Why you must vote wisely in the next polls

People queue to cast their ballots during past elections.

What you need to know:

  • From an economic perspective, CBC seeks to fix the disconnect between school and work.
  • The government has also introduced a new generation of banknotes.

With less than two years to the next General Election, political leaders are already massing their troops in readiness for battle.

As President Kenyatta prepares to exit the scene, his successor is of great importance due to the challenges facing the nation.

First, the next president will oversee the complete roll-out of the competency-based curriculum (CBC), which is aligned to Vision 2030 to help our economy grow. From an economic perspective, CBC seeks to fix the disconnect between school and work.

The first CBC cohort piloted in 2017 will complete Grade 12 (Form 4) in 2028 or 2029, depending on the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the school calendar.

Strict president

CBC is structured in a 2-6-3-3-3 format. Learners take two years in pre-primary, six in primary, three in junior secondary, three in senior secondary and three in university. The smooth implementation of this curriculum will need a strict president.

The government has also introduced a new generation of banknotes. This was a direct shot at the nation’s endemic corruption and money laundering. The Sh1, 000 note was discontinued on October 1 last year.

However, there is still no deadline attached to other newly introduced denominations with the old notes and coins still in circulation. The complete change of the currency might fall on the laps of the next president.

It needs an individual who will ensure the introduction of the new currency runs smoothly to continue with the fight against corruption.

The fifth president will take over a country weighed down by a swelling public debt and faces the possibility of a debt crisis (where the government cannot repay what it owes). Kenya’s public debt stands at approximately Sh4.884 trillion or 56.4 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). This is up from 42.8 per cent in 2008.

This means Kenya owes more than half the value of its economic output (GDP). The 2018/19 financial year budget was Sh3 trillion while revenue collection in the same financial year was Sh1.580 trillion (half the budget).

Sh9 trillion

Parliament also enacted a law forbidding the country to borrow more than Sh9 trillion. Using 2018/19 financial year as an example, how will the next president finance the deficit without burdening the citizens and borrowing more in case the Sh9 trillion-mark is reached?

Kenyans should consider this when talking of 2022 succession. The country does not need a politician, but a manager capable of moving our economy forward.

It has been battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, but added to that was the infestation of desert locusts and floods that resulted in deaths, destruction of homes, agricultural output and infrastructure.

As such, the nation will need a president with adequate economic strategies to rebuild after all those setbacks. For example it’s obvious that revenue collection will decrease due to the closure of markets but still, the country will have to finance its budget.

The pandemic has also exposed how vulnerable our education system is. Therefore, the next president will have to ensure the loopholes in the system are sealed.

All our learning institutions should have electricity, computers and laptops that students can use online during pandemics. This is why Kenyans should cast their votes based on ideology, not game, gender or tribe. The next president will be crucial in shaping the destiny of the nation.

Edwin Hinda, Migori