President Uhuru Kenyatta delivered his 7th State of the Nation address in which he touched on 5 key issues that he will prioritize as he serves his last two years.
During the November 12, State of the Nation speech, the president laid a foundation for the next and final phase of his administration’s agenda.
Kenyans.co.ke speech analysis reveals the substantive words that popped out, a pointer to what Kenyatta's administration has been focusing on from the beginning of 2020, and an indication of what the government will focus on in 2021.
Children
Uhuru addressed one of Kenya's greatest concerns; children and how the Covid-19 disruption would affect learning. The word 'children' appeared 13 times in Kenyatta's speech, more than any other substantive issue he talked about.
Noting that it would be a challenge to fully reopen schools amid the pandemic, the President appealed to Parliament to allocate money for the construction and equipping of more dormitories, classes, and other amenities.
The head of state gave orders to the Ministry of Education on the resumption of learning, requesting that the new school calendar be ready in 2-weeks time.
He also said that as a parent and a grandparent, he shared in the pain and frustration of most parents having the children home for nearly an entire year.
“A nation’s future is its children. As custodians of and trustees for future generations, it is our duty to protect, nurture and mould our young children into responsible citizens. Our children embody the only true guarantee of the continuity of this project that we call Kenya,” he noted.
Nairobi
President Kenyatta has shown a commitment to return Nairobi to its glory days through the appointment of Nairobi Metropolitan Services Director General Mohammed Badi.
The Head of State outlined his plan to develop Nairobi into an infrastructure and business hub, mentioning 'Nairobi' 12 times in his speech.
Among some of the achievements he outlined was the improved ranking in the ease of doing business, by making it easier for small traders to import goods into the country.
“Our initial focus in Nairobi City County has seen the waiver of Single Business Permits for all new businesses registered in Nairobi for the first 2 years of their operations, effective March this year. We also have waived the presumptive tax requirement for all new businesses,” the president spoke.
He also said the construction of the Nairobi Expressway, Nairobi-Mau Summit Road, the Nairobi Commuter Rail would offer a solution to the city’s traffic congestion.
Economic Development
He stated that Kenya was strong, steady and resilient, expressing hope that the economy would bounce back from the effects of Covid-19.
He explained the measures his administration was taking to develop partnerships with manufacturing industry stakeholders in varied sectors of the economy ranging from the automotive assembly, oil and gas, maritime and shipping to agro-processing.
“As we seek to grow our industries and create jobs in the manufacturing sector, we must of necessity have the manpower, with requisite skills to match the needs of industry,” the president stated.
“This year’s economic development agenda is the commencement of the journey from being a country of net consumers to a country of net producers,” he added.
National Security
The Head of State assured that national security was robust and that the county was secure from threats against it.
He stated that his administration was implementing reforms in the security sector such as the expansion of the National Police Service Control and Command Centre for surveillance and communication; and the successful launch of the Digital Occurrence Book Pilot Project.
President Kenyatta praised the unveiling of the national security innovations exhibition at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Law Enforcement Academy in Manyani, Taita Taveta County.
Uhuru also explained that security agencies would be leveraging on technology to address problems such as cybersecurity, crime, revenue collection gateways, social media communication, geospatial mapping, and resource consolidation as well as small arms manufacturing.
In October, President Kenyatta got a chance to learn more about the Kenyan-made CMZ 4 Assault Rifle which grabbed his curiosity.
Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
President Kenyatta noted that the Covid-19 pandemic had tested the country’s healthcare systems and its preparedness.
He stated that Ksh6 billion from the UHC kitty was disbursed to counties and the recruitment of additional health workers.
“I am pleased to report to you that the pilot programme for Universal Health Care was successfully implemented, and out of it we have isolated critical learning points that have informed enhancements to my Administration’s health policy priorities, going forward.
“As we inch closer to the national rollout of the Universal Health Coverage, a fortnight ago, I launched the Biometric Registration for the Universal Health Coverage Scheme. Similarly, my Administration is instituting far-reaching reforms of NHIF as it perfects the medical insurance scheme,” the president promised.
