Today, for the second time, and in
line with my constitutional obligation, I address this special sitting of
Parliament, to outline the State of the Nation in relation to our values and
principles of governance, as elaborated in Article 10; the state of our
nation’s security, as provided for in Article 240; and our status in fulfilling
our international treaty obligations, under Article 132 of our constitution.
As we approach my second anniversary
as President, I am pleased to report that the state of our Nation is strong.
Our economy is growing robustly. Our nation is more secure, and our place in
the community of nations is respected.
In the year under review, we, as a
nation, have continued to deepen our democracy and the Rule of Law. Public
participation in governance has grown at all levels, while institutional
measures to secure the basic rights and freedoms of our people continue to take
root. The year has been laced with robust debates, and sometimes even strong
differences of opinion, between and within various levels and arms of
government. This is a profound reaffirmation of our democratic ideals.
Nonetheless, exercising these rights
and privileges demands from each one of us, particularly us leaders, to remain
conscious of our patriotic duty to nurture a united nation.
In 2014, Kenya rebased its economy
and is now the 9th largest economy on the African continent. With a GDP of USD
53.3 billion with GDP per capita at USD 1,246, Kenya has attained middle-income
status. We are also one of the African economies that can boast a diversified
and balanced economy.
Today, Kenya is one of the fastest
growing economies in the world. Despite sluggish global growth, our economy is
steadily expanding at 6 percent, consolidating our position as the largest
non-mineral driven economy in Sub-Saharan Africa. We are also making
significant progress in the oil, gas and minerals sectors. Following the
establishment of a dedicated mining ministry, our royalties have sharply increased
from 21 million shillings in 2012, to an expected 1.2 billion this financial
year. This on-going economic transformation is drawing attention globally.
Last month, a prominent
international publication singled Kenya out as one of seven outstanding emerging
markets worth investing in. Earlier this month, of the 57 fastest-growing
economies ranked by Bloomberg, Kenya was the third fastest growing economy
behind China and the Philippines. Additionally, Ernst and Young’s
Attractiveness Survey for Africa for 2014 placed Kenya among the three top
investment destinations in Sub Saharan Africa, and the most preferred in East
and Central Africa. A combination of the government’s pro-growth economic
policies, a growing middle class, and an educated and skilled workforce has
steered Kenya into the ranks of the top emerging market destinations for
investment.
Inflation has been contained at
single digits, capping the prices of basic goods for Kenyans. Interest rates
are falling, allowing Kenyans to access credit for their businesses, homes and
farms. The exchange rate is stable and the public debt sustainable, reflecting
my administration’s sound fiscal and monetary management. Furthermore, the
implementation of programmes and projects that drive our growth are proceeding
apace.
We have made significant progress in
the energy sector. Since March 2013, we have added 514.9 megawatts of
electricity to our national grid, to make available a total of 2,125 megawatts.
This represents a 31% growth in total generation capacity. A substantial
component of the new additional capacity is geothermal, a clean energy source
that increases our resilience to the volatility associated with weather and oil
prices. Kenya is now the world’s eighth largest geo-thermal producer with a
steam power capacity of 579 megawatts. Notably, our power generation mix is
overwhelmingly green, positioning us among the global leaders when it comes to
the nexus between climate change and sustainable development. This is
especially appropriate given our hosting of the United Nations Environment
Programme, the world’s leading environmental agency. I call upon all Kenyans to
embrace the promise of green energy for sustainable development.
Greater supply of electricity has
translated into an average reduction in consumer bills by 25% in the period
between August 2014 and February 2015. Costs of electricity to industry have
also fallen, making the country a more competitive location for the
manufacturing sector.
The total number of users connected
to electricity grew by over 41% between March 2013 and today, raising the
customer base to 3,150,000 Kenyans. This translates to an increase in the
national electrification rate from 26% to 37%. In the last three months of this
year alone, we have connected 385,000 Kenyans and are targeting a record 1
million by the end of December 2015, more than double the connections last
year.
Across the country, businesses,
large and small, are expanding, creating employment and prosperity. As
Government meets its end of the bargain in providing cheaper power, it is my
expectation that businesses will pass on these savings to the Kenyan consumer.
When I took office, I pledged to
connect all public primary schools to electricity within two years. At the
time, only 8,200 out of 21,500 schools had been connected. As I speak today, a
total of 18,424 schools have been connected. The remaining 3,076 schools will
be done by the end of next month. Ladies and Gentlemen, in the last two years,
more primary schools have been connected to electricity than have been since
independence.
The provision of power further
accelerates the already rapid penetration of Internet connectivity, linking our
people to knowledge and far-off opportunities. A total of Kenya shillings 1.2
billion has been transferred to 21,458 schools for construction of ICT Hardware
storage rooms, and more than 2,500 teachers have undergone ICT training. This
action will provide a qualified workforce that guarantees the swift rollout of
the Laptop Project.
We continue to implement free
primary school education, which offers a ladder for our children to obtain
employable skills and allow them to become active citizens. To extend this
fundamental promise of opportunity to all, the Jubilee Government scrapped
examination fees and capped school fees for secondary schools. We have also
increased budgetary allocation from 30 billion shillings in 2013/14 to 40
billion this year, with the objective of rolling out free and compulsory
primary and secondary school education in the next 5 years.
Kenya has migrated 70% of the areas
previously covered by analogue TV to digital TV broadcasting. Our target is to
migrate the remaining 30% by 30th March 2015. Digital TV has made possible high
quality television, enabled more television channels, driven down the barriers
to entry, and created more entrepreneurial and employment opportunities from
the creation of local content. In line with this endeavour, we are extending
television broadcasting to parts of the country, which did not enjoy such
services previously.
In spite of this positive
development, there are sustained persistent claims that the government’s
insistence on maintaining the agreed and court-endorsed migration has rolled
back Kenya’s democratic gains. Nothing could be further from truth. All Kenyans
should know that digital migration will unleash the full potential of this
medium, expanding the scope of available information to the benefit of our
democracy. The misrepresentation to the contrary is irresponsible. It seeks to
insulate entrenched interests and close the door to the many Kenyans who will
benefit from an open arena. We as government are willing to work with all
stakeholders in the endeavour to grow a vibrant and prosperous broadcasting
sector. This experience underscores the importance of each sector of our society,
appreciating its cardinal responsibility to this country and its people.
Kenyans should be proud of our
global leadership in mobile money transactions. In 2014, Kenyans exceeded 2.1
trillion shillings in mobile money transactions. In all, Kenyans made almost
50% of global mobile money transactions. These startling statistics, coupled
with the total number of mobile phones, exceeding one for every citizen, means
that Kenya is at the global frontier of mobile technology.
The construction of the Standard Gauge
Railway is progressing according to plan. Close to half of the 609 km track is
excavated and ready for sleepers. On completion, the new railway will
dramatically reduce cargo transport costs by a further 60%, and decongest our
roads, leading to greater road safety. The development of the SGR is an
addition to the substantial expansion and modernisation taking place at the
port of Mombasa, and that has led to a reduction in freight time by more than
75%. Further gains will be realised with the imminent completion of Berth 19
and the soon to commence Berth 20 and 21.
For the last century, the current
narrow-gauge railway has driven our economy. The SGR will revolutionise our
economy and position it to take full advantage of the opportunities of the 21st
century.
The LAPSSET Project is another
significant investment by our nation. Just like the Kenya-Uganda railway became
the artery of the East African economy, so will LAPSSET create a new economic
and social reality. In addition to opening up the northern part of Kenya to
trade and investment, it will contribute to securing what have been fragile,
volatile and insecure parts of our country. In doing this, LAPSSET will
transform the lives of millions of our compatriots, while creating an enabling
environment for northern Kenya to contribute strongly to national prosperity.
Furthermore, LAPSSET will deepen
regional integration and Africa’s interconnectivity and trade. Recognising its
value, the African Union, at its January 2015 Summit, included LAPSSET in its
Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative.
The administrative infrastructure
for this project is complete, and I will, in the next few days, break ground
for the construction of the initial three berths of the Lamu Port.
To facilitate the expansion of the
desired road network, my government has resorted to an innovative model. The
annuity-financing model will help tap infrastructural financing.
This approach is expected to reduce
our construction costs by half and guarantee us an additional 10,000 kilometres
of tarmacked roads within the next 5 years.
Following the fire disaster of
August 2013 at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which at the time
seemed to spell doom, we have recovered splendidly. Within ten days, all
flights had resumed. By November 2013, we had constructed a new arrivals hall,
and by October 2014 had completed terminal 1A, which currently carries 80% of
all business at JKIA. In addition, last year, we commenced construction of a
new terminal that I expect to commission in the next few days. This upgrade has
placed JKIA in the top league internationally.
Even as we pay close attention to
infrastructure, my administration has also trained its attention on improving
service provision to our people. In the last year, we have sharply accelerated
the quality and breadth of public services.
Under the HUDUMA Kenya Programme we
are delivering more than 35 services under one roof in twenty-three counties.
By the end of this financial year, we will have rolled out an additional 23
centres, bringing the total to 41 Huduma Centres. This pioneering programme has
attracted numerous commendations including the 2015 winner of the African
Association of Public Administration and Management gold medal on Innovative
Management in Africa. A number of countries, both in Africa and beyond, are
working with our people to replicate this model.
Earlier this month, I launched the
Integrated Population Register System. The single source of truth on population
identity. The system, which has been tested for more than a year now, is a comprehensive
database of all registered persons residing in Kenya, both citizens and
foreigners. The value of the IPRS to planning, service delivery, business
processing and security, is revolutionary to not only government but to the
banking, telecoms, insurance and other sectors of our economy.
On this same platform, the e-Citizen
Government Services Portal is progressively migrating services online. These
include the renewal of driving licenses, business-name searches and
registration of marriages, passport applications, and official land searches in
Nairobi. Other services will be coming on stream in the near future.
To attract greater domestic and
international investment, my administration, in collaboration with the private
sector, has made a concerted effort to improve the Business Regulatory
Environment. These efforts, added to the opportunities in our economy and
region, are leading to strong growth in Foreign and Domestic Direct Investment,
and therefore to jobs and growth.
In line with my administration's
commitment to improve health care, we have invested 38 billion shillings to
roll out the Managed Equipment Services Programme. To effect this, five global
suppliers have assessed 94 hospitals in the 47 counties, plus the four national
referral hospitals to deliver the necessary equipment starting in May this
year. This capacity is the most sophisticated in the region, enabling access to
world-class diagnosis and treatment. Our emphasis is on early detection and
prevention, so as to avoid the high costs associated with treatment occasioned
by late detection. In these hospitals, the equipment purchased will allow for
treatment of diseases such as cancer, while providing advanced dialysis, and
intensive care facilities in all counties.
With the provision of free maternal
hospital services, maternal health has greatly improved. Deliveries in our
public health facilities now average 80%. As a result, maternal mortality has
decreased from 488 to 360 deaths per 100,000 live births. We have opened many
clinics in slum areas such as Mathare in Nairobi through which many Kenyans
daily access medical care. Our efforts in this sector are complemented by the
initiatives of the First Lady who I commend for the Beyond Zero campaign, which
keeps growing from strength to strength in improving maternal and child health
across the country.
All these endeavours are geared
towards the Jubilee government’s commitment to roll out universal health care
for all Kenyans. In this respect, I wish to thank the Government of Japan and
all development partners who have extended support for this initiative.
Beginning April of this year, the new agreed National Health Insurance Fund
rates will be in force allowing for In- and Out-Patient treatment. To this end,
I encourage all Kenyans to enrol with the NHIF. This will ensure that our
objective of universal healthcare will be realised.
To promote social justice and
inclusivity, my government is assisting 35,000 self-help groups and continues
the promotion of social security to the aged citizens and other vulnerable
groups. The Older Persons Cash Transfer Programme covers 164,000 households,
cushioning them against life-threatening risks such as sickness, poor health
and injuries.
In addition, the government
continues to fund the Orphaned and Vulnerable Cash Transfer Programme, which
currently covers 252,000 households and 27,000 persons with severe
disabilities. We have also launched the Health Insurance Subsidy Programme to
cover 12,000 households. This programme, which targets the poor, has 30,000
principal beneficiaries registered by the National Health Insurance Fund. The
government has also established the President’s Secondary Schools Bursary
Scheme, which benefits 13,050 orphans and vulnerable children. Overall, close
to half a million households are benefiting from the 25 billion shillings in
these programmes.
We have made significant progress in
land reform. The reorganisation and clean-up of the Nairobi and Mombasa land
registries is complete. We have launched a new National Land Titling Centre,
which has processed close to 400,000 new title deeds, which have been issued.
In digitising the process of land ownership, the Nairobi Registry is now
complete with citizens able to conduct searches and payment of land rents
online. The digitising of the remaining 13 land registries will be complete by
June 2015. We are clearly on track to fulfilling our Jubilee manifesto pledge
of issuing 3 million new title deeds by 2017.
In the realm of international
relations, for the first time in the history of our nation, we have launched
our foreign and diaspora policies, clarifying our strategic objectives and the
values that drive our engagement with the rest of the world and Kenyans abroad
respectively. Next week, we will hold a Diaspora conference, to elaborate the
role of Kenyans abroad in contributing to the national aspiration for broad and
inclusive development.
At the bilateral level, we continue
to strengthen our relations with friendly nations. I have travelled to China,
the United States, Japan and across Africa, seeking new partners, and
strengthen our strategic partnerships. We have also opened a number of
diplomatic missions, signed a range of bilateral agreements. These efforts
leveraged large investment opportunities such as the Standard Gauge Railway,
the Power Africa Initiative, as well as opening new trade and investment
opportunities for Kenya.
Kenya remains a champion of economic
integration. I had the privilege to chair the East African Community last year.
During that period, the region deepened its integration and concluded a range
of instruments to enhance close economic, political and infrastructural
development ties. The biggest success has been the initiation and
implementation of the Single Customs Territory to facilitate cross border trade
within the region. As a result, it now takes three days for goods to transit
from Mombasa to Kampala, and four days to Kigali, down from 18 days and 20 days
respectively. Another key achievement is the elimination of work permits’ fees;
the launching of the single tourist visa; travel by identity card;
one-stop-border posts; establishing the one area network and thereby reducing
cost of cross-border communication in East Africa. These measures strengthen
the stability, resilience and economic opportunities in our region.
We also remain a vital actor in the
search for sustainable peace and security in both Somalia and South Sudan, and
are working with our neighbours and allies to stabilise the Great Lakes Region.
At the continental level, Kenya is
an anchor state in championing the Africa’s agenda. In the aftermath of the
Ebola epidemic, Kenya was among the first responders, contributing 1 million US
dollars and hundreds of brave, highly qualified medical staff – some of who are
still on the ground battling Ebola. We also took a leadership role in the
negotiations with the European Union that led to the successful conclusion of
the European Union Partnership Agreement.
Internationally, we have hosted
several high profile events, reflecting the growing stature of Nairobi as a global
diplomatic hub where major debates and decisions are made. Later this year, we
will host the World Trade Organisation’s Ministerial conference and have
offered to host the sixth Tokyo International Conference for Africa’s
Development in 2016. Kenya remains a champion of a rule-based multilateral
system that upholds the equality of states. To this end, we continue to lobby
for the reform of the United Nations system to reflect the democratic
imperatives of our age.
We continue with the robust
implementation of the Constitution. In this respect, Parliament, under its
legislative agenda, has passed more than two dozen laws. It is my trust that
all fifth-year Schedule V legislation, and the outstanding fourth-year
legislation will be processed in time for the August deadline.
Our strong commitment to devolution
remains manifest. My administration has funded counties progressively
increasing from 190 billion shillings in the first financial year, 226 billion
in the current financial year, and projecting 258 billion shillings in the next
financial year, well beyond the 15% minimum provided for in the Constitution.
Demonstrating my continued belief in the value of devolution, we have also
established intergovernmental mechanisms to support devolution through enhanced
consultation, cooperation and partnership with the counties. As a sign of the
growing understanding and partnership between national and county governments,
I am pleased to report that IBEC, under the chairmanship of the Deputy
President, concluded an early and harmonious settlement of the division of
revenue negotiations.
As the chair of the
Intergovernmental Summit, I am continuously engaged with the county governments
to ensure the success of the devolution dream. In my travels across the
country, I have taken pride in the varied projects undertaken by county
governments.
I am however concerned by the
numerous disruptions of the devolution agenda by political conflicts in a
number of counties. This month, I reluctantly established a commission to inquire
into the affairs of Makueni County. We have also witnessed intense contestation
between leaders in a number of other counties. In Narok, Embu, Mandera,
Marsabit and Tana River, among others, ethnicity is being used to exclude,
divide and manipulate the people. This trend, unless halted, has the potential
to derail the devolution agenda. The aspiration of the Kenyan people was for
grassroots development not for ethnic balkanisation.
I therefore call on all leaders at
the county level to be guided by these aspirations and not their own narrow
self-interest. We must all remember that Kenya is one indivisible nation, and
that every Kenyan has a right to live, work and participate in all activities
in any part of the country, as guaranteed in our Constitution. In this regard,
the National Cohesion and Integration Commission must take seriously its
mandate to promote and protect the values of cohesion and devolution.
I have since taking office,
underscored the value of harnessing the capabilities of all Kenyans. Only by
doing this can we unleash the full potential of our nation and create the Kenya
of our dreams. In this respect, my government has put special emphasis on the
setting up of mechanisms and institutions to guarantee inclusivity. Today, we
celebrate nearly 2 years of the Jubilee government’s implementation of the
Public Procurement and Disposal Act Regulation passed in 2013 that provides
access to 30% of government procurement to women, youth and persons with
disabilities. This has translated concretely into a total of 9.4 Billion
shillings worth of contracts to these groups in the first 2 quarters of this
financial year. By the end of the year, these groups will have provided
government with goods and services amounting to 30 billion shillings.
As I have repeatedly emphasised, all
procuring entities must comply fully with this law.
In addition, we have also disbursed
5.3 billion shilling of the UWEZO Fund. Our efforts have been lauded at the
just concluded 59th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women as an
innovative show-case of gender responsive budgeting, and cited as a model that
could be exported to other countries in Africa and the Commonwealth.
The youth have continued to prove
their capability to drive our growth and progress. I have been delighted by the
vibrancy of their innovation, energy and commitment. From the innovators at
i-Hub, Nai-Hub and the 16 technology hubs, to Equity Bank’s Wings to Fly,
Kenya’s youth are proving repeatedly that they are holding the present and
future of our nation in their hands. Kenya is becoming a start-up nation. In
the last year, we have witnessed the growth of homegrown technological
innovation of cutting edge global standards. Herein, lies an unprecedented
opportunity to leverage relevant technology to respond to our needs, drive our
economy, job market, and improve service delivery.
I call upon all government
ministries and agencies, and the private sector to explore these homegrown
innovations and to support these young innovators before turning to solutions
from abroad.
The National Youth Service has
become a significant driver of my transformation agenda. Working alongside
communities, the NYS youth have become change agents that catalyse improved
living standards for the less fortunate, particularly in informal settlements
as demonstrated in Kibera. Similar efforts are underway in Mathare, Korogocho,
Mukuru Kwa Njenga, and Kiandutu in Thika.
Beyond the cities, the NYS is also
engaged in at-risk regions of the country. For the first time, through the
efforts of this institution, Lodwar will soon have access to water on a
sustainable basis, reflecting my commitment to drive development across the
country.
I encourage all young Kenyans to
take full advantage of all government programmes laid out to facilitate their
productive integration into national economic life.
In 2013, I appointed a Taskforce to
review the operations of Parastatals with the aim of reforming them to be more
efficient in their pursuit of our national development goals and to align their
mandates to the Constitution. The Taskforce made recommendations to transform
our Parastatals. The legal framework to guide the envisaged reforms has
undergone the requisite stakeholder consultations. Several pieces of proposed
legislation, including an overarching law on government-owned entities, that
align these institutions to our national development imperatives, will shortly
be forwarded to Parliament for consideration.
Yesterday, I issued, as part of the
Parastatals reform programme, the Mwongozo Code of Governance for State
Corporations. I directed that all vacant positions in the Boards be filled. I
will personally oversee all appointed and currently serving board members
formally sign on to the Code. This will address governance and management
challenges in our Parastatals.
I have outlined a number of
initiatives that demonstrate the work that the Jubilee government has done to
drive the transformation of Kenya. This progress notwithstanding, our country
is today faced with a number of daunting challenges that slow our progress,
obscure our achievements and chip away at the legitimacy of the state.
The most pressing of these
challenges are insecurity, disunity and corruption.
In the last year, security has
improved. I salute the service and sacrifice of our brave men and women in
uniform who risk their lives to protect our way of life. They are confronting,
on our behalf, a range of security threats. Foremost of these is global
terrorism, as manifested in the threat of Al Shabaab, who continue to operate
largely from Somalia. The Kenya Defence Forces, within the ambit of the African
Union Mission in Somalia, continue to dismantle the capability of Al Shabaab.
However, this terrorist group still poses a significant threat to Kenya,
especially in light of the long porous border with Somalia. We are also faced
with a sharp growth of radicalisation and violent extremism, threats associated
with youth that have returned from Somalia. Other international crimes that
threaten us include poaching, human trafficking, drug and narcotic trafficking,
and cyber crime.
In addition to these international
crimes, most of which feed into the funding and resourcing of terrorism and its
agents, we are also faced with the challenge of ethnic and inter-communal
conflicts, sexual and gender based violence, contraband and smuggling of goods.
While we have had a decline in traffic related crimes, there is need for
focused attention to reduce our road carnage, and the threats associated with
the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
To counter these security
challenges, the government implemented a number of strategies including the
setting up of an inter-agency coordination unit; the enhancement of security
vigilance; and community sensitisation.
We continue to provide resources for
the modernisation of the security agencies. This year, we increased the police
operational fleet by 1200 vehicles, bringing about a total of 2,400 vehicles
made available in the last two years – more than has been provided since
independence. We have created a single command structure in counties that has
improved command and control. We have also gone a long way to improving our
investigative capacity by establishing a Forensic Lab which will be equipped in
the coming financial year. The improvement in our Immigration Department is
self-evident. The management of our entry and exit, which have been vulnerable,
is improving steadily. In the next fortnight, Kenyans will be enabled to apply
for their passports online, and visitors will make online visa applications.
Although, we have faced a delay in
the recruitment of 10,000 police officers, following a court process, we are
determined to complete this recruitment before the end of the financial year.
This is in line with my administration’s plan to increase the force by 10,000
recruits annually.
Further, legislative and policy
initiatives over the last few months, including an overhaul of our security
framework through the Security Laws (Amendment) Act 2014, and the adoption of a
national counter radicalisation strategy, have transformed the legal and policy
landscape. We now have a robust and far-reaching legal framework to counter the
current threats relating to terrorism. This will go a long way in safeguarding
the lives and property of Kenyans and our visitors. In this respect, I wish to
express my gratitude to this House for passing this significant legislation.
These efforts have led to an
increased tempo in operations. We are detecting, disrupting and preventing
attacks on our people and territory.
The recent appointment of new
leadership in key strategic and operational positions in a number of security
organs offers an opportunity to inject new ideas and drive that are much needed
for the capacity and morale of our personnel.
It is imperative that the synergy
and improving performance emerging from the security sector be sustained. The
on-going police vetting process has taken too long and is now having a negative
impact on the overall reform agenda in the police. It is leading to low morale,
affecting command and control and therefore our ability to provide security.
For these reasons, I call upon this House to urgently reflect on a more
effective way to vet in line with the objectives and spirit of the reform
process.
The state of the national economy,
our public safety and security, and our international standing depend
fundamentally on our ability to secure this nation on a sustainable basis. Our
vigilance and efforts must, therefore, remain strong. It is for this reason
that I have put every security organ on high alert and ensured substantial
additional resources to this sector.
I, in turn, expect a corresponding
commitment by these agencies to secure this nation. I also call upon every
Kenyan to take up their civic duty to cooperate with the security actors in the
effort to secure our motherland.
Drawing on our history and
recognising the dangers of disunity, our Constitution in Article 10 spells out
the value of national unity, inclusiveness and cohesion as fundamental to our
national character.
As heirs to a great freedom-fighting
tradition, bearing the sacred trust of past, present and future generations, we
are called to observe and realise these values.
We are grateful for the contribution
of our forefathers who fought for independence, many paying the ultimate price,
and for those who have led our nation for the last half-century. In that time,
our economy has grown; we have been an island of peace; a haven for refugees;
and our nationhood has acquired ever-deeper roots.
Our experience as a people over this
time, however, is also laced with moments of pain and suffering. We started our
existence as a nation seeking to establish our sovereignty and territorial
integrity. In the course of this struggle, lives were lost, property was
destroyed and civilians suffered.
To this day, we are still plagued by
painful memories of unresolved murders, the existence of torture chambers and
detentions without trial; events such as the Wagalla tragedy; and violence
against the proponents of expanding our democratic space; and all actions that
have at times failed to recognise the civil and human rights of Kenya’s
citizens. These have shaken the nation, excluded some Kenyans from the full
promise of citizenship, and fractured our national fabric.
We have been witness to violence linked
to elections, which has left many Kenyans dead, maimed and dispossessed. In
2007-2008, this reached its most tragic expression with the post-election
violence that left 1,300 Kenyans dead and more than 650,000 displaced from
their homes across the country.
Collectively, these incidents have
disunited us and held our people hostage to this tragic history by providing
the foundation and rationale for the cynical and destructive politics of hate
and division.
In an effort to confront this past,
the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission undertook an inquiry into past
injustices. Their report is before this House, and I urge Honourable members to
process it without undue delay.
The government has made efforts to
relieve the plight of victims, particularly those of the post-election violence
of 2007-2008. While these efforts have been lauded internationally, most
recently by an African Union report that recognised that Kenya has set a
positive standard to be emulated, I recognise that it is impossible to fully
compensate for the loss of life and the magnitude of suffering.
Yesterday, I received the Report on
the 2007/2008 Post Election Violence Related Cases from the Office of the
Director of Public Prosecutions. A copy of which is annexed to my report on
national values. In all, there were 6,000 reported cases and 4,575 files
opened. It is the opinion of the Director of Public Prosecutions that there are
challenges to obtaining successful prosecutions. These challenges range from
inadequate evidence, inability to identity perpetrators, witnesses fear of
reprisals, and the general lack of technical and forensic capacity at the time.
Nonetheless, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions recognises there
were victims and recommends that these cases be dealt with using restorative
approaches.
We must indeed recall our options
are not limited to retributive justice. There also exists the promise of
restorative justice.
n many ways, Kenyans and humanity
overall, have benefited from restorative justice, an approach that is deeply
rooted in our cultural and historical realities, particularly when such
conflicts have a communal and political dimension. Many thousands of Kenyans
have reached out to reconcile with one another. My administration was forged
from this reconciliation, and is building on the efforts of the last government
to advance the resettlement, reconciliation and relief to internally displaced
people. I am committed to continuing these efforts as necessary.
Notwithstanding the recommendation
of the TJRC report, I have instructed the Treasury to establish a Fund of 10
billion shillings over the next three years to be used for restorative justice.
This will provide a measure of relief and will underscore my government’s goodwill.
I have also established a state department dedicated to strategic initiatives
in marginalised and at-risk regions and populations of our country. It is my
hope that these measures will go some way to bringing the nation together, as
we reach for the prosperity and security that is our common promise.
The time has come to bring closure
to this painful past. The time has come to allow ourselves the full benefit of
a cohesive, unified and confident Kenya, as we claim our future.
To move forward as one nation I
stand before you today on my own behalf, that of my government and all past
governments, to offer the sincere apology of the Government of the Republic of
Kenya to all our compatriots for all past wrongs.
I seek your forgiveness and may God
give us the Grace to draw on the lessons of this history to unite as a people
and, together, to embrace our future as one people and one nation.
In moving forward to complete the
noble work of building our nation, we are reminded of the fundamental
principles upon which our prosperity will be built. Our national anthem calls
us to reflect on the power of peace; to recall the supreme value of freedom; to
believe, once more, in the beauty of service and brotherhood; to aspire each
day to the dignity that results from hard work, and to contend for the hope
that justice brings.
There is no doubt that Kenya is
firmly on the path of transformation. However, my administration and this
nation are confronted by both the reality and perception of pervasive corruption.
As I have stated previously, and as warrants emphasis, corruption
is the greatest threat to our security, fundamental rights and social-economic
transformation.
I share in the frustration of
Kenyans at the slow pace and lack of results from the mechanisms created to
help us tackle with this monster.
When I spoke to the Nation on the
eve of the New Year, I assured Kenyans that in 2015, my administration will
deal firmly with corruption.
I have continuously engaged with all
institutions charged with the responsibility to deal with corruption,
and firmly expressed my expectations, and the people’s desire, that their
respective mandates are executed robustly, urgently and without fear or favour.
I pledged my administration’s full
support, as well as my own personal support, to any actions that will reverse
the course of this cancer eating at the soul of our motherland. Rather than
unite against this common enemy of our people, these institutions have elected
to be mired in personal and institutional conflicts that have chipped away at
their legitimacy and brought disrepute to the State.
From the commission charged with the
responsibility in the fight against corruption,
Parliament’s premier oversight committee, the corridors of justice, and the
security organs charged with the safety of this nation, Kenyans are witness to
the betrayal of their trust.
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