By UHURU KENYATTA ( email the author)
Posted Saturday, February 23 2013 at 18:51
Posted Saturday, February 23 2013 at 18:51
In Summary
- Jubilee will ensure that Kenya’s vast potential is developed to create opportunities for all
Over the past few months as I traversed the country campaigning, I’ve had the opportunity to see Kenya in its entirety — vast savannahs and soaring mountains; farmers toiling in dusty fields and in fertile farmland; roads and railways winding through towns and the countryside; smoke rising from villages and from factories; people, young and old, working, travelling — this has been the country I wish to lead, seen from the air and the ground in all its brilliant potential.
When I meet a father who is concerned that his children — all graduates with good degrees — might not have a future in this country without a job, or a mother worried about the health of her baby or a farmer praying his crops will grow, I know there is much hard work and many late nights needed to make sure all Kenyans have the life they deserve.
These two perspectives are a true reflection of Kenya today. While there is immense potential in our nation, individual Kenyans need help to reach theirs. We now have a new Constitution that will help to bring stability, but only with the right leadership — a president with new ideas, a new approach, fresh policies and the energy to get things done.
My policies are — like our Constitution — owned by all Kenyans. The policies were formulated in consultation with local citizens and organisations, and echo the real concerns and aspirations of Kenyans. I am proud to be the only candidate for president who has approached the election in this new way.
As Kenya’s fourth president, I will build on the successes in economic growth seen in recent years. Our mission now is to ensure that every Kenyan shares in that growth. The measure of our success will not just be how much wealth we create, but also how many benefit from it.
Kenya has a young, energetic, educated and talented population that wants to work. My job as president will be to channel that potential. All dynamic economies are driven by small business growth and Kenya is no exception. I will create new institutions to provide micro-credit to start-up businesses and set up local development parks in each county to provide business incubation.
As Finance minister, I helped make Kenya the economic hub of East Africa, and as president, I will make Kenya a true export economy. We all talk of unity — umoja — but that needs to be more than just a word if we are to build a society devoid of discrimination.
Land has been the running sore that has poisoned relations between communities, prompting suspicion and creating disputes and has even been used to politically attack me as an individual. While our opponents seek short-term political advantage, we seek to provide long-term solutions.
Land is always seen as a source of problems in Kenya when it can instead be the tool we use to create wealth and opportunity for all. The time has come to settle this issue, to end the discord and argument.
As president, I will provide wider economic opportunities so that people, especially in rural areas, do not feel that the only way they can make a living is tilling ever-smaller parcels of land using a jembe and a panga.
We will do this not just in rural areas but also in urban areas where informal settlements abound. When we look at the slums in our great cities, we see poverty, but it is time we saw the opportunity to generate wealth that lies there-in. Visitors are often taken to Kibera to see a much tougher side of life, where many people lack title deeds to the land they reside on and access to healthcare and other basic services.
It doesn’t have to be like this — Kibera is some of the most valuable land in Nairobi. My government will be committed to giving the people of Kibera what they have been denied for too long — the title to that land, which is the key to unlocking Sh60 billion for them.
Our youth represent the future of our country. We will act immediately to broaden their choices and opportunities. In the first 100 days, we will pass legislation to ensure that no child is out of school or a training institution until they reach the age of 18.
We will also provide every child entering Standard 1 with a solar-powered laptop. We shall sustain this programme for each succeeding year until the day when every child will walk with a satchel and a laptop.
Some in this election have allowed negativity to creep into their language, issuing veiled threats at what might occur if the “right” result is not achieved on March 4. My brother William Ruto and I were once on opposite sides, but we agreed to put our differences aside and come together as leaders to end this cycle of violence and bring enduring peace to our country. This has been our Jubilee journey. It can be the journey for all of Kenya.
I believe I will be elected the next president of our great country. Not because it is a vote against any individual or any group or tribe. I believe I will be elected because Kenyans will welcome the positive vision I, and the Jubilee Coalition, have put forward.
These policies are not designed to stop or marginalise anyone, but, instead, to unite people in a way never seen before in our country. As we celebrate 50 years of Independence, this election has been the moment we’ve waited for. As the Bible tells us, the year of the Jubilee is the year of healing and forgiveness. It is the year of renewal.
The time has come for Kenya, and Kenyans, to move beyond division and step proudly forward into the next 50 years. In 2063, when Kenya celebrates its centenary, I want our grandchildren to look back at this election and say, “that was when Kenya was reborn”. A Kenya united, prosperous and confident, providing for each other, working together to do better and be better.
With the support of Kenyans I look forward to beginning this work and making our dream Kenya a reality.
Mr Kenyatta is Jubilee presidential candidate.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment