The opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa) promises
sustainable borrowing with a budget deficit not exceeding three per cent
of GDP. It also proposes to establish an autonomous Public Debt
Management Office and empower the auditor-general.
In
their seven-point manifesto released on June 27, Nasa principals led by
Raila Odinga say they will focus on agriculture — eliminating dependency
on rain-fed agriculture by investing in water harvesting and
small-scale irrigation; developing a comprehensive national crop and
livestock system, and establishing a legislative framework for
warehousing receipting to enable farmers to use their crops as
collateral for credit.
Under social services, Nasa
proposes to offer free education from nursery to secondary level as
early as this September. They propose to eliminate the primary school
national examination; and expand the Higher Education Loans Board,
presently limited to universities, to cover tertiary education.
On
health, Nasa has expanded the 2013 promise to establish a national
health insurance scheme, looking to establish the National Universal
Health Service Fund to promote access to health care.
“Instead
of giving money to public hospitals to spend as they wish, Nasa
proposes that hospitals will serve patients and bill the Fund,” says the
manifesto.
Like its predecessor Coalition on Reforms
and Democracy (Cord) in 2013, Nasa has proposed to invest in major
infrastructure projects, expanding the Mombasa-Malaba highway into four
lanes; developing light railway networks for Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru
and Kisumu, and a high speed commuter train service for Nairobi.
Besides building a bridge at Likoni to enable crossing over the
Indian Ocean through public-private partnership, Nasa promises to
establish a National Infrastructure Fund to provide soft, long-term
loans for local contractors to compete with international contractors
for big jobs.
Nasa has gone big on the war against unlike in 2013 when Cord did not pay much attention on the war against graft.
The Raila Odinga-led team is promising to do away with cartels that supposedly hold the Kenyan governments hostage.
Still,
Nasa promises that civil servants and those appointed into management
position by a Nasa government will not be allowed to conduct business
with government. Appointees must disclose their business interests, and
those who go astray must be morally responsible and resign.
“Kenya is turning a new leaf where investors can come without fear of being obstructed by bribes,” said the manifesto.
On
poverty and unemployment, Nasa has promised to overhaul the
trickle-down economic model that has failed since Independence and
increased the number of the poor every year.
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