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Posted on 04/10/2003 5:02:59 AM PDT by dufekin
President Mwai Kibaki yesterday announced the creation of the National Security Intelligence Machinery, which will co-ordinate security and intelligence activities.
Two thousand more police officers and 100 district officers will be recruited to enhance security and administration.
The President made the remarks during an assessment of his government's achievements in its first 100 days in power and promised an even better future for Kenyans.
Re-organising the various security agencies, he said, had boosted peace and security for Kenyans. "Indeed, over the past three months, we have seen a substantial drop in the crime rate," he said.
Mr Kibaki said Narc's commitment to creating 500,000 jobs a year was still on course.
Already, 7,000 jobs had been created in the formal sector, with 4,000 of them coming from the starting of the two AGOA industries in Nairobi and 3,000 others through the Ministry of Labour's employment bureaus.
The Head of State also said his government was finalising an Economic Recovery Programme, which would focus on creating jobs for youth.
He announced the start of restructuring the Agricultural Finance Corporation which, he noted, had found Sh210 million ($2.7 million) to lend farmers after years of no loans.
Sixty per cent of the money, he said, would go to small-scale farmers. A build-up of strategic grain reserves from one million to 1.5 million bags had also been achieved.
He said Narc's greatest achievement in its first 100 days in power was restoring hope among Kenyans and the future of their country. And the Head of State promised a new motto in the way his government would deal with issues: Soberly, frankly and directly.
Even where there had been delays in implementing the promises the Narc government had made, he said, these have been sincere. His government would not make false promises, he added.
"The most important transformation in Kenya, over the past 100 days, has been in the minds and hearts of the Kenyan people. We have seen a renewal of their confidence in the future. You can hear this confidence in the way Kenyans talk."
Mr Kibaki said his government had spent most of its time consolidating its gains and rebuilding key institutions.
In a message from State House, Nairobi, the President said he had started by empowering his ministers to get on with the job of serving Kenyans.
He said: "Today, every minister can function with confidence that they are appointed to do a job without undue interference which has yielded impressive results."
The President further re-affirmed the commitment of his government on the justice and anti-corruption noting that the constitutional review process was now back back on track as promised. Free primary education had been largely realised, with 7.5 million of the 9.2 million school-aged children in class.
Out of the Sh4.4 billion ($57 million or $6.16 per child) allocated for free primary education last week, Mr Kibaki said, Sh800 million ($10 million or $1.12 per child) would be spent on learning materials. It would also be used to build more classrooms and other buildings.
The President said 1,200 Nairobi street children had been placed in rehabilitation centres at Kayole, Bahati, Kariokor and Pumwani. An additional 300, who are over 18, would be joining the National Youth Service.
Mr Kibaki added: "You will also see the results of our work in our urban areas. They are cleaner and safer than at any time over the last 15 years. Indeed, in the city of Nairobi alone, 6,200 hawkers have been relocated from the Central Business District to designated areas. This has happened through consultations, understanding and respect for wananchi. This will remain a hallmark of my administration."
He also said roads and other infrastructure were being repaired across the country, but had a grim message for contractors who had cheated the government during the previous regime – they would lose miserably.
The president revealed: "We are currently engaged in examining the huge stock of pending bills that various contractors presented and the exercise will result in significant savings to the taxpayer."
The housing sector was not left out, with the announcement by the President that the Ministry of Roads and Housing had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation that will finance the construction of 150,000 housing units every year.
Mr Kibaki also said that the government's relations with development partners had improved greatly.
He reminded Kenyans of the historical opening up of the infamous Nyayo House torture chambers to the public which he said demonstrated the attitude of his government towards the rights of its people.
"Never again shall the people of Kenya endure such injustice at the hands of their own government. This is a promise we have made and are going to keep," he said.
On the anti-corruption front, he said, the government had kept its promise of introducing to Parliament the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Bill and the Public Officer Ethics Bill.
Added to this was the establishment of an anti-corruption commission, in addition to facilitating the declaration of wealth by public officers, Mr Kibaki said
The Anti-Corruption Police Unit, the President said, was currently investigating over 280 cases and more was expected in the land sector.
On the commitment to fight HIV/Aids, the Head of State reminded Kenyans that it was only last month that he announced the formation of a Cabinet committee – which he heads – to tackle the scourge.
"This pandemic shall no longer be a secret to be swept under the carpet – we must discuss it openly, even when this touches on sensitive issues of sexuality," he said.
The President also announced plans to decongest prisons, which were built to hold only 16,000 inmates but now hold 40,000.
Human rights groups and the media were now being regularly allowed into prisons while prisoners would soon have access to reading materials, TV and radio facilities.
The President joined other Kenyans in congratulating Kenya's success in the recent Cricket World Cup, where it managed to reach the semi-finals.
Mr Kibaki moved on to allay fears over the future of the Narc coalition which he saw as remaining intact all through going by last weekend's Parliamentary Group meeting at Nanyuki.
On the coalition, he had this for Kenyans: "Narc is the most powerful democratic coalition in post-independence East African history. Managing the many voices of a coalition is something that has caused some anxiety to Kenyans. I say, lay your fears to rest."
The Narc government is one of a coalition of 14 political parties which grouped together and brought to an end Kanu's 39 years rule.
On one side was the National Alliance Party of Kenya (NAK) – which had President Kibaki's Democratic Party, Vice-President Michael Wamalwa's Ford Kenya and Health Minister Charity Ngilu's National Party of Kenya, among others – and the Liberal Democratic Party, which brought together Kanu rebels including Cabinet Ministers George Saitoti, Raila Odinga and Moody Awori.
The real test for the coalition came with dissent among its MPs, especially those from the LDP, who said they were dissatisfied with the manner in which the government was being run, and more so the appointments to public offices. They went on to argue that the memorandum of understanding sharing power 50:50 between the LDP and NAK was being ignored.
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