[Photo/ PSCU]
By PSCU
President Uhuru Kenyatta today took the Jubilee Party Manifesto to the people, barely hours after it was formally launched at a grand ceremony in Nairobi last evening.
The President toured the County of Tharaka Nithi where he promoted the Jubilee Manifesto as superior to anything that the opposition can dream of coming up with.
He said the party's manifesto is a blueprint that will ensure Kenya achieves robust growth and becomes a nation that offers shared prosperity for its 45 million citizens.
The President explained to residents the key pledges in the Manifesto in which his Administration pledges to create 1.3 million jobs every year.
He said the Jubilee Party has a robust plan that will propel Kenya forward in its journey to prosperity, and is centered on more jobs and rapid industrialisation.
On Monday evening, as he set the stage for the launch of the manifesto, President Kenyatta had promised that he would give Kenyans a Government that works with, and empowers the people.
“We will empower the 45 million people so that they can stand up for themselves without depending on the government and donors,” said the President.
He said the focus of the Jubilee Government in the next five years will be to create more jobs and wealth through proper policies and financing to speed up the industrialisation of the country.
While popularizing the Manifesto in the populous Tharaka Nithi County, President Kenyatta said that employment creation was at the heart of the next Jubilee administration's priorities.
"We will create at least 6.5 million jobs over five years so that our youth can secure good jobs so that they can enjoy a decent life," said the President.
He said his Government promises to continue to develop transport, ICT and energy infrastructure so that Kenya attracts global industry thereby expanding the availability of sustainable Jobs for everyone.
The Jubilee Party 10-point manifesto include:
- To create 1.3 million jobs every year and work with county governments to establish at least one industry in every county.
- To establish a government sponsored apprenticeship programme of up to 12 months for all university and TVET graduates.
- To double the number of vulnerable citizens supported through the cash transfer programme (Inua Jamii) from 700,000 to 1,400,000. This will include all citizens above the age of 70; in addition, all citizens above the age of 70 will obtain health insurance cover through the NHIF.
- To expand the free primary school programme to include free day public secondary schools in Kenya.
- To facilitate mass housing production of at least 500,000 affordable homes in 5 years across the country by working in partnership with financial institutions, private developers, manufacturers of building materials and cooperatives to deliver homes faster and reduce the cost of construction by at least 50%.
- To expand free maternity care to include government funded NHIF cover for every expectant mother for one year.
- To ensure every citizen is connected to reliable and affordable electricity (on or off-grid) by 2020.
- To expand food and agricultural production, double the fertiliser subsidy initiative, reducing the cost to farmers to less than Ksh1, 500. Expand the programme to include all crops with a resultant increase in production and support the expansion and capacity of local fertiliser manufacture.
- to complete the 57-large-scale dam construction programme, support small-holder agricultural irrigation and work with the private sector to enhance food and agricultural production on at least 1.2 million acres.
- To make government more transparent and accountable through the digitisation of all government procurement; expand and deliver e-government services through the growing network of Huduma Centres.
The President started his tour of Tharaka Nithi in Mukuthima and is due to address a total of ten rallies in different parts of the County.