the youth in Kenya are unemployed, the largest in East Africa,” says Ogutu
“The Auditor General indicates that we lose more than a third of our annual budget to corruption. That’s over Ksh 1 trillion. How many industries would this build? How many hospitals and roads would Ksh 1 trillion establish? The point is, corruption is eating Kenya’s future. And to get us to where Singapore is, we will need patriotic leadership style inculcated in public service right from the top to the lowest rank.”
Becoming the next Singapore
The dream to see the country rise from a middle-income economy to a high-income economy seems bright for both citizens and the ruling class. This is evident by the establishment of the plans such as Vision 2030 blueprint launched in 2008 by the late President, Mwai Kibaki.
Under the economic and macro pillar, the country has identified six priority sectors which are expected to help Kenya achieve a GDP growth rate of 10pc from the current 5.5pc by 2030.
The sectors include tourism, agriculture and livestock, wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, financial services, business process offshoring and IT-enabled services.
Ogutu says to achieve this and become the next Singapore, Kenya will need political goodwill and people-centric leadership style of the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
“To get us to where Singapore is, we will need patriotic leadership style inculcated in public service right from the top to the lowest rank. This change can take some time to materialize but it’s doable. Kenyans need to see politicians involved in corruption-no matter the position-face the law to the fullest without fear or favor. In my opinion, this is a critical way to establish a culture of good governance which is essential for sustainable development,” he notes.
Happy Jamhuri Day!
Kenya’s Constitution promulgated in 2010 heralded the end of the powerful provincial administration that had existed for more than 50 years dating back to colonial rule.
Initially established by the British colonial government to facilitate administrative control and governance, the provincial administration continued to be powerful and influential even after Kenya gained her independence.
Before Independence, Kenya was divided into eight provinces, each led by a British administrator. The aim of the provincial administration was to maintain law and order, collect taxes, and implement government policies at the local level.
After Kenya gained independence in 1963, the provincial administration continued to play a crucial role in governance. The provincial administrators were called Provincial Commissioners (PCs) and were appointed by the president.
PC’s were responsible for coordinating development activities, and maintaining security in their respective provinces wielding centralized powers over local affairs which led to criticism that the system was overreaching and abusing power.
Devolution
In 2010, Kenya adopted a new constitution that introduced Devolution which translated to channeling power and resources to the county level.
As a result, the provincial administration was replaced by county governments. Owing to the existence of the system for years, there were renewed calls for redefining the roles of the provincial administration leading to the change of their name and are now referred to as the National Government Administration Officers.
Though they do not yield massive powers as they used to and are now appointees of the Interior Ministry, Regional Commissioners and County Commissioners chair security committees in their respective jurisdictions and are the link between county governments and National government particularly on functions that have remained with the National Government and other residue functions.
Devolution also marked the end of the Local Government set up which consisted of 175 local authorities otherwise known as councils.
The authorities were classified as City Council, Municipal Council, Town Council and County Council. The City and Municipal Councils were led by a mayor as the political figurehead, the town clerk as the administrator, and councilors as legislators.
The County councils on the other hand were headed by County Chairman with County Clerk being the lead administrator.
They were responsible for the administration and development of urban centers as well as planning, housing, traffic management, and other aspects of urban governance with Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa being among the first to have municipal councils.
Over time, the councils became autonomous in their decision-making with residents having the opportunity to elect their representatives.
The councils were however criticized for their centralized nature and limited citizen participation necessitating the shift to county governments.
As the country celebrates its 60th independence anniversary, many industries in Kenya have made remarkable strides that have transformed the country’s social, political and economic environment.
The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Authority reflects where this journey began and here are some key decade-categorised milestones to recognize.
1960’s – Radios
Kenya was the first British Colonial Territory to have a regular public wireless broadcasting service radio introduced in the late 1920’s; the services targeted European settlers.
In 1959, regional broadcasters were created in Mombasa (Sauti ya Mvita) Nyeri (Mount Kenya Station) and Nyanza (Kisumu Station). In the 1960’s, people gathered in round groups to listen to radio programmes as a community.
Radio-based telecommunication played an important role in relaying information to people in both urban and rural areas quickly and simultaneously.
1970’s – International Phone Calls
For a long time, international communication was limited to letters and telegrams. With the onset of international calling, communications between Kenya and the rest of the world became easier.
1980’s – Computer
The age of computer brought about the automation of many operations within institutions which enhanced service delivery significantly.
1990’s – Mobile Phone
The mobile phone revolution gradually removed the barriers to communication by enabling access to portable telephone gadgets for the regular person.
2000’s – Fiber Optic
The arrival of The East African Marine System (TEAMS) fiber cable ushered in an era of unprecedented growth and innovation in Kenya’s ICT landscape. It made it possible for Kenyans to communicate extensively through the use of high-speed connections.
2010’s – The ICT Authority & Kenya’s Connectivity
The ICT Authority was established in August 2013. The Authority is tasked with rationalizing and streamlining the management of all Government of Kenya ICT functions. Our broad mandate entails enforcing ICT standards in Government and enhancing the supervision of its electronic communication. We also promote ICT literacy, capacity, innovation and enterprise. Since then, the connectivity of the country through the ICT infrastructure has been enhanced, leading to more connections and vibrant digital economy.
2020’s – Kenya National Digital Master Plan (2022- 2032)
The Government of Kenya developed the Kenya National Digital Master Plan (2022-2032) will define our efforts, in the next ten years, to create business opportunities, wealth creation, employment and the contribution of ICT to the growth of the economy through our medium to long-term road map as we strive towards the realisation of our goal in transforming lives, better for the citizens.
Through East Africa Regional Trade Transportation Development Facilitation Project (EARTTDFP), which is financed by World Bank, we have rehabilitated 630 Km of Fibre and installed new fibre. The EARTTDFP ICT component entail’s the enhancement of internet connectivity along the development corridor from Eldoret to the Nadapal/Nakodok Border Post is also known as the South Sudan link.
The Public Wi-Fi service is being rolled out and so far sites have been installed in: Mombasa, Kwale, Makueni, Kitui, Machakos, Embu, Nyeri, Muranga, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya.
1,450 ICT Hubs will be developed countrywide. The ICT Authority has adopted the Integrated Infrastructure Model between with road agencies.
SOURCE: Ngulamu Jonathan
At least three Heads of State are expected to attend this year’s Jamhuri Day Celebrations to be held at the iconic Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi.
Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko and his Ethiopian counterpart Sahle Work Zewde have already arrived in the country as President William Ruto’s guests during the celebrations marking 60 years of independence.
The President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and her delegation were received on Monday Afternoon at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano.
The Belarus President earlier met President Ruto at State House Nairobi where both Heads of State agreed to broaden ties between the two nations particularly on energy, trade, investment and education.