President Kenyatta’s Mashujaa Day speech highlights

Distinguished guests, my fellow Kenyans, Happy Mashujaa Day.

Let me at the outset begin by thanking you, the people of Kirinyaga, for your hospitality and a warm welcome to this beautiful County, at the footsteps of Mount Kenya. 

Highlights

Territorial Boundaries

Not an inch less: For us to become architects of the future, we must begin by protecting what was left behind by the heroes who liberated this country. And in particular, we were charged with the responsibility of taking care of our territorial integrity. We say this because we are a nation content with its bounty and content with the splendour within our borders.

COVID-19

COVID-19 and other unexpected challenges: While the global economy contracted by an average of 3.6% last year, Kenya’s economy grew by 0.3% over the same period. It is projected to grow by 6% this year.

COVID-19 vaccines: As of today, 5 Million adult Kenyans inoculated.

Vaccine production: Kenya Biovax Limited to manufacture vaccine by Easter of 2022. 

Capacity in places of worship: The National Emergency Response Committee on Covid-19 and the National Security Council, the number of persons gathering for in-person worship is reviewed upwards from one-thirds of the congregants to two-thirds of the congregants, provided that they adhere to all health protocols as directed by the Government.  

Energy

Volatility in fuel prices: Full implementation of the Presidential Taskforce report to establish a pathway for the reduction of electricity prices by 30% end of December.

Agriculture

Livestock Sector: Kenya Meat Commission: KMC got out of debt within six months of takeover by the government. Iincreased the number of heads of cattle it slaughtered a day from 8 to 185. Today, KMC is paying farmers within 72 hours for livestock delivered at the rate of KSh 185 per kilo for cattle.

Tea Sub-Sector: This sector has been the predatory grounds for cartels for decades, but it is being liberated and its performance has started to improve. the price of Kenyan tea has increased by 42%. KSh. 1 Billion in support of fertilizer subsidy for our Tea Farmers.

Sugar Sub-Sector: To safeguard the livelihoods of farmers within our nation’s sugar belt, I direct the National Treasury to allocate an additional KSh. 1.5 Billion in aid of the sugar sector, that will be appropriated towards factories maintenance and payment of farmer’s arrears. 

Coffee Sub-Sector: KSh. 1 Billion to the Ministry of Agriculture to be appropriated towards completion of the ongoing targeted interventions in the Sub-Sector.

Health

Constructed and operationalised 15 level two and three hospitals in various informal settlements, through the Nairobi Metropolitan Services. Another 15 are under construction. Increased our ICU capacity by an impressive 502% from 108 to 651 ICU ready beds. Hospital bed capacity as a country has increased by 47% from 56,069 in 2013 to the current figure of 82,291 throughout the country. Increased reference laboratories that can test for notifiable diseases of international concern and from one (1) single laboratory in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic to the current 95. 

Education

Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC): Appropriate Ksh. 8 billion towards the construction of the over 10,000 classrooms needed to provide the additional learning space required required for the 1 million new students set to join Junior Secondary.

Kazi Mtaani Programme

National Sanitation Programme started to harness the energy of our young people and to give them a buffer against COVID related unemployment. Noting the success of the Kazi Mtaani Programme and its effect in enhancing opportunities for the youth across the country, National Treasury to allocate KSh. 10 billion for the third phase of the Kazi Mtaani Programme.

Infrastructure

To celebrate the Mau Mau liberators, a 582-kilometre road, called Mau Mau Road, is under construction in their honour. This will be the single longest road constructed in Kenya since independence. This is longer than the Nairobi-Mombasa highway by 140 kilometres. And it follows the warpath taken by Mau Mau liberators as they fought the colonizers. Once completed, it will be possible for dwellers of Kirinyaga to travel to Kisumu or Uganda without passing through Nairobi. 

Credit Reference Bureaus (CRBs)

To further augment the interventions we are making to give the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise’s reprieve, borrowers with loans below KSh. 5 million listed with CRBs from October 2020 to date will not have that listing incorporated in their credit reports for the next 12 months, ending September 2022.

…by the authority vested in me as President, I hereby order and direct that the Nationwide dusk to dawn curfew that has been in effect from 27th March 2020 be and is hereby vacated with immediate effect. 

Asante sana, God bless you and God bless Kenya. 

~WakenyaCanada