Uhuru Kenyatta addressing the nation on June 1, 2017. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NMG
Summary
- President Uhuru Kenyatta promised free public secondary education beginning next year, extension of the Thika highway farther to the north and cash transfers to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above.
- Mr Kenyatta said monthly cash transfers to senior citizens will be expanded to cover all those aged 70 and above, cushioning them from old-age poverty.
- The president also promised to step up investments in the agricultural sector including irrigation schemes to free the country from the vagaries of rain-fed farming.
President Uhuru Kenyatta used the
Madaraka Day platform to flaunt his administration’s achievements and
promise more development projects and social welfare programmes with an
eye on the August 8 General Election.
In a speech
delivered in Nyeri, Mr Kenyatta promised free public secondary education
beginning next year, extension of the Thika highway farther to the
north and cash transfers to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above.
“On
Monday, I submitted my application to serve you for another term, in
preparation for that day in August when the future of your motherland
will lie in your hands,” he said in his speech.
In a
reflection of the heightened political rivalry with just two months to
the polls, the President did not acknowledge the presence of his main
rival, the Nasa coalition candidate Raila Odinga, as is customary in
national holiday celebrations.
“Many things have been
said; you have heard many promises. I urge you to listen carefully, and
choose wisely. The work my administration has undertaken is a foundation
for that transformative change, which will benefit Kenyans for
generations to come.”
Former president Mwai Kibaki introduced free primary education, which saw a sharp increase in enrollment rates.
The
government currently subsidises some costs of public secondary
education such as learning materials, with Mr Kenyatta promising that
the State will absorb all the fees from next year.
“Future generations will get the education they need to continue transforming our great nation,” he said.
The
move to increasingly free basic schooling in public schools has been
lauded for increased education attainment, but critics have also
lamented the drop in quality that has been linked to the growth of
private schools targeting the middle class.
Mr Kenyatta
said monthly cash transfers to senior citizens will be expanded to
cover all those aged 70 and above, cushioning them from old-age poverty.
The social safety net programme started with monthly stipends of about Sh2,000 paid to widows and orphans.
The
programme was informed by the fact that family support systems are
crumbling at a time when most Kenyans continue to retire with no savings
or pension.
“We will honour our mothers and fathers by making sure that they live in comfort and dignity,” the President said.
On access to electricity, Mr Kenyatta promised that every part of the country will be connected to the national grid by 2020.
He said Kenya Power
has added two million homes to its customer base since his administration took power in 2013.
“In
the off-grid counties of Wajir, Turkana, Garissa, Mandera and Marsabit,
we are installing 25 solar hybrid stations. Once complete, these
stations will open up opportunities in these regions, while improving
security and protecting the environment,” the president said.
Mr
Kenyatta also promised to step up investments in the agricultural
sector including irrigation schemes to free the country from the
vagaries of rain-fed farming.
Residents of Nyeri and
the neighbouring counties will benefit from the establishment of a
hospital that will serve cancer patients.
Funds for the
construction of the hospital will be provided by the Hungarian
government. Mr Kenyatta also promised to expand and upgrade the Nyeri
Provincial General Hospital and Othaya District Hospital.
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