Time runs out as Kibaki eyes good legacy

By MOSES NJAGIH

With President Kibaki preparing to leave office, his focus appears inclined to taking stock of his successes as his legacy faces the radar.

Having served the constitutionally allowed two terms as President, Kibaki is expected to retire after the General Election due next year.

While aspirants eyeing the presidency have been galvanising support, Kibaki has his eyes set elsewhere.

He has devoted time to inspect projects he had initiated over the years. The President is also hurrying up to begin new development projects he feels would help shape up his legacy, which has attracted praise and criticism in equal measure.

His new focus has been manifest in activities he has undertaken in the last two months.

Kibaki has been visiting projects while shunning political debate waged by his lieutenants and presidential aspirants in the succession race.

He has on two occasions made it clear he would not name his successor. Unlike his predecessor Daniel arap Moi, he will not be active in campaigns to pick the next president.

Even in his central Kenya backyard, and especially his native Othaya constituency, Kibaki has given indications he would not take sides in supremacy battles between Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth and his Gichugu counterpart Martha Karua. Hands-off nature of the President is a strong pointer he will be spending the remaining time consolidating his work on projects that could define his legacy.

Tax evaders

When Kibaki took over power in 2003, his appeared focused on improving infrastructure, hence the decision to tighten the law against tax evaders among other crosscutting reforms.

The Kibaki administration rolled out a massive road construction programme. He is now going round to commission other projects and to push for the hastening of road works to ensure they are completed in time.

Among the projects that have served as pet subjects for Kibaki is the Isiolo-Marsabit-Moyale road, which on completion, will link Kenya and Ethiopia.

After commissioning the road four years ago, the President returned to northern Kenya to open another phase of the project, a 136km stretch from Isiolo to Merille River.

The section is said to have cost Sh6.3 billion, funded by through a partnership between the Government and the African Development Bank.

Kibaki said the road would open up the northern Kenya region for development and investment. He said it would also serve as a connection to Ethiopia from the port of Mombasa.

“The upgrading of this road to bitumen standard is expected to contribute to the development of this region through increased trade and other business activities, including marketing of livestock produce,” the President said during the visit.

He also commissioned the construction of another 121km road from Marsabit to Turbi, calling on the contractors to hasten its construction.

Within the same week, the President had given the go-ahead for the construction on Lamu Port, another of his pet.

An indication that he wants to take credit for the mega- project, Kibaki said he was looking forward to commissioning it next year, the same year he is expected to leave office.

Noting that the project was mooted 36 years ago, he said: “It is my hope that with the completion of consultancy studies, the project can now be implemented without further delay. I look forward to commissioning the first ship docking at the Lamu Port next year,” said the President.

Contractors on the Nairobi-Thika superhighway – which would help define the Presidents policy on infrastructure – have been put on notice to complete work by mid next year.

As Kibaki enters the last year of his term, he is keen on turning his presidency into a success story.