Before President Uhuru Kenyatta delivered his State of the Nation Address on Wednesday, there were fears that the National Super Alliance (NASA) legislators were planning to either boycott or disrupt the session. None of these happened.
The Opposition legislators maintained calm in the Assembly and keenly listened to what the Head of State had to say in his last address.
Nonetheless, it was noticed that none of the Opposition lawmakers left their seats during the three standing ovations President Kenyatta was accorded while delivering his speech.
Also, as Kenyatta outlined the pledges made to Kenyans, which his administration had fulfilled, the Opposition legislators were busy taking notes with Senators Mutula Kilonzo Junior and Hassan Omar and MPs Timothy Bosire and Dr James Nyikal scribbling with a lot of energy.
This is perhaps in preparation for the Opposition’s ‘State of the Nation Address’ which is slated for next week.
ODM Director of Campaigns and Elections Junet Mohamed on Tuesday indicated that his team would keenly listen to the President’s speech then issue their ‘State address' on Monday.
At the same time, Homa Bay Women Representative Gladys Wanga had noted that the Opposition would listen to the President as a way of bidding him farewell.
Meanwhile, in his 82-page speech, Mr Kenyatta listed the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway and roads as some of the big successes his administration had achieved.
The highlight of his address was the announcement that salaries for elected leaders would be slashed from August as a way of reducing the ballooning wage bill.
Kenyatta described the reduction of cheating in examinations as one of the proudest achievements of his administration.
Unlike last year, where his speech was interrupted by Opposition MPs who kept on blowing whistles in the Assembly, yesterday the President had a full 80 minutes to himself.
The State of the Nation Address has however sparked mixed reactions not only from political leaders and commentators but also from the general public.
While Jubilee supporters praised the address as one of the best by the President, critics maintain that it failed to meet Kenyans’ expectations on the government’s scorecard.
