Flashback: President elect Uhuru Kenyatta presents Jubilee manifesto to
the finance minister Njeru Githae in April 2013 soon after being
declared the winner in the March 4 elections. The Jubilee government is
on the spot over the unfulfilled promises it made prior to the last
General Election, a study has shown. PHOTO/FILE
The Jubilee government is on the spot
over the unfulfilled promises it made prior to the last General
Election, a study has shown.
The latest survey by
Ipsos reveals that 70 per cent and 60 per cent of Kenyans respectively,
expect the cost of living and economic conditions to worsen next year.
This
is contrary to sentiments expressed during a similar period last year,
when Kenyans were optimistic of 2013. During that period, 67 per cent of
Kenyans expected the cost of living to drop while another 62 per cent
anticipated the economic conditions to improve.
President
Kenyatta had promised to tackle issues ranging from security,
healthcare, growth and development, transport and infrastructure,
education, the economy, agriculture and food security, devolution and
women empowerment once he assumed office.
On security
matters, the President had promised to incorporate CCTV technology in
the fight against crime. He also promised to provide government-funded
life insurance cover for the disciplined forces so as to secure their
livelihoods and their families’ health.
The Head of
State had also promised to create a new Border Security Force to defend
the nation’s borders and provide additional security support to border
counties.
The number of police-citizen ratio was to be
increased from 1:1150 to a ratio of 1:800 citizens within five
years—recruiting an extra 15,000 police officers per annum and enhance
efficiency by providing modern security equipment and transport,
including at least two police vehicles per ward. The government has so
far established the Nyumba Kumi initiative.
According
to the survey, nearly half of Kenyans —49 per cent, have expectations
that security will be better in 2014 compared to 2013.
On
health, the Jubilee government had promised to achieve free primary
healthcare for all Kenyans, starting with women, expectant and
breast-feeding mothers and persons with disabilities, by increasing
health financing from 6 per cent to 15 per cent.
The
Jubilee administration also promised that every family would have access
to a fully equipped health centre within eight miles of their home,
with a national network of local community health workers promoting
preventive health based at the centres.
President
Kenyatta during Madaraka Day celebrations announced that pregnant women
would deliver free of charge in all public hospitals.
Regarding
jobs creation, the government had promised to open more employment
avenues and tremendously reduce the unemployment gap.
This
was to be achieved through actively growing Kenya’s manufacturing
sector through tax incentives and grants for overseas companies to
establish industries in the country that would supply our own and the
wider East African economy.
The Jubilee government
also promised to create reliable energy by extending the national grid
network and promoting renewable energy. This would have enabled the
private sector to plan and invest for growth.
According
to the research, expectations for employment opportunities in 2014 are
moderate as 40 per cent expect an improvement, 37 per cent expect things
to worsen and 15 per cent to remain the same.
In the
previous survey, 61 per cent of Kenyans expected the employment
situation to improve while a smaller proportion—12 per cent expected the
situation to worsen in 2013.
On transport and
infrastructure, the government promised to increase the paved road
network from the current 11,000km (7 per cent) to 24,000km (15 per cent)
in five years using modern development instruments such as concessions,
public private partnerships (PPP), Build Operate Transfer (BOT) and
Toll and Maintenance arrangements. So far, the government has launched
the construction of the standard gauge railway.
As far
as education is concerned, the government promised to expand the number
of post-secondary places, the aim being to give fresh secondary school
graduates tertiary qualifications.
It was also to
establish a business bursary scheme and encourage private
companies—through tax incentives to contribute to the scheme.
On the economy, the Jubilee administration was optimistic that it would drive the country into a double digit economic growth.
In
an end of year survey carried out by Ipsos Synovate in 2011 on the
expectations of economic conditions, 62 per cent stated that 2012 would
be worse; this dropped to 19 per cent in terms of expectations in 2013.
In the current survey, 60 per cent of Kenyans expect the economy to be
worse in 2014.
This is a representation of more than half of all Kenyans
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