President Uhuru Kenyatta's State of The Nation Address Speech
Hon.
Speakers,
Hon.
Members of Parliament,
1.
Today, it is a profound honour for me
to deliver the first State of the Nation Address of my second term in office.
2.
However, Mr. Speaker, before I proceed
any further, let me pay tribute to the late Kenneth Matiba, whose
patriotism inspired greatly the constitution under whose authority we meet
today.
3.
Let us all resolve to emulate the example he
set, his desire for a strong, prosperous and inclusive Kenya. I ask all of you to rise to honour his memory
with a minute of silence. [Moment of
silence]
Mr. Speaker,
4.
It is right and fitting to look back on the
achievements of the Eleventh Parliament before setting out our plans for
this Parliament.
5.
The 11th Parliament was
charged with the task of implementing our new constitution; making
enabling laws to create institutions, which the new constitutional order
called for.
Mr. Speaker,
6.
There is no doubt walking this part of
the journey has not been easy. But
what is encouraging is that we have made significant progress in implementing
the new constitution: the laws were passed, the counties were
established; and as such the new constitutional order is in place.
7.
I thank your predecessors for discharging
their duty so well.
8.
Now, Mr. Speaker, let me congratulate
your members, both the newly elected and the returning ones, for
winning the trust of the Kenyan people. Hon. Members, you and I owe our presence
here today to Kenyans who chose us to represent them.
9.
The trust they have bestowed on us is sacred.
But we must always remember that,
as leaders, we do not serve only those who voted for us; we serve
all Kenyans as required by our constitution.
Mr. Speaker,
Hon. Members,
10.
The Constitution that brings us here for this
address is a guide, an instruction and a tool to help us craft a Kenya freer, fairer, wealthier
and more united. Let us consider whether we have preserved, protected, and
honoured it. Indeed, we
have.
11.
Our constitutional order is stable,
secure, and growing in strength. Devolution is no longer a baby; it
is now an established framework for governing and delivering public services.
12.
Five
years of establishing the county
governments have taught Kenyans what they want of devolution, and how to
get it. Overall, the Government is becoming more responsive to
the needs of Kenyans, as we all hoped it would when we passed the new
law.
Mr. Speaker,
13.
There is no doubt there have been some
challenges in the use of public resources, with some individuals fraudulently
and corruptly diverting public resources to benefit themselves.
14.
But, we are building preventive tools
and ways for citizens to become more involved in reporting graft.
15.
My Administration, I must
emphasize, despite these challenges, has remained committed to
the implementation of Devolution. We
are far above the 15% threshold for resource allocations to the counties
provided for by the Constitution. From
an allocation of Ksh. 210 billion in the 2013/14 financial year,
we now stand at Ksh. 327 billion for the financial year 2017/18:
an increase of 56% in five years.
16.
I also recently signed the Division of
Revenue Bill, 2018, which sets aside Ksh. 372 billion for counties in
the coming financial year 2018/19. The national government complemented
county service delivery in the reporting year by injecting Ksh. 9.6 billion for
the Managed Equipment Services, Ksh. 5.2 billion for free maternity,
and Ksh. 900 million for user fees.
17.
Moreover, two (2) billion shillings was
disbursed to 11 counties from the Equalisation Fund to improve
services.
18.
In addition, and in the spirit of
upholding Devolution, my Administration further decentralized service
delivery by initiating the “Huduma Mashinani Programme”. This programme brought vital services –
from registration services such as identity cards to the NSSF and NHIF Services
– closer to the people.
19.
Kenyans believe in devolution, and my Administration
has matched that belief with strong and tangible support for it.
Mr. Speaker,
Hon. Members,
20.
I now turn to the urgent matter of how we live
our constitutional values as a people, before I report on their
expression in governance. Kenya
is a country of God-fearing and generous people. In our moments of need,
we are kept going by the compassion and empathy of our countrymen.
21.
In our dealings, most of us are honest
to a fault, and intolerant of the fraudulent. In
our private lives, we live together, whatever corner of the
country we call home, whatever language we speak, and whatever faith
we subscribe to. In other words,
the Kenyan people are ahead of you, their leaders.
22.
That must change. Leaders at every level of government must demonstrate
a desire and commitment to serve; and in particular we must maintain
highest degree of integrity. Those
days when you could enjoy public goods without fear that action may not be
taken against you, are gone. To demonstrate this point, last
year, ill-gotten public assets valued at about Ksh. 500 million were
recovered; and civil proceedings were instituted for the preservation
and recovery of other assets valued at more than Ksh. 6 billion.
23.
To deepen good governance, we have continued
to digitize key services to seal loopholes used for fraud. And
I expect the new officials now in office in prosecution and investigations
to bring cases against the most powerful and privileged, to show Kenyans
that none of us are above the law.
24.
I urge the Judiciary to do its part to ensure
that orders are not frivolously used by the wealthy and corrupt individuals to
avoid justice; I urge you, Hon. Members, to give us the
legal tools we need to win the war against the lords of graft.
25.
Having made all these efforts, I want
to repeat what every Kenyan in their heart of hearts knows: we must all
come together to fight this vice, if we are to conquer it. The Government and the private sector also,
must report fraud and protect whistleblowers without the slightest hesitation.
26.
Kenyans, on their part, must
report any crimes they may come across. Families must feel ashamed by one of their
member becoming involved in corruption; they must insist on the
upholding of their name as a family.
27.
Teachers and parents must explicitly teach
children the value of honesty and the concept of honour. It is only by coming together as a people
that the values in our constitution will take life in the governance of Kenya. And that is how we will manage to position
Kenya to join the league of prosperous nations.
Hon. Members,
28.
These constitutional advances must, of
course, be paid for, so it is natural to turn our attention to
the economy.
29.
Where goals are concerned, Hon. Members,
we are all in broad agreement: Kenyans want to see lower cost of
living; they want jobs for their sons and daughters; and affordable
food on their table. Kenyans want
to see broad prosperity.
30.
These goals are reasonable; some of
them are constitutional requirements in their own right. Let us consider whether we have lived up
to them.
31.
None of us in this August House today
will have forgotten that last year was election year, or that the region
was affected by severe drought.
Hon. Members,
32.
It is encouraging to note that, despite
these challenges, our economy remained resilient. Our real Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 4.9 percent in 2017, much higher
than 3.6 percent for World Real GDP and 2.6 percent for sub-Saharan
Africa real GDP.
33.
Even more encouraging was the performance of
our tourism sector; tourism earnings grew twenty per cent — proof
that even when our politics is at its hottest, Kenya keeps its visitors’
confidence.
Hon. Members,
34.
We remain on course to meet the tests that Kenyans
set for us, but we must admit that we still have a long way to go. Deeper reflection is, therefore,
called for.
35.
If we are to create the jobs for which Kenyans
long, we need investment. When
I took office in 2013, my Administration promised and delivered the most
aggressive surge of infrastructure development in Kenya’s history.
36.
We knew that without radical renewal and
improvement of our infrastructure and connectivity, we could not hope to
attract the investment we needed to create jobs and prosperity, and to
beat poverty.
37.
Many of you will recall the success of that
first phase of development: we started to build the SGR after the 11th
Parliament was sworn in, and by the time members returned home to
ask voters to renew their mandate, we had brought the SGR to Nairobi.
38.
As I speak to you today, less than a
year since that first train left Mombasa for Nairobi, nearly 700,000
passengers have taken the Madaraka Express. On the cargo side, I am pleased to state
that as promised, the SGR cargo services were up and running on the 1st
of January, 2018 with an initial monthly load of 22,345 metric
tonnes rising to an impressive 213,559 metric tonnes per month as of the
end of April, 2018.[1]
39.
But that is not all. I have already launched the second phase
of the SGR project, which runs from Nairobi to Naivasha; and
negotiations are in progress for the financing of the Naivasha- Malaba
line. In short, Hon.
Members, I can report that last year we completed the most ambitious
infrastructure development in Kenya’s history.
Hon. Members,
40.
It was not, of course, the only
ambitious work in infrastructure that we undertook. Hon. Members will
remember that we opened Terminal 2A at Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport some time ago; we would almost certainly have earned less
revenue from tourism this year had we not made that investment.
41.
You might also recall the expansion of Last-Mile
Connectivity, which has brought electricity to 71% of households,
up from 27% in 2013.
42.
I am particularly proud of this success,
for I know its transformative power: I have seen for myself that on the
day a family first switches on a bulb, their entire lives change.
Hon Members,
43.
When I assumed office as President, we
promised to tarmac 10,000 kms roads across the country; we are on
target having completed 3,000 kms to-date and with a further 5,000
kms under construction. Among
the many roads we have constructed, I want to mention one,
that is, the Isiolo - Moyale Road, part of the Trans Africa
Highway Corridor, running to our border with Ethiopia. This road is transforming the economy of
this region, for the better of our people.
44.
Our people from that part of the country can
now easily travel to their national capital, Nairobi, in a matter of
hours, contrary to the past when they used to take days. They now feel they have reason to be proud
to be Kenyans.
45.
These investments in infrastructure laid the
firmest of foundations for the broad and shared prosperity that Kenyans expect.
This term, Hon. Members, we
must deliver it.
46.
I have already spoken about the “Big Four” Agenda
in other forums but it deserves me talking about it to you, Hon. Members,
not least because I will rely on you to pass the legislation upon which
it depends; but, more importantly, to convince you to join
me as agents of the desired change. I
wish today to speak on the reasoning that informs this agenda.
47.
If you Hon. Members leave the House today with
a clearer idea of your role as leaders in this development programme, then
I will be the happiest man.
Hon. Members,
48.
I conceptualized about the “Big Four”
from discussions I held with Kenyans about their problems and prospects, particularly
as we went about seeking their support.
49.
The priorities they would want us to focus on
are clear. Kenyans want their families kept safe from catastrophic bills
for medical care; they want skilled jobs, especially in manufacturing;
they want to be food secure, and they want dignified, affordable
homes. The “Big Four” Agenda serves each of these.
50.
By providing affordable universal
healthcare, we will, quite simply, save lives. Already,
extensive work has been done to bring access to quality and affordable health
services.
51.
We have increased health facilities from 9,000 in 2013 to 11,000
in 2017. The NHIF
coverage widened from a membership of 3.8 million in 2013 to 7.2
million currently. We expanded NHIF coverage for expectant mothers and raised
deliveries by skilled attendants from 44% in 2013 to 66%
in 2017.
52.
Access to anti-retroviral drugs to expectant
mothers has significantly increased: today, 94% of HIV-positive
expectant mothers attending antenatal clinics access the ARVs; mother-to-child
HIV transmission has consequently fallen sharply.
53.
As a result of our various health
intervention programmes, including the mosquito net programme,
incidences of malaria have dropped from 11% to 8%; infant
mortality has fallen from 52 per 1,000 to 39 per 1,000
live births; under five years mortality came down from 74 per 1,000
to 52 per 1,000. Maternal
mortality dropped from 488 per 100,000 to 362 per 100,000.
54.
Despite the improvements we have recorded, there
is no doubt we still have a way to go.
We need to, in particular, take steps to improve
immunization which has dropped from 90% to 70%. Hon. Members, I am happy to inform
you the county governments are keen and willing to work with the national
government towards putting together a programme to up our immunization to where
we were, if not better.
55.
We also addressed the medical needs of our older persons and persons with
severe disability by extending NHIF coverage to 42,000 of them.
56.
And while we are working to deliver food
security, we are taking steps to help Kenyans impacted by a long drought
that had hit the country. The Hunger
Safety Net Programme is cushioning Kenyans against hunger. Through it, cash was transferred to
vulnerable households in arid and semi-arid areas giving them the
choice where and how to spend the stipend.
57.
This method aids farmers and markets, while
restoring the dignity of Kenyans who might once have been asked to line up in
the hot sun to be given a few “goro goros” of pre-determined foods.
Hon. Members,
58.
With respect to housing, it is worth
noting that demand for decent homes far outstrips supply, particularly
in the low-cost and affordable segment. A decent roof over one’s head is the most
tangible symbol of a decent life, and it should be a critical part of a
family’s wealth.
59.
This new housing programme has been designed
to incorporate the private sector so as to properly respond to the demand. We expect hundreds of thousands of
affordable new homes to follow, across the country, accompanied by
a surge in jobs and incomes.
Mr. Speaker,
60.
My dream is one day, in the not-too-distant
future, owning a decent home will be within reach of every Kenyan of
median and modest incomes.
61.
Families will retire in the evenings to clean, well organized and
hygienic houses, and Kenya will go to sleep knowing that all its
citizens have a sound roof over their heads. This dream is going to become a reality if
we all join hands to eliminate the barriers to its realization, through
legislation and new policies to incentivize the private sector.
Hon. Members,
62.
Turning to security, I can say without
fear, we are a safer and stronger nation than we were when I last spoke
to this House.
63.
Our alliances are strong, and growing
stronger. Kenya has become
indispensable to the international community’s pursuit of stability and
security, environmental protection, and of a global community able
to respond to large-scale crises when they come.
64.
My Administration continues to treat its
responsibility to protect Kenyans and their property from crime, terrorism,
and other forms of insecurity as its core obligation. In the year under
review, the country beat back challenges to security.
65.
The general election was more secure than most
in the past. Regrettably,
we had to respond, firmly, to deliberate disruptions of the process, to
the destruction of property, and to isolated attempts to block voting.
In every case, the
disciplined services did their duty. I
commend all our disciplined services for their dedication.
66.
Going
forward, I commit to strengthening their capacity to keep the
peace, because without peace our desire for a better Kenya will
remain a mere wish.
67.
I have further
empowered the National Administration Service, from the Regional
Commissioner to the chief, to supervise security operations, to
coordinate the work of national government in the counties, and to
improve our engagement with the county governments as we serve Kenyans right
across the country.
Hon Members,
68.
The concerted and coordinated response by our
disciplined service means that terrorists have less room to target our people.
69.
There are fewer and less lethal attacks in
Kenya today, even as terrorist groups elsewhere damage democracies. I commend the diligent men and women from
multiple agencies who detect and prevent attacks: they have kept Kenya
safe, and sometimes paid the highest price for our safety. May God comfort the families of the men
and women we have lost, not just in the fight against terrorism, but
in every effort to defend Kenya’s sovereignty and security.
70.
We however, cannot rest; the
threat is ever present and all Kenyans must constantly be on the alert.
71.
At this moment, I also recall with
great sadness, the tragic loss of Principal Secretary, Mariamu el
Maawy, to the consequences of a terrorist attack. I pray that her family, friends,
and colleagues may be comforted; and I pray, too, that
this nation never forgets the selfless public service she gave it.
72.
For all that, I repeat here what I have
said elsewhere: ultimately, security will be found and sustained
largely by transforming our politics, and in revitalizing the spirit of
patriotism and of responsible citizenship.
73.
For even though our democracy has become more
competitive, and Kenyans have grown freer in the multiparty era,
that liberty has come with a price. All
of us have endured an almost permanent state of political campaigning, which
has divided Kenyans, sometimes tragically, as in 2008.
74.
That disunity is a direct threat not
just to our freedom, and not just to our prosperity, but also to
our nation.
75.
Beyond terrorism, we remain vulnerable
to other security threats; many of them, from terrorism to
trafficking, across borders. So
we cannot be self-absorbed: we must be our neighbour’s keeper no less
than our brother’s. The same
principles that guide us at home govern relations with our neighbours.
76.
We defend democracy abroad as we do at home;
we want for others the peace that we enjoy here; we are grateful for the
solidarity extended us by our brothers and sisters on the continent, so
we offer it to others in return. Last
year’s events showed the soundness of these principles.
77.
The region is not at peace. Somalia remains troubled, largely
by foreign agents who weaken its government, who divide its peoples, and
who threaten to reverse the gains we have so painfully won under AMISOM.
78.
Through it all, we remember that if our
brothers and sisters in Somalia prosper, we prosper; if
they are safe, so are we. It has been our policy, then,
to help them regain the peace and prosperity they once knew.
79.
We worked, and continue to work,
to secure foreign funding and support commensurate to Somalia’s challenges;
we helped, and will continue to help, the people of Somalia
build a strong and stable government.
80.
Indeed, that is why, only a few
days after I spoke to this House last year, it was my pleasure to
welcome President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed to State House in March,
2017, when we laid plans for a renewal of relations between our two nations.
An early outcome of our agreements
that day was the resumption of flights between Nairobi and Mogadishu;
members may be sure that more will follow.
81.
I cannot resist mentioning a visit to Somalia
in the first quarter of last year, during which I spoke to our soldiers
deployed in Somalia. Their
courage and their devotion to their mission were extraordinarily inspiring. I ask you, Hon. Members, to
keep them in your prayers and in your deliberations; and to devote
yourself as wholeheartedly as they have to our region’s peace and the security.
Mr. Speaker,
82.
If Somalia remains unsettled, let us
admit that South Sudan nation remains in crisis.
83.
Thousands have died while hundreds of
thousands more have been displaced. In the year since I last spoke to
the House, we have hosted hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese
refugees; and we have joined friends and partners to help those still
suffering inside the country. Equally,
we have lent our support to the multilateral peace process, and we
continue to urge the leaders of South Sudan to put the interests of their
people and motherland above their own. As we have in the past year, Kenya
stands with the people of South Sudan in their search for lasting peace.
84.
Elsewhere in the region, there is
better news to report. In the East
African Community, we grow closer by the day. Last year, I opened our borders to
our brothers and sisters from the region: they can now live and work in
Kenya more easily than they ever have, and they can now partner with us
in the task of building a free, united and prosperous African nation.
85.
That openness to our brothers and sisters is
proof of our commitment to the unity not just of the region, but also of
the continent.
86.
For years, all sorts of barriers,
legal and customary, have delayed Africa’s progress and prosperity. In the African Continental Free Trade
Agreement, we have, at last, a real chance of opening up the
continent’s trade, once and for all. If we succeed, then trade, goods
and services will flow across Africa, not outside it, bringing
jobs, skills, and unity. That we are so close to a final agreement
shows the vision of our generation of African leaders, among whom we
must count you, Hon. Members of this House, for ratifying the
agreement without delay.
87.
I can only hope that every African nation will
show the same foresight that you, our Hon. Members, displayed. Asanteni.
88.
It remains to remind members that in the last
year, Kenya has earned her designation as a United Nations Service
Centre. I single out for your
attention two consequences: first and simply, it means jobs
and training for a number of our young people; second, it brings the
UN closer to Kenya and to Africa.
89.
And this development, Mr Speaker, is
a good example of Kenya’s continued recognition in the family of nations. The truth is that in 2017, we
defended the values we cherish — African solidarity; peace and
prosperity; the rule of law between nations — and we grew in the respect
of our partners and friends abroad.
90.
So, Mr Speaker, it is quite clear that
Kenya today is freer, safer, more prosperous, and held in higher regard
than it has ever been.
91.
We give thanks for these achievements, but
we also recall that the truest measure of a nation’s strength is the character
and unity of its people. The framers of our constitution were wise to
ask us to reflect, annually, on the character of our people,
and on our adherence to the precepts of the constitution.
92.
And the precept of precepts, the
animating value of our constitution, is unity. We take pride in our diversity, as
we say in the very preamble of our constitution, and we are determined
to live as one sovereign people, undivided.
93.
These are words of great beauty. Whether we have let them guide us
throughout the last year is the big question.
Hon. Members,
94.
Cast your minds back to last year’s political
competition. Kenyans twice cast
their votes in peace; in the end, the result reflected the will
of the people, and respected the law of the land.
95.
Our institutions held firm.
96.
To the Judiciary, we ask only that your
independence be joined to even greater effort on your part to ensure that your
arm of government attains the highest standards of conduct and integrity,
and that it never loses sight of the interdependence of all arms and levels of government.
Hon. Members,
97.
We also learned, again, a hard
truth. Neither peace nor unity
are a given; we have to work for them. I say so because last year taught us that if
we don’t put an end to unrestrained political competition, it will put
an end to Kenya.
98.
You saw what happened. In the heat of the campaign, words
of anger, malice, and hatred were spoken. Politics was no longer a debate between opponents
on issues; it was a clash of irreconcilable enemies.
99.
You saw the consequences: lives lost,
property destroyed, our unity sapped.
100.
I want to be clear here: never again
should Kenyan life be lost for politics’ sake; never again should
Kenyans’ property be destroyed on account of politics. But that will not just happen on its own.
101.
All of us, and in particular we leaders
here, will have to admit that last year, we failed in our duty to
preserve the unity of this country. And we must make amends.
102.
First, I pray that all of us will spend the days
and weeks after this address repairing the bonds that frayed last year. Let us apologize for our words, and
for the anger and malice that Kenyans heard.
103.
From Mandera to Maseno, from Mbita
to Mvita, from Lodwar to Lunga Lunga, let us shake hands and
embrace our neighbours, and let us celebrate the diversity that is God’s
gift to us.
104.
Let every leader in the country reach out to
our sons and daughters, and remind them that they have it in them to
forge a Kenya that speaks gently, that criticizes constructively,
and that embraces and respects dissent and competition as healthy and civilized
ways of collaboration.
105.
And since leadership is best done not by
exhortation but by example, let me do as I have asked you to do.
106.
If there was anything I said last year that hurt
or wounded you, if I damaged the unity of this country in any way,
I ask you to forgive me, and to join me in repairing that harm.
Mr. Speaker,
107.
I am not the only leader who deeply felt the need to restore unity:
the Right Hon. Raila Odinga, did so too. So
let me praise the statesmanship he showed when, on 9 March this
year, he and I publicly committed to reconciliation, with the
Kenyan people as our witnesses.
108.
When he and I met earlier in the year, we agreed to work together
to strengthen the unity of our country. We hoped to emphasize then that collaboration, comprises both
competition and disagreement. We
did not immediately solve all Kenya’s most pressing problems, nor did we
see eye-to-eye on every proposed answer. It is important to emphasize that unity doesn’t
mean unanimity.
109.
Rt.
Hon. Raila and I stood together
not because we agreed on every item of politics or policy, but because
we agreed that Kenya belongs to all of us.
110.
None of us is less – or for that matter, more – Kenyan than his
brother or sister. All of us are
entitled to be heard; all of us are entitled to our fair share of
Kenya’s resources; and all of us are entitled to a government that
honours these commitments.
111.
Kenyans reacted with a surge of optimism to our meeting, because
they wanted a return to unity. Our
handshake invited Kenyans to rediscover what they had known all along:
when all the politics is said and done, we are each other’s keeper.
112.
But if Kenya is to remain strong, we must change our approach to
political competition. We are
proud, and rightly so, of our cultural heritage, but it
does not follow that our ethnic identity is our political identity.
113.
We have done that for half a century, and it has brought us very
close to complete ruin. Too many of our leaders have manipulated our
ethnicities to seize power, and then exploited it to avoid
accountability.
114.
We cannot afford another fifty years of
farmers struggling to make a living, of families without proper
sanitation, or of families bankrupted by healthcare costs. We need change now, in this
generation, so that our children grow to adulthood in a totally
different Kenya.
115.
We must demonstrate we are truly Kenyan citizens. We
must do this for our country; not for self. That, Hon. Members, has been,
and remains, my vision throughout my time as President.
116.
That vision is within reach: all we have to do is to look up,
and grasp it. To see it,
the leaders seated here can help. Show
us all a better way.
117.
Teach us to criticize constructively; teach us to adore hard work
and reject the easy shilling; and teach us always to preserve the Unity
of the House we have inherited from our fathers and founders of this Great
Nation.
118.
If you do that, Hon. Members, then you will have the
eternal gratitude of the Kenyan people; and of those born years from now
into a Kenya whose politics revolve around service delivery.
119.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, it is now my honour to present three reports
to this House as obligated by our Constitution, namely: (i)Report on All the
Measures Taken and the Progress Achieved in the Realization of National Values;
(ii) Progress made in fulfilling the International Obligations of the Republic;
and (iii) the State of Security.
Thank You and God Bless Kenya.
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