President Kenyatta spoke at a Jubilee Party Parliamentary Group meeting attended by both National Assembly and Senate members from Jubilee.(Photo/PSCU)President Uhuru Kenyatta Wednesday urged Jubilee MPs to do everything in their power to help deliver the Big Four development agenda at the heart of his plans to create millions of jobs over the next five years.President Kenyatta spoke at a Jubilee Party Parliamentary Group meeting attended by both National Assembly and Senate members from Jubilee and affiliated parties where he urged them to work as a team to deliver on the Government’s development agenda.
The President said he wants to work closely with Parliament to fast-track delivery on projects and services to serve Kenyans. On Tuesday, the President unveiled his “Big Four” agenda to deliver jobs for Kenya’s youth.
The President said he will dedicate all his energy, time and resource to make quick progress in the Big Four plan of food security, affordable housing, manufacturing and affordable healthcare for all. The four will be built on a strong foundation of Information technology, transport, education, and greater access to energy laid during the President’s first five years in office.
“No agenda can be implemented by an individual, but a team can implement an agenda, a team can make a difference that can affect and uplift the life of our people,” said the President.
He said the Big Four will create jobs, which will transform the lives of Kenyans and lift them from hardship. But it will also require aggressive contributions by both Jubilee MPs and other parliamentarians, the President said. “To achieve success will require tweaks to existing legislation in some areas, and we will need you to fully support the agenda,” said the President when he spoke at the event at State House, Nairobi.
The Government plans to create more jobs through boosting the manufacturing sector, with the expansion of the Blue Economy, Agro-Processing, Leather, and Textiles. Kenya’s fishing industry has the potential to grow sevenfold over the next five years, whereas textiles have a window of expansion in exports of approximately 10 times.
As part of his plan to reorganize marine resources exploitation, President Kenyatta directed the ministries of Defence and Agriculture to intercept all fishing vessels in Kenyan waters and to also suspend the licenses of all international trawlers. The President wants Kenyans to benefit from all fishing activities within its maritime zones through jobs for locals.
In housing, the President wants 500,000 new Kenyan house owners by the end of his final term in office. “We shall do this by reducing the cost of mortgages; by cutting the cost of construction through the use of innovative technologies and materials; and by raising low-cost funds from private and public sector investment for large-scale housing construction,” said the President when he addressed the nation on Tuesday.
On healthcare, the President wants NHIF expanded to see all Kenyans covered. The Government additionally plans to review the rules governing private insurers to bring the cost of health insurance within reach of every Kenyan.
In improving food security, the Government will focus attention on freeing more land, including land owned by Government which is idle, for farming.
The President’s vision for improving the country’s economy is in line with the Jubilee Party’s manifesto which outlines the party’s agenda.
Jubilee’s parliamentary leadership — National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen and Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju — were present at the event.