President Uhuru Kenyatta addressing citizens. [Photo/PSCU]
President Uhuru Kenyatta Saturday said more than 3.7 million homes have been connected to electricity in the last four and a half years as part of his administration’s quest to transform the lives of Kenyans.
President Kenyatta said the new electricity connections have raised the total number of households with access to power to 5.5 million and urged Kenyans to vote for him and his Jubilee team for the continuation of development and progress.
“We have not let you down on development in the last four and a half years. We intend to do more to transform the country in the next five years. That is why we are asking for your votes,” President Kenyatta said.
The President spoke on Saturday – the second day of his meet-the-people tour of Nakuru County – at Salgaa and Rongai, two of the centres where he and Deputy President William Ruto stopped to address thousands of Jubilee supporters.
President Kenyatta affirmed his administration’s commitment to tame the rising food prices, especially of maize, saying the importation of the grain will continue until farmers harvest their crop.
He warned unscrupulous traders against hoarding the subsidised maize, saying the Government will not allow the creation of artificial shortages.
Other initiatives taken to improve the lives of Kenyans include the expansion of the cash transfer programme. The President said his administration has raised the number of those benefiting from 200,000 in 2013 to the current 700,000 people.
“We are also asking you to vote for us so that we can put all Kenyans aged 70 years and above in the cash transfer programme because we do not want our senior citizens to undergo any form of suffering even as we implement mega projects to transform the country for the benefit of the youth and future generations,” President Kenyatta said.
The President also appealed to all Kenyans to embrace peace, which has prevailed for the last four and a half years, enabling his administration to implement projects that have transformed the country.
“We want to maintain the prevailing peace across the country because it has enabled us to make significant strides in development,” the President said.
He also spoke on his plans to build on the achievement that Government has made in education and health.
On education, President Kenyatta announced that secondary school education will be free starting next year. This follows the scrapping of examination fees, a move that has greatly eased the burden on parents.
On health, President Kenyatta said in addition to free maternity, mothers who deliver in public health facilities will be given free NHIF medical insurance cover for a year to ensure the health of mothers and babies.
Deputy President Ruto called on Kenyans not to be hoodwinked by the Opposition, who have nothing to offer to improve the country apart from peddling propaganda and lies.