President Kenyatta makes more promises a year later

Agriculture

Last year

The President said he will promote, expand and modernise the agricultural sector to enhance the country’s food security.

This year

On Thursday he said his government will ensure that one million acres of farmland will be put under irrigation.

Education

Last year

He told Parliament that his government will deliver on the promise of free laptops for Standard One pupils this year.

This year

He said his government will continue facilitating ICT revolution that will not only serve Kenya but also the region.

Water

Last year

The President said his government will every year increase the number of people with access to clean water.

This year

“We are now building water pans and dams, radically improving our ability to store water in our homes and farms,” he said on Thursday.

Energy

Last year

The President expressed disappointment that Kenya had just 1.5 GW electricity capacity while Argentina, a middle-income nation with the same population had 24GW.

He said they will now promote investment in new forms of energy generation such as solar, wind and geothermal plants as well as oil, gas and coal.

This year

He said that 5000MW of power, bringing electricity at affordable rates to 80 per cent of the nation’s households, will become available within the next three years.

When Olkaria comes on stream in the next couple of months, he said, the energy revolution will truly be underway.

Health

Last year

The President said the government was committed to ensuring the highest attainable standard of health and that all Kenyans have access to well-equipped health facilities and well trained and motivated health care workers.

This year

Maternal care is now free of charge at public health facilities across the republic, he said.

“Trained medical staff in our facilities now attend 66 per cent of our deliveries, up from 44 per cent barely a year ago”.

Cost of living

Last year

The President said the focus of both as the executive and the legislature must be on reducing the cost of living and making Kenya much more competitive, thereby increasing opportunities while improving the standard of living. “Indeed, that shall be the centrepiece of our Government,” he said.

This year

He revealed that the government already had results showing that the prices of basic commodities such as fuel, sugar and cooking fats were actually lower in February this year than they were in February 2013.

Security

Last year

President Kenyatta said he would ensure that Kenyans live, work and worship in peace.

The President maintained that even as the KDF fights the enemy right at their door step in Somalia, threats to the internal security remain.

“We will deal with those internal threats with the same single-minded resolve; the same commitment to protecting our citizens. My Government will improve security at our frontiers and progressively improve the ratio of police to citizens across Kenya by bringing it closer to the UN ration of one police officer for every 450 citizens,” he said.

Parliament, he said, must progressively put in place measures that will strengthen our police service.

This year

President Kenyatta said: “We will not be intimidated; threats to our sovereignty will be met with our full might.”

He said under extreme provocation, the unity of the nation was preserved.

“Looking inwards, our internal conflicts remain. Although reported incidents of violent crime fell by eight per cent in 2013, this is nowhere near enough, as the horrifying incident involving baby Satrin Osinya, will remind you all.”

He said his government has laid a firm base for the protection of people and property. He said the Nyumba Kumi initiative and introduction of CCTV in the streets of major cities and towns, and broadband connectivity at border points have been launched to fight crime.

He said his government has also invested heavily in surveillance equipment, and at least 1,200 vehicles for police.

He said police numbers will be increased from the current one police officer for 750 citizens to one for 535, without forgetting their welfare.

He promised a new police housing scheme is to be built at Ruai in Nairobi and that it will be replicated across all 47 counties. An insurance scheme for police is to be established by July.

Support devolution

Last year

The President said he believed that power is exercised more transparently when it is closest to the people.

“For too long, decision-making has been concentrated in the hands of a few in Nairobi,” he said while pledging that devolution would be key to his government’s vision for the country.

This year

On Thursday, he said his government has kept faith “with our people’s momentous choice by establishing a fully-fledged two-tier state: 47 counties that complement the national administration”.