Speech by President Uhuru Kenyatta during the State of the Nation Address at Parliament Buildings, Nairobi

8/9/2019 Speech by President Uhuru Kenyatta during the State of the Nation Address at Parliament Buildings, Nairobi

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SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. UHURU KENYATTA, C.G.H.,

PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES

OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA DURING THE STATE OF THE NATION

ADDRESS AT PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS, NAIROBI ON THURSDAY,

26TH MARCH, 2015

Mr. Deputy President,

Speakers of Parliament,

Members of Parliament,

The Chief Justice and Members of the Supreme Court,

Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Fellow enyans,

!adies and "entlemen,

Today, for the second time, and in line with my constitutional obli#ation, $

address this special sittin# of Parliament, to outline the State of the

%ation in relation to our &alues and principles of #o&ernance, as

elaborated in 'rticle ()* the state of our nation+s security, as pro&ided forin 'rticle -)* and our status in fulllin# our international treaty

obli#ations, under 'rticle (/ of our constitution.

's we approach my second anni&ersary as President, $ am pleased to

report that the state of our %ation is stron#. 0ur economy is #rowin#

robustly. 0ur nation is more secure, and our place in the community of

nations is respected.

$n the year under re&iew, we, as a nation, ha&e continued to deepen our

democracy and the 1ule of !aw. Public participation in #o&ernance has

#rown at all le&els, while institutional measures to secure the basic ri#hts

and freedoms of our people continue to take root. The year has been

laced with robust debates, and sometimes e&en stron# di2erences of

opinion, between and within &arious le&els and arms of #o&ernment. This

is a profound rea3rmation of our democratic ideals.


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%onetheless, e4ercisin# these ri#hts and pri&ile#es demands from each

one of us, particularly us leaders, to remain conscious of our patriotic

duty to nurture a united nation.

Fellow enyans,

$n )(-, enya rebased its economy and is now the 5th lar#est economy

on the 'frican continent. 6ith a "DP of 7SD 8/./ billion with "DP per

capita at 7SD (,-9, enya has attained middle:income status. 6e are

also one of the 'frican economies that can boast a di&ersied and

balanced economy.

Today, enya is one of the fastest #rowin# economies in the world.

Despite slu##ish #lobal #rowth, our economy is steadily e4pandin# at 9

percent, consolidatin# our position as the lar#est non:mineral dri&en

economy in Sub:Saharan 'frica. 6e are also makin# si#nicant pro#ress

in the oil, #as and minerals sectors. Followin# the establishment of a

dedicated minin# ministry, our royalties ha&e sharply increased from (

million shillin#s in )(, to an e4pected (. billion this nancial year. This

on:#oin# economic transformation is drawin# attention #lobally.

!ast month, a prominent international publication sin#led enya out as

one of se&en outstandin# emer#in# markets worth in&estin# in. ;arlier

this month, of the 8< fastest:#rowin# economies ranked by =loomber#,

enya was the third fastest #rowin# economy behind China and the

Philippines. 'dditionally, ;rnst and >oun#+s 'ttracti&eness Sur&ey for

'frica for )(- placed enya amon# the three top in&estmentdestinations in Sub Saharan 'frica, and the most preferred in ;ast and

Central 'frica. ' combination of the #o&ernment+s pro:#rowth economic

policies, a #rowin# middle class, and an educated and skilled workforce

has steered enya into the ranks of the top emer#in# market

destinations for in&estment.

$n?ation has been contained at sin#le di#its, cappin# the prices of basic

#oods for enyans. $nterest rates are fallin#, allowin# enyans to access

credit for their businesses, homes and farms. The e4chan#e rate is stable


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and the public debt sustainable, re?ectin# my administration+s sound

scal and monetary mana#ement. Furthermore, the implementation of

pro#rammes and pro@ects that dri&e our #rowth are proceedin# apace.

6e ha&e made si#nicant pro#ress in the ener#y sector. Since March)(/, we ha&e added 8(-.5 me#awatts of electricity to our national #rid,

to make a&ailable a total of ,(8 me#awatts. This represents a /(A

#rowth in total #eneration capacity. ' substantial component of the new

additional capacity is #eothermal, a clean ener#y source that increases

our resilience to the &olatility associated with weather and oil prices.

enya is now the world+s ei#hth lar#est #eo:thermal producer with a

steam power capacity of 8


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6hen $ took o3ce, $ pled#ed to connect all public primary schools to

electricity within two years. 't the time, only B,)) out of (,8)) schools

had been connected. 's $ speak today, a total of (B,-- schools ha&ebeen connected. The remainin# /,)


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$n spite of this positi&e de&elopment, there are sustained persistent

claims that the #o&ernment+s insistence on maintainin# the a#reed and

court:endorsed mi#ration has rolled back enya+s democratic #ains.

%othin# could be further from truth. 'll enyans should know that di#ital

mi#ration will unleash the full potential of this medium, e4pandin# the

scope of a&ailable information to the benet of our democracy. The

misrepresentation to the contrary is irresponsible. $t seeks to insulate

entrenched interests and close the door to the many enyans who will

benet from an open arena. 6e as #o&ernment are willin# to work with

all stakeholders in the endea&our to #row a &ibrant and prosperous

broadcastin# sector. This e4perience underscores the importance of each

sector of our society, appreciatin# its cardinal responsibility to this

country and its people.

enyans should be proud of our #lobal leadership in mobile money

transactions. $n )(-, enyans e4ceeded .( trillion shillin#s in mobile

money transactions. $n all, enyans made almost 8)A of #lobal mobile

money transactions. These startlin# statistics, coupled with the total

number of mobile phones, e4ceedin# one for e&ery citiEen, means that

enya is at the #lobal frontier of mobile technolo#y.

The construction of the Standard "au#e 1ailway is pro#ressin# accordin#

to plan. Close to half of the 9)5 km track is e4ca&ated and ready for

sleepers. 0n completion, the new railway will dramatically reduce car#o

transport costs by a further 9)A, and decon#est our roads, leadin# to

#reater road safety. The de&elopment of the S"1 is an addition to the

substantial e4pansion and modernisation takin# place at the port of

Mombasa, and that has led to a reduction in frei#ht time by more than


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The !'PSS;T Pro@ect is another si#nicant in&estment by our nation. Just

like the enya:7#anda railway became the artery of the ;ast 'frican

economy, so will !'PSS;T create a new economic and social reality. $n

addition to openin# up the northern part of enya to trade andin&estment, it will contribute to securin# what ha&e been fra#ile, &olatile

and insecure parts of our country. $n doin# this, !'PSS;T will transform

the li&es of millions of our compatriots, while creatin# an enablin#

en&ironment for northern enya to contribute stron#ly to national

prosperity.

Furthermore, !'PSS;T will deepen re#ional inte#ration and 'frica+s

interconnecti&ity and trade. 1eco#nisin# its &alue, the 'frican 7nion, at

its January )(8 Summit, included !'PSS;T in its Presidential

$nfrastructure Champion $nitiati&e.

The administrati&e infrastructure for this pro@ect is complete, and $ will, in

the ne4t few days, break #round for the construction of the initial three

berths of the !amu Port.

To facilitate the e4pansion of the desired road network, my #o&ernment

has resorted to an inno&ati&e model. The annuity:nancin# model will

help tap infrastructural nancin#.

This approach is e4pected to reduce our construction costs by half and

#uarantee us an additional (),))) kilometres of tarmacked roads within

the ne4t 8 years.

Followin# the re disaster of 'u#ust )(/ at the Jomo enyatta

$nternational 'irport, which at the time seemed to spell doom, we ha&e

reco&ered splendidly. 6ithin ten days, all ?i#hts had resumed. =y

%o&ember )(/, we had constructed a new arri&als hall, and by 0ctober

)(- had completed terminal (', which currently carries B)A of all

business at J$'. $n addition, last year, we commenced construction of a

new terminal that $ e4pect to commission in the ne4t few days. This

up#rade has placed J$' in the top lea#ue internationally.


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;&en as we pay close attention to infrastructure, my administration has

also trained its attention on impro&in# ser&ice pro&ision to our people. $n

the last year, we ha&e sharply accelerated the uality and breadth of public ser&ices.

7nder the 7D7M' enya Pro#ramme we are deli&erin# more than /8

ser&ices under one roof in twenty:three counties. =y the end of this

nancial year, we will ha&e rolled out an additional / centres, brin#in#

the total to -( uduma Centres. This pioneerin# pro#ramme has

attracted numerous commendations includin# the )(8 winner of the'frican 'ssociation of Public 'dministration and Mana#ement #old medal

on $nno&ati&e Mana#ement in 'frica. ' number of countries, both in

'frica and beyond, are workin# with our people to replicate this model.

onourable Members,

;arlier this month, $ launched the $nte#rated Population 1e#ister System. The sin#le source of truth on population identity. The system, which has

been tested for more than a year now, is a comprehensi&e database of

all re#istered persons residin# in enya, both citiEens and forei#ners. The

&alue of the $P1S to plannin#, ser&ice deli&ery, business processin# and

security, is re&olutionary to not only #o&ernment but to the bankin#,

telecoms, insurance and other sectors of our economy.

0n this same platform, the e:CitiEen "o&ernment Ser&ices Portal is

pro#ressi&ely mi#ratin# ser&ices online. These include the renewal of

dri&in# licenses, business:name searches and re#istration of marria#es,

passport applications, and o3cial land searches in %airobi. 0ther

ser&ices will be comin# on stream in the near future.

To attract #reater domestic and international in&estment, my

administration, in collaboration with the pri&ate sector, has made a

concerted e2ort to impro&e the =usiness 1e#ulatory ;n&ironment. These


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e2orts, added to the opportunities in our economy and re#ion, are

leadin# to stron# #rowth in Forei#n and Domestic Direct $n&estment, and

therefore to @obs and #rowth.

$n line with my administrationHs commitment to impro&e health care, weha&e in&ested /B billion shillin#s to roll out the Mana#ed ;uipment

Ser&ices Pro#ramme. To e2ect this, &e #lobal suppliers ha&e assessed

5- hospitals in the -< counties, plus the four national referral hospitals to

deli&er the necessary euipment startin# in May this year. This capacity

is the most sophisticated in the re#ion, enablin# access to world:class

dia#nosis and treatment. 0ur emphasis is on early detection and

pre&ention, so as to a&oid the hi#h costs associated with treatment

occasioned by late detection. $n these hospitals, the euipmentpurchased will allow for treatment of diseases such as cancer, while

pro&idin# ad&anced dialysis, and intensi&e care facilities in all counties.

6ith the pro&ision of free maternal hospital ser&ices, maternal health has

#reatly impro&ed. Deli&eries in our public health facilities now a&era#e

B)A. 's a result, maternal mortality has decreased from -BB to /9)

deaths per ()),))) li&e births. 6e ha&e opened many clinics in slum

areas such as Mathare in %airobi throu#h which many enyans daily

access medical care. 0ur e2orts in this sector are complemented by the

initiati&es of the First !ady who $ commend for the =eyond Iero

campai#n, which keeps #rowin# from stren#th to stren#th in impro&in#

maternal and child health across the country.

'll these endea&ours are #eared towards the Jubilee #o&ernment+s

commitment to roll out uni&ersal health care for all enyans. $n thisrespect, $ wish to thank the "o&ernment of Japan and all de&elopment

partners who ha&e e4tended support for this initiati&e. =e#innin# 'pril of

this year, the new a#reed %ational ealth $nsurance Fund rates will be in

force allowin# for $n: and 0ut:Patient treatment. To this end, $ encoura#e

all enyans to enrol with the %$F. This will ensure that our ob@ecti&e of

uni&ersal healthcare will be realised.

To promote social @ustice and inclusi&ity, my #o&ernment is assistin#

/8,))) self:help #roups and continues the promotion of social security to


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the a#ed citiEens and other &ulnerable #roups. The 0lder Persons Cash

Transfer Pro#ramme co&ers (9-,))) households, cushionin# them

a#ainst life:threatenin# risks such as sickness, poor health and in@uries.

$n addition, the #o&ernment continues to fund the 0rphaned and

Gulnerable Cash Transfer Pro#ramme, which currently co&ers 8,)))

households and


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partnerships. 6e ha&e also opened a number of diplomatic missions,

si#ned a ran#e of bilateral a#reements. These e2orts le&era#ed lar#e

in&estment opportunities such as the Standard "au#e 1ailway, the Power

'frica $nitiati&e, as well as openin# new trade and in&estment

opportunities for enya.

enya remains a champion of economic inte#ration. $ had the pri&ile#e to

chair the ;ast 'frican Community last year. Durin# that period, the re#ion

deepened its inte#ration and concluded a ran#e of instruments to

enhance close economic, political and infrastructural de&elopment ties.

The bi##est success has been the initiation and implementation of the

Sin#le Customs Territory to facilitate cross border trade within the re#ion.

's a result, it now takes three days for #oods to transit from Mombasa toampala, and four days to i#ali, down from (B days and ) days

respecti&ely. 'nother key achie&ement is the elimination of work permits+

fees* the launchin# of the sin#le tourist &isa* tra&el by identity card* one:

stop:border posts* establishin# the one area network and thereby

reducin# cost of cross:border communication in ;ast 'frica. These

measures stren#then the stability, resilience and economic opportunities

in our re#ion.

6e also remain a &ital actor in the search for sustainable peace and

security in both Somalia and South Sudan, and are workin# with our

nei#hbours and allies to stabilise the "reat !akes 1e#ion.

't the continental le&el, enya is an anchor state in championin# the

'frica+s a#enda. $n the aftermath of the ;bola epidemic, enya was

amon# the rst responders, contributin# ( million 7S dollars andhundreds of bra&e, hi#hly ualied medical sta2 some of who are still

on the #round battlin# ;bola. 6e also took a leadership role in the

ne#otiations with the ;uropean 7nion that led to the successful

conclusion of the ;uropean 7nion Partnership '#reement.

$nternationally, we ha&e hosted se&eral hi#h prole e&ents, re?ectin# the

#rowin# stature of %airobi as a #lobal diplomatic hub where ma@ordebates and decisions are made. !ater this year, we will host the 6orld

Trade 0r#anisation+s Ministerial conference and ha&e o2ered to host the


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si4th Tokyo $nternational Conference for 'frica+s De&elopment in )(9.

enya remains a champion of a rule:based multilateral system that

upholds the euality of states. To this end, we continue to lobby for the

reform of the 7nited %ations system to re?ect the democratic

imperati&es of our a#e.

onourable Members,

6e continue with the robust implementation of the Constitution. $n this

respect, Parliament, under its le#islati&e a#enda, has passed more than

two doEen laws. $t is my trust that all fth:year Schedule G le#islation,

and the outstandin# fourth:year le#islation will be processed in time forthe 'u#ust deadline.

0ur stron# commitment to de&olution remains manifest. My

administration has funded counties pro#ressi&ely increasin# from (5)

billion shillin#s in the rst nancial year, 9 billion in the current

nancial year, and pro@ectin# 8B billion shillin#s in the ne4t nancial

year, well beyond the (8A minimum pro&ided for in the Constitution.

Demonstratin# my continued belief in the &alue of de&olution, we ha&e

also established inter#o&ernmental mechanisms to support de&olution

throu#h enhanced consultation, cooperation and partnership with the

counties. 's a si#n of the #rowin# understandin# and partnership

between national and county #o&ernments, $ am pleased to report that

$=;C, under the chairmanship of the Deputy President, concluded an

early and harmonious settlement of the di&ision of re&enue ne#otiations.

's the chair of the $nter#o&ernmental Summit, $ am continuously

en#a#ed with the county #o&ernments to ensure the success of the

de&olution dream. $n my tra&els across the country, $ ha&e taken pride in

the &aried pro@ects undertaken by county #o&ernments.

$ am howe&er concerned by the numerous disruptions of the de&olution

a#enda by political con?icts in a number of counties. This month, $

reluctantly established a commission to inuire into the a2airs of

Makueni County. 6e ha&e also witnessed intense contestation between


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leaders in a number of other counties. $n %arok, ;mbu, Mandera,

Marsabit and Tana 1i&er, amon# others, ethnicity is bein# used to

e4clude, di&ide and manipulate the people. This trend, unless halted, has

the potential to derail the de&olution a#enda. The aspiration of the

enyan people was for #rassroots de&elopment not for ethnic

balkanisation.

$ therefore call on all leaders at the county le&el to be #uided by these

aspirations and not their own narrow self:interest. 6e must all remember

that enya is one indi&isible nation, and that e&ery enyan has a ri#ht to

li&e, work and participate in all acti&ities in any part of the country, as

#uaranteed in our Constitution. $n this re#ard, the %ational Cohesion and

$nte#ration Commission must take seriously its mandate to promote andprotect the &alues of cohesion and de&olution.

Fellow enyans,

$ ha&e since takin# o3ce, underscored the &alue of harnessin# the

capabilities of all enyans. 0nly by doin# this can we unleash the full

potential of our nation and create the enya of our dreams. $n this

respect, my #o&ernment has put special emphasis on the settin# up of

mechanisms and institutions to #uarantee inclusi&ity. Today, we celebrate

nearly years of the Jubilee #o&ernment+s implementation of the Public

Procurement and Disposal 'ct 1e#ulation passed in )(/ that pro&ides

access to /)A of #o&ernment procurement to women, youth and persons

with disabilities. This has translated concretely into a total of 5.- =illion

shillin#s worth of contracts to these #roups in the rst uarters of this

nancial year. =y the end of the year, these #roups will ha&e pro&ided#o&ernment with #oods and ser&ices amountin# to /) billion shillin#s.

's $ ha&e repeatedly emphasised, all procurin# entities must comply fully

with this law.

$n addition, we ha&e also disbursed 8./ billion shillin# of the 76;I0

Fund. 0ur e2orts ha&e been lauded at the @ust concluded 85 th Session of

the Commission on the Status of 6omen as an inno&ati&e show:case of


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#ender responsi&e bud#etin#, and cited as a model that could be

e4ported to other countries in 'frica and the Commonwealth.

The youth ha&e continued to pro&e their capability to dri&e our #rowth

and pro#ress. $ ha&e been deli#hted by the &ibrancy of their inno&ation,ener#y and commitment. From the inno&ators at i:ub, %ailab and the (9

technolo#y hubs, to ;uity =ank+s 6in#s to Fly, enya+s youth are

pro&in# repeatedly that they are holdin# the present and future of our

nation in their hands. enya is becomin# a start:up nation. $n the last

year, we ha&e witnessed the #rowth of home#rown technolo#ical

inno&ation of cuttin# ed#e #lobal standards. erein, lies an

unprecedented opportunity to le&era#e rele&ant technolo#y to respond

to our needs, dri&e our economy, @ob market, and impro&e ser&icedeli&ery.

$ call upon all #o&ernment ministries and a#encies, and the pri&ate sector

to e4plore these home:#rown inno&ations and to support these youn#

inno&ators before turnin# to solutions from abroad.

The %ational >outh Ser&ice has become a si#nicant dri&er of my

transformation a#enda. 6orkin# alon#side communities, the %>S youthha&e become chan#e a#ents that catalyse impro&ed li&in# standards for

the less fortunate, particularly in informal settlements as demonstrated

in ibera. Similar e2orts are underway in Mathare, oro#ocho, Mukuru

wa %@en#a, and iandutu in Thika.

=eyond the cities, the %>S is also en#a#ed in at:risk re#ions of the

country. For the rst time, throu#h the e2orts of this institution, !odwar

will soon ha&e access to water on a sustainable basis, re?ectin# my

commitment to dri&e de&elopment across the country.

$ encoura#e all youn# enyans to take full ad&anta#e of all #o&ernment

pro#rammes laid out to facilitate their producti&e inte#ration into

national economic life.

$n )(/, $ appointed a Taskforce to re&iew the operations of Parastatals

with the aim of reformin# them to be more e3cient in their pursuit of our


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national de&elopment #oals and to ali#n their mandates to the

Constitution. The Taskforce made recommendations to transform our

Parastatals. The le#al framework to #uide the en&isa#ed reforms has

under#one the reuisite stakeholder consultations. Se&eral pieces of

proposed le#islation, includin# an o&erarchin# law on #o&ernment:owned

entities, that ali#n these institutions to our national de&elopment

imperati&es, will shortly be forwarded to Parliament for consideration.

>esterday, $ issued, as part of the Parastatals reform pro#ramme, the

Mwon#oEo Code of "o&ernance for State Corporations. $ directed that all

&acant positions in the =oards be lled. $ will personally o&ersee all

appointed and currently ser&in# board members formally si#n on to the

Code. This will address #o&ernance and mana#ement challen#es in ourParastatals.

Fellow enyans, !adies and "entlemen

$ ha&e outlined a number of initiati&es that demonstrate the work that

the Jubilee #o&ernment has done to dri&e the transformation of enya.

This pro#ress notwithstandin#, our country is today faced with a number

of dauntin# challen#es that slow our pro#ress, obscure our achie&ements

and chip away at the le#itimacy of the state.

The most pressin# of these challen#es are insecurity, disunity and

corruption.

$n the last year, security has impro&ed. $ salute the ser&ice and sacrice

of our bra&e men and women in uniform who risk their li&es to protect

our way of life. They are confrontin#, on our behalf, a ran#e of security

threats. Foremost of these is #lobal terrorism, as manifested in the threat

of 'l Shabaab, who continue to operate lar#ely from Somalia. The enya

Defence Forces, within the ambit of the 'frican 7nion Mission in Somalia,

continue to dismantle the capability of 'l Shabaab. owe&er, this

terrorist #roup still poses a si#nicant threat to enya, especially in li#ht

of the lon# porous border with Somalia. 6e are also faced with a sharp

#rowth of radicalisation and &iolent e4tremism, threats associated with


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youth that ha&e returned from Somalia. 0ther international crimes that

threaten us include poachin#, human tra3ckin#, dru# and narcotic

tra3ckin#, and cyber crime.

$n addition to these international crimes, most of which feed into thefundin# and resourcin# of terrorism and its a#ents, we are also faced with

the challen#e of ethnic and inter:communal con?icts, se4ual and #ender

based &iolence, contraband and smu##lin# of #oods. 6hile we ha&e had

a decline in tra3c related crimes, there is need for focused attention to

reduce our road carna#e, and the threats associated with the

proliferation of small arms and li#ht weapons.

To counter these security challen#es, the #o&ernment implemented a

number of strate#ies includin# the settin# up of an inter:a#ency

coordination unit* the enhancement of security &i#ilance* and community

sensitisation.

6e continue to pro&ide resources for the modernisation of the security

a#encies. This year, we increased the police operational ?eet by ())

&ehicles, brin#in# about a total of ,-)) &ehicles made a&ailable in the

last two years more than has been pro&ided since independence. 6e

ha&e created a sin#le command structure in counties that has impro&ed

command and control. 6e ha&e also #one a lon# way to impro&in# our

in&esti#ati&e capacity by establishin# a Forensic !ab which will be

euipped in the comin# nancial year. The impro&ement in our

$mmi#ration Department is self:e&ident. The mana#ement of our entry

and e4it, which ha&e been &ulnerable, is impro&in# steadily. $n the ne4t

fortni#ht, enyans will be enabled to apply for their passports online, and&isitors will make online &isa applications.

'lthou#h, we ha&e faced a delay in the recruitment of (),))) police

o3cers, followin# a court process, we are determined to complete this

recruitment before the end of the nancial year. This is in line with my

administration+s plan to increase the force by (),))) recruits annually.

Further, le#islati&e and policy initiati&es o&er the last few months,


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includin# an o&erhaul of our security framework throu#h the Security

!aws K'mendmentL 'ct )(-, and the adoption of a national counter

radicalisation strate#y, ha&e transformed the le#al and policy landscape.

6e now ha&e a robust and far:reachin# le#al framework to counter the

current threats relatin# to terrorism. This will #o a lon# way in

safe#uardin# the li&es and property of enyans and our &isitors. $n this

respect, $ wish to e4press my #ratitude to this ouse for passin# this

si#nicant le#islation.

These e2orts ha&e led to an increased tempo in operations. 6e are

detectin#, disruptin# and pre&entin# attacks on our people and territory.

The recent appointment of new leadership in key strate#ic and

operational positions in a number of security or#ans o2ers an opportunity

to in@ect new ideas and dri&e that are much needed for the capacity and

morale of our personnel.

$t is imperati&e that the syner#y and impro&in# performance emer#in#

from the security sector be sustained. The on:#oin# police &ettin#

process has taken too lon# and is now ha&in# a ne#ati&e impact on the

o&erall reform a#enda in the police. $t is leadin# to low morale, a2ectin#

command and control and therefore our ability to pro&ide security. For

these reasons, $ call upon this ouse to ur#ently re?ect on a more

e2ecti&e way to &et in line with the ob@ecti&es and spirit of the reform

process.

The state of the national economy, our public safety and security, andour international standin# depend fundamentally on our ability to secure

this nation on a sustainable basis. 0ur &i#ilance and e2orts must,

therefore, remain stron#. $t is for this reason that $ ha&e put e&ery

security or#an on hi#h alert and ensured substantial additional resources

to this sector.

$, in turn, e4pect a correspondin# commitment by these a#encies to

secure this nation. $ also call upon e&ery enyan to take up their ci&ic

duty to cooperate with the security actors in the e2ort to secure our


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motherland.

Fellow enyans,

Drawin# on our history and reco#nisin# the dan#ers of disunity, our

Constitution in 'rticle () spells out the &alue of national unity,

inclusi&eness and cohesion as fundamental to our national character.

's heirs to a #reat freedom:#htin# tradition, bearin# the sacred trust of

past, present and future #enerations, we are called to obser&e and

realise these &alues.

6e are #rateful for the contribution of our forefathers who fou#ht for

independence, many payin# the ultimate price, and for those who ha&e

led our nation for the last half:century. $n that time, our economy has

#rown* we ha&e been an island of peace* a ha&en for refu#ees* and our

nationhood has acuired e&er:deeper roots.

0ur e4perience as a people o&er this time, howe&er, is also laced with

moments of pain and su2erin#. 6e started our e4istence as a nation

seekin# to establish our so&erei#nty and territorial inte#rity. $n the course

of this stru##le, li&es were lost, property was destroyed and ci&ilians

su2ered.

To this day, we are still pla#ued by painful memories of unresol&ed

murders, the e4istence of torture chambers and detentions without trial*

e&ents such as the 6a#alla tra#edy* and &iolence a#ainst the proponents

of e4pandin# our democratic space* and all actions that ha&e at times

failed to reco#nise the ci&il and human ri#hts of enya+s citiEens. These

ha&e shaken the nation, e4cluded some enyans from the full promise of

citiEenship, and fractured our national fabric.

6e ha&e been witness to &iolence linked to elections, which has leftmany enyans dead, maimed and dispossessed. $n ))


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reached its most tra#ic e4pression with the post:election &iolence that

left (,/)) enyans dead and more than 98),))) displaced from their

homes across the country.

Collecti&ely, these incidents ha&e disunited us and held our peoplehosta#e to this tra#ic history by pro&idin# the foundation and rationale

for the cynical and destructi&e politics of hate and di&ision.

$n an e2ort to confront this past, the Truth, Justice and 1econciliation

Commission undertook an inuiry into past in@ustices. Their report is

before this ouse, and $ ur#e onourable members to process it without

undue delay.

My Fellow Compatriots,

The #o&ernment has made e2orts to relie&e the pli#ht of &ictims,

particularly those of the post:election &iolence of ))


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There also e4ists the promise of restorati&e @ustice.

$n many ways, enyans and humanity o&erall, ha&e beneted from

restorati&e @ustice, an approach that is deeply rooted in our cultural and

historical realities, particularly when such con?icts ha&e a communal andpolitical dimension. Many thousands of enyans ha&e reached out to

reconcile with one another. My administration was for#ed from this

reconciliation, and is buildin# on the e2orts of the last #o&ernment to

ad&ance the resettlement, reconciliation and relief to internally displaced

people. $ am committed to continuin# these e2orts as necessary.

%otwithstandin# the recommendation of the TJ1C report, $ ha&einstructed the Treasury to establish a Fund of () billion shillin#s o&er the

ne4t three years to be used for restorati&e @ustice. This will pro&ide a

measure of relief and will underscore my #o&ernment+s #oodwill. $ ha&e

also established a state department dedicated to strate#ic initiati&es in

mar#inalised and at:risk re#ions and populations of our country. $t is my

hope that these measures will #o some way to brin#in# the nation

to#ether, as we reach for the prosperity and security that is our common

promise.

Fellow enyans

The time has come to brin# closure to this painful past. The time has

come to allow oursel&es the full benet of a cohesi&e, unied and

condent enya, as we claim our future.

My =rothers and Sisters

To mo&e forward as one nation $ stand before you today on my own

behalf, that of my #o&ernment and all past #o&ernments, to o2er the

sincere apolo#y of the "o&ernment of the 1epublic of enya to all our

compatriots for all past wron#s.


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$ seek your for#i&eness and may "od #i&e us the "race to draw on the

lessons of this history to unite as a people and, to#ether, to embrace our

future as one people and one nation.

$n mo&in# forward to complete the noble work of buildin# our nation, weare reminded of the fundamental principles upon which our prosperity

will be built. 0ur national anthem calls us to re?ect on the power of

peace* to recall the supreme &alue of freedom* to belie&e, once more, in

the beauty of ser&ice and brotherhood* to aspire each day to the di#nity

that results from hard work, and to contend for the hope that @ustice

brin#s.

Fellow enyans, onourable Members, !adies and "entlemen,

There is no doubt that enya is rmly on the path of transformation.

owe&er, my administration and this nation are confronted by both the

reality and perception of per&asi&e corruption. 's $ ha&e stated

pre&iously, and as warrants emphasis, corruption is the #reatest threat to

our security, fundamental ri#hts and social:economic transformation.

$ share in the frustration of enyans at the slow pace and lack of results

from the mechanisms created to help us tackle with this monster.

6hen $ spoke to the %ation on the e&e of the %ew >ear, $ assured

enyans that in )(8, my administration will deal rmly with corruption.

$ ha&e continuously en#a#ed with all institutions char#ed with the

responsibility to deal with corruption, and rmly e4pressed my

e4pectations, and the people+s desire, that their respecti&e mandates are

e4ecuted robustly, ur#ently and without fear or fa&our.

$ pled#ed my administration+s full support, as well as my own personal

support, to any actions that will re&erse the course of this cancer eatin#at the soul of our motherland. 1ather than unite a#ainst this common


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enemy of our people, these institutions ha&e elected to be mired in

personal and institutional con?icts that ha&e chipped away at their

le#itimacy and brou#ht disrepute to the State.

From the commission char#ed with the responsibility in the #ht a#ainstcorruption, Parliament+s premier o&ersi#ht committee, the corridors of

@ustice, and the security or#ans char#ed with the safety of this nation,

enyans are witness to the betrayal of their trust.

6hen our Treasury was processin# our rst so&erei#n bond, this country

was forced to settle a forei#n court @ud#ement to pay shadowy entities

(.- billion enya shillin#s. 6hen $ addressed the nation on this matter, $pled#ed that my #o&ernment would do e&erythin# in its power to ensure

that we reco&er all that was due to the 1epublic. From that moment, $

took a personal interest and asked to be briefed on a re#ular basis of the

pro#ress on 'n#lo !easin# related in&esti#ations. My administration also

supported the in&esti#atin# authorities in obtainin# support from a

number of friendly forei#n #o&ernments.

These in&esti#ations bore fruit. owe&er, obstacles ha&e appeared

threatenin# the prosecution of the perpetrators. The ;thics and 'nti

Corruption Commission is now embroiled in in#htin# and n#er:pointin#,

a state of a2airs likely to cripple the in&esti#ati&e capacity of the

institution with the likely outcome of sub&ertin# the course of @ustice.

From reports $ ha&e recei&ed, $ stron#ly belie&e that this is a further

attempt to sub&ert the successful prosecution of the 'n#lo !easin#

cases.

's $ ha&e indicated, constitutional o3cer holders, State 03cers and

e&ery public ser&ant, are bound by the &alues enshrined in our

Constitution. They are reuired to uphold the hi#hest standards of

personal inte#rity in the dischar#e of their o3cial functions.

$n &iew of the oath of o3ce that $ took as the President of this republic,

let it be known that today $ draw the line. %o one will stand between

enyans and what is ri#ht in the #ht a#ainst corruption and other


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monstrous economic crimes.

$ ha&e asked the 'ttorney "eneral to liaise with the Council on

'dministration of Justice to focus on coordination within the Justice, !aw

and 0rder sector. The Council must ensure the e3cient and speedyprocessin# of corruption:related cases, includin# hearin# such cases on a

daily basis.

$ direct the 'ttorney "eneral to re&iew the le#islati&e and policy

framework to ensure the e2ecti&e dischar#e of Constitutional imperati&es

related to inte#rity.

Three weeks a#o, $ issued ;4ecuti&e 0rder %umber Si4 K9L on ;thics and

$nte#rity in the Public Ser&ice. $n it, $ directed any ci&il ser&ants to #et in

touch with my 03ce should they recei&e any pressure to en#a#e in

unethical or ille#al conduct re#ardless of the status of person pressurin#

them to do so. $ want to reiterate this personal commitment, which is

also pro&ided for in the Constitution.

The latest report $ ha&e recei&ed from the ;thics and 'nti Corruption

Commission contains a catalo#ue of alle#ations of hi#h:le&el corruption

touchin# on all arms and le&els of "o&ernment. $t is the &iew of the C;0

of the ;thics and 'nti Corruption Commission that the institution and

especially its Secretariat are under sie#e because of the nature of the

cases they are currently in&esti#atin#. $ know that Parliament is seiEed of

this matter and ur#e them to deal with it e4peditiously.

aL Today, $ take the e4tra:ordinary step of attachin# the afore:

mentioned condential report from the C;0 of the ;thics and 'nti

Corruption Commission as an anne4 to my annual report on Galues

to Parliament.

bL Conseuently, $ hereby direct that all 03cials of the %ational and

County #o&ernments that are ad&ersely mentioned in this report,

whether you are a Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary, or Chief

;4ecuti&e of a state institution, to immediately step aside pendin#

conclusion of the in&esti#ations of the alle#ations a#ainst them. $

e4pect the other arms of "o&ernment, namely the !e#islature and


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the Judiciary, to do the same.

cL The in&esti#atin# authority must ensure that the Director of Public

Prosecutions has recei&ed the sub@ect les without delay.

dL $ also want to caution that this should not be an open:ended

process, @ustice must be e4peditious, as @ustice delayed is @usticedenied. Therefore, this e4ercise should be concluded within the ne4t

9) days.

eL !et me reiterate that it is not my place to determine the #uilt or

otherwise of any of the people mentioned in the said report or any

other. owe&er, the time has come to send a stron# si#nal to the

country that my administration will accept nothin# less than the

hi#hest standard of inte#rity from those that hold hi#h o3ce.

onourable Members,

$n &iew of Parliament+s o&ersi#ht role, and its representation of the

people, $ would be remiss not to e4press the disuiet caused by recent

e&ents that cast aspersions on Parliament. 's a pre&ious Member, $ ur#e

you, onourable Members, to take all measures to ur#ently restore thedi#nity and inte#rity of Parliament. This is essential for an institution

whose e2ecti&e performance is a cornerstone of our democracy.

The war on corruption will not be won unless all arms and le&els of

#o&ernment play their role and uphold the hi#hest le&els of inte#rity and

act decisi&ely a#ainst any perpetrator of corruption.

Fellow enyans,

There is no challen#e, no obstacle that is too #reat for us to o&ercome.

'n indomitable enyan spirit has seen this %ation secure its freedom and

#row from small be#innin#s to become a &ibrant democratic and

multicultural society that is on an unstoppable path towards e&en #reater

pro#ress and prosperity, as well as standin# bold and stron# in the faceof seemin#ly insurmountable challen#es.


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My administration will continue to personify this indomitable enyan

spirit. 0ur commitment to enya remains the same to brin# about

fundamental positi&e chan#e in all areas of our national life, in a

sustainable and irre&ersible manner, across the len#th and breadth of theentire Country, without re#ard to #ender, a#e, reli#ion, colour or

ethnicity.

0ur =elo&ed %ation is well on the path to #reater hei#hts. Throu#h our

collecti&e e2ort, our democracy is #rowin# and maturin# while our

fundamental ri#hts and freedoms are entrenched and safe. The social,

economic, and political #ains that ha&e been made are cemented and

are now irre&ersible. 6hile a lot of hard work still remains to be done we

ha&e a lot to be proud of, a lot to be #rateful for.

onourable Speakers, !adies and "entlemen,

The state of the %ation is stron#. !et the lo&e for our Country be our

#uidin# li#ht in all that we do. "od bless you and "od =less enya.

$t is now my pleasure to submit to Parliament, the 'nnual 1eport on the

State of %ational Security and the 1eport on Measures Taken and

Pro#ress 'chie&ed in the 1ealisation of the %ational Galues* and to the

%ational 'ssembly, the report on the Pro#ress Made in Fulllin# our

$nternational 0bli#ations.

Documents

Speech by President Uhuru Kenyatta during the State of the Nation Address at Parliament Buildings, Nairobi