Use forums to give legacy projects renewed impetus
What you need to know:
- The administration has distilled its development plan into four key agenda items: food security, universal healthcare, affordable housing and manufacturing.
- Matters have been made worse by disunity in Cabinet, where the President and his deputy William Ruto are pulling in different directions.
President Uhuru Kenyatta is entering the twilight of his administration. He has less than two years to step down and hand over the baton and the moment has arrived for him to reflect and assess what he has done.
Yesterday and throughout the weekend, the President is convening meetings with both the Executive and the Legislative organs to the review progress and plan for the future.
The major Jubilee Party achievements since 2013 include implementation of devolution, infrastructure growth such as completion of the Standard Gauge Railway from Mombasa to Nairobi and later extended to Naivasha, expansion of roads and roll-out of the competency-based curriculum.
However, the administration has failed to fight corruption, unite the country and provide social services. National debt has risen steeply, while the economy has registered the worst performance this year in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Food security
The administration has distilled its development plan into four key agenda items: food security, universal healthcare, affordable housing and manufacturing.
Little has been done to achieve these. Matters have been made worse by disunity in Cabinet, where the President and his deputy William Ruto are pulling in different directions.
Given this background, President Kenyatta needs to make practical decisions on how to achieve the goals he set for the country. The Building Bridges Initiative, which arose out of the 'Handshake' with Opposition Leader Raila Odinga and has been touted as a vehicle for addressing the socio-economic and political challenges, is still fuzzy.
President Kenyatta should use the consultations to consolidate and energise his development agenda if he seeks to leave a worthy legacy.
