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President Kibaki (Kenya) Madaraka Day Speech
President Kibaki (Kenya) Madaraka Day Speech
,
PRESIDENT AND
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES OF THE
REPUBLIC OF KENYA ON THE
OCCASION OF THE 48TH MADARAKA DAY CELEBRATIONS,
NYAYO STADIUM, 1ST JUNE,
2011
Fellow Kenyans,
I am delighted to join you, as we commemorate the 48th
anniversary of our
attainment of internal self rule. On 1st June 1963, our founding
father,
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, stood on the stairs of Harambee House and
proclaimed
to the world that we had attained our Madaraka. On that day,
flanked by
his compatriots, Mzee Kenyatta outlined the vision of our
country. He
eloquently spoke of the need to fight ignorance, disease and
poverty.
Fellow Kenyans,
The vision outlined by our founding fathers has been the
inspiration
behind the Government‘s heavy investments in the social sectors.
Our aim
has been that all our children have a decent education that will
provide
them with good prospects for the future. Primary, secondary and
university
education sectors have greatly expanded. Today, close to 9
million
children are enjoying free primary education while our total
university
enrollment has reached the 200,000 mark.
I am proud of the many Kenyans who, after work and on
weekends, go to
institutions of higher learning, to advance their knowledge and
skills, so
that they can make more significant contributions to our country.
Fellow Kenyans,
The other great vision that our founding fathers had was the
fight against
poverty. This fight will be won through a growing and equitable
economy.
Last year the economy grew by 5.6 per cent. Our VISION TWENTY
THIRTY,
targets a sustained 10 per cent economic growth per annum. We
must,
therefore, make every effort to ensure that we remain on the
growth path.
To grow our economy, we have placed much emphasis on
agriculture and
livestock. These sectors produce a significant portion of our GDP
and
provide a source of livelihood for majority of our population.
The agriculture sector achieved a growth rate of 6.3 per cent last
year,
up from negative 4.6 per cent in 2008. The Government will
continue to
support our farmers and livestock keepers in their activities.
This year,
we will spend 400 million shillings to provide free seed to
farmers and
3.8 billion shillings for fertilizer subsidy throughout the country.
We
will also continue with our livestock off-take programme in areas
hit by
drought.
Fellow Kenyans,
Although the economy has grown over the last few years, it has
not been
able to create sufficient jobs for our well-educated and skilled
young
people. The Government is, therefore, undertaking initiatives
aimed at
reducing youth unemployment. Gains made on the previous
initiatives such
as Kazi Kwa Vijana and the Economic Stimulus Programmes will
be
consolidated, harnessed and the lessons learnt used to improve
future
programming. We will also do everything within our power to
broaden
business opportunities available by improving the investment
climate in
the country. The future of our economy will also depend on the
ability to
venture into business and add value to our products.
Fellow Kenyans,
I am fully aware of the hardships being faced by Kenyans due to
increased
food and fuel prices.
To alleviate the current situation, we are undertaking various
short term
measures to cushion Kenyans. These include zero rating duty on
paraffin
and drastically reducing duty on diesel.
Fellow Kenyans,
I would like to reiterate the Government’s unrelenting
commitment to the
provision of security for all. Measures have been taken to
contain all
forms of crime across the country. We have intensified patrols
along our
borders. I also wish to reassure all Kenyans that the Islands of
Migingo
and Ugingo lie squarely on Kenyan territory in Lake Victoria.
There
should, therefore, be no cause for alarm on this issue.
Fellow Kenyans,
We are gathered here at a time of great promise for our nation.
The
enactment of our new Constitution last August, will remain an
important
milestone in the history of our nation. The Grand Coalition
Government has
initiated the process of fully implementing the Constitution.
Consequently, various Bills have been prepared and are in the
process of
being enacted into law. Key among them are laws relating to
reforms in
the Judiciary. Other main areas of focus include the electoral,
devolution, and land laws.