Front-runners in the race to form
Kenya’s next government, the ruling Jubilee party and the National Super
Alliance’s (Nasa), manifestos have come with striking similarities in
critical areas of the economy, leaving voters with hard choices to make
in the August 8 General Election.
Top on the list of
similarities is the commitment by both parties to reduce wastage in
government by at least Sh1 trillion in the next five years – a promise
that betrays the rising concern over the shape of public finance.
Jubilee,
which is seeking a second term in office, is promising to save up to
Sh1 trillion through elimination of wastage in the next five years.
Opposition
NASA is making a similar pledge, whose achievement is hinged on the
establishment of prudent fiscal policies and strict public finance
management systems to tame wasteful spending and theft of public funds.
NASA,
which is campaigning on the promise of a clean and less corrupt
government, says it will immediately end “the culture of privilege and
extravagance” in a country of many unmet needs.
“Spending
public money on fleets of expensive cars, opulent offices and other
extravagancies, in a country where many people can barely make ends
meet, where public facilities are dilapidated, where people with
disabilities needs are unmet is unconscionable,” NASA says in the
manifesto it launched Tuesday.
While Jubilee plans to
establish a General Services Agency (GSA) to manage and support the
basic administrative functioning of government, procure all supplies and
services, communications, transportation and office space, the
opposition coalition is banking on a stronger office of the Auditor-
General to conduct value for money checks in an ongoing basis.
NASA is also promising to hold government officers
personally responsible for any wasteful public spending, including those
who procure goods at prices above the market rates.
The coalition is also promising to blacklist any dodgy suppliers from doing business with the government.
Should
it get another five years in office, Jubilee says it will renew the war
on corruption through establishment of digitised payments and support
speedy judicial process for economic crimes even as it increases the
penalties, including jail terms, for such crimes.
The latest official audit of the government said up to Sh14.4 billion spent was on projects that had no value for money.
The Auditor- General’s report for the year 2014/2015 showed that another Sh7.3 billion could not be accounted for.
Topping
the list of ministries, departments and commissions that “wasted”
public funds were the Interior ministry (Sh4.6 billion), Agriculture
(Sh2 billion), electoral commission (Sh1.9 billion), education (Sh1.3
billion), and defence (Sh1.1 billion). The two front runners in the
election are promising to tame the wastage through increased
transparency and prudent spending.
Like rival Jubilee,
NASA, which unveiled its manifesto last evening, has also promised to
deliver free secondary education as well as extend government loans to
all post-secondary education students, including the use of government
bonds to enable them get funds to study.
Both NASA and
Jubilee have promised a universal healthcare as well as a focus on
irrigation with the former banking on improved water harvesting for
small holder farmers while the later promising to build dams for
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