During the Mshujaa Day, President Uhuru Kenyatta promised 13 things that he believes will help kickstart the economy from the shadows of Covid-19. But is there time for what the President promised? He has less than a year to go.
Here is what he hopes will benefit Kenyans:
10,000 classrooms
Uhuru unveiled an 8 billion plan to expand the infrastructure required for the one million new students set to join Junior Secondary. He directed that 10,000 more classrooms in January 2023 with the learners now in Grade 5. But will the classrooms be constructed?
Fertilizer subsidies
President Uhuru unveiled a 1 billion shilling program to support fertilizer subsidies for small-scale tea farmers. The price of Kenyan tea has increased by 42 percent just within a year, the highest in five years.
The Sugar Sector
The president unveiled that GoK will channel 1.5 billion into the sugar sector. This money is expected to be used for factories maintenance & payment of farmers` arrears.
The coffee sector
The president said his government will give one billion shillings to support the ongoing coffee reforms.
Livestock Offtake
The government will release 1.5 billion shillings for the National Livestock Offtake Program to ease the drought situation in the Arid and Semi-Arid Areas (ASALS).
These areas include Garissa, Isiolo, Kilifi, Kitui, Mandera, Marsabit, Samburu, Tana River, Turkana, and Wajir, where animals are starving to death.
50 Level 3 Hospitals
The President ordered for the immediate unveiling of Ksh3.2 billion, meant to cater for the immediate construction of 50 additional Level 3 hospitals
Kazi Mtaani
This phase is set to be rolled out at a cost of 10 billion shillings. “The program covering over 200,000 youths will be rolled out to all counties, with priority given to densely populated areas,” Uhuru.
Power Costs
As a response to the public outcry over the escalating costs of energy that are driving high the cost of living, Uhuru directed his officers to ensure the cost power is reduced by 30 percent by December 24.
SMEs
In response to the plight of Kenyans, especially in the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, and to increase liquidity, Uhuru asked the banking sector to increase the cash transaction reporting threshold from 1 million shillings.
The threshold applicable to both cash withdrawals and deposits was imposed as part of the government’s efforts to address money laundering and benefits from proceeds of crime.
CRB
Kenyans who have been listed at the Credit Reference Bureaus for defaulting on loans below 5 million shillings are to be granted a moratorium for 12 months until September 2022.
“Borrowers with loans below Sh5 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,” President Kenyatta.
Covid-19 Vaccine
The President hinted that GoK has established a company known as Kenya Biovax Limited to facilitate the production of Covid-19 vaccines by April next year.
This will ensure an adequate supply of vaccines to hospitals where every Kenyan will walk in and get vaccinated at his or her will. There will be no more shortages of vaccines and this means that fighting the pandemic will be greatly boosted.
The Curfew
The dusk to dawn curfew has been in effect for the last nineteen months and it is of no doubt that Kenyans were tired of it. Many at times the police have been taking advantage of curfew hours and extorting money from poor Kenyans & recklessly beating them.
Animal feeds
Responding to the farmers` cries over the rising cost of animal & chicken feeds, the President ordered that within seven days a framework be developed to reduce costs.
By John Kachibo