By Kazungu Chai
Nairobi, 17 Sept, 2013 (PSCU) –President Uhuru Kenyatta has said his administration will trigger an industrial revolution that will propel Kenya to a middle income status by 2030.
He said as a starting point, concentration will be on infrastructure where the road and rail networks will be expanded and power supply increased.
“The Kenya Vision 2030 has brought us to the stage where we are laying a robust national economic foundation. This entails the implementation of programmes in infrastructure, energy, security, science, technology and innovation,” he said.
President Kenyatta spoke at the opening of a high level conference on Kenya’s economic success, prospects and challenges at a Nairobi hotel. The conference was convened by, the National Treasury, the Central Bank of
Kenya and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In addition to rehabilitating a considerable portion of the road network, the President said Government has increased bituminized road by 13%, which represents 1,110 kilometres.
He disclosed that Government intends to complete a network of first-rate international trunk roads to link Kenya with her neighbours Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and South Sudan.
With its Northern Corridor neighbours, the President said, Kenya is assembling resources to build a standard gauge railway from Mombasa to Kigali through Uganda.
“All the governments involved have assigned this project as top priority,” the President said.
He said already his administration has committed funds for basic infrastructure around the proposed port in Lamu as a starting point to collaborate with regional states in the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia (LAPSSET) transport corridor. The LAPSSET programme will open up all of
Northern Kenya.
The President said the deliberate undertaking of national and regional infrastructure networks will transform the region by unleashing trade, employment, communication and capital development opportunities.
He said other priority sectors including agriculture, tourism, trade, manufacturing, ICT and, starting this year, oil and other mineral resources have been scaled up. The President said sound economic management has enabled the country to contemplate such momentous projects at this time.
He indicated that the agricultural sector will be transformed by reducing dependence on rain-fed farming, expanding and expanding the area under
irrigation. This, the President said, will lower food costs and promote food security by making farming a commercial activity.
“Some 1.2 million acres at the Galana Irrigation Scheme will be our flagship project for improving food security and increasing production of maize and sugar,” the President said.
He said value addition in agribusiness, irrigation and the stepping up of food security initiatives will create 3 million jobs over the next three years.
The President expressed satisfaction that giant multinational brands like Tullow Oil Group, The BP Group, General Electric, Google, IBM, Visa International, Pepsi, Nestle, HSBC Bank, Morgan Chase, IFC and Foton
Automobiles have made Kenya their Africa regional base, clearly responding to the conducive business environment in the country.
As part of projecting Kenya’s position as the region's technology hub, the President said Government is set to build the Silicon Savana, Africa's most ambitious techno-city at Konza.
“We want to make Kenya Africa's gateway, manufacturing and technology hub and a home to millions of entrepreneurs,” said the President.
He welcomed the ranking of Kenya among the world's 100 most competitive nations, and Africa's most improved.
“The World Bank ranked us the best African country in institutional quality and policy-making for poverty-reducing growth. Citibank and the Economist Intelligence Unit rated us a global business hotspot,” he said.
The President observed that his Government's optimism is not just blind patriotism or delusional but a fact supported by global consensus.
He underscored the importance of strategic partnerships domestically, regionally and internationally, saying these partnerships must be genuine and founded on mutualism to improve the lives of Kenyans. He said no effort will be spared in moving the agenda of national transformation
forward.
The President appealed to all Kenyans to join hands in supporting the country’s economic rejuvenation in line with the Jubilee Coalition's principal pillars of Umoja (Unity), Uchumi (the Economy) and Uwazi (openness).
IMF Africa Director Antoinette Sayeh commended Kenya’s home-grown economic reforms which have set the country as example worth being emulated in Africa.
She said IMF will continue supporting Kenya in its efforts to grow the economy and improve the lives of citizens.
No comments:
Post a Comment