Jubilee marks first year in office.
Being at the helm of power comes along with its
responsibilities and duties. Similarly, attaining power status comes along with
its challenges as well as with criticism; both positive and negative. This case
is indeed not different to the Kenyan Jubilee case.
With Kenya attaining its Jubilee, making 50 years since
independence, it was indeed hopeful that most of the problems being faced by
the nationals were to be solved but funnily enough, the nationals are still
left to experience the same problems for 50 years now.
The Jubilee Government celebrates its first year in office
this month April. The Coalition Government led by the UhuRuto duo, came into
power amid certain controversies and harsh criticisms starting from the ICC
cases that they face as suspects.
The coalition
that assumed office on 9
th April, has faced a myriad of challenges beginning
from the teachers, lecturers and nurses strikes early last year, high
unemployment rates, escalating insecurity, old corruption deals terror attacks
alongside other problems. However these has made Kenyans have a spell of doubt
in the Government as seemingly some of the corrupt deals have been inherited by
the incumbent political heads.
The coalition successfully assumed office after luring Kenyans
with goodies; good governance, employment opportunities, tackling insecurity, fighting
corruption, economic growth, regional and gender balance in appointments and
uplifting living conditions.
To date, the insecurity rates as well as terror attacks has
been on the rise, with the worst being the September 22, Westgate terror attack
that claimed more than 60 innocent lives. The country has also had several
killings in Busia, Nyakach, in Mombasa where there has been several shootings
with the latest being the shooting of a Muslim Sheikh, Makaburi. With the
Alshabab, gaining more access into the country and planning certain terror
attacks and even planting grenad3es at certain points, the Jubilee coalition
has maintained that it won’t relent in fighting insecurity and terrorism and it
has made this its top agenda and this has begun as the security personnel are
at the moment hunting for illegal immigrants in the country.
Seemingly, the old corruption deals has been inherit5ed by
the top Government officials and the President just recently redeployed his
office personnel’s to other areas citing corruption. Seemingly, the Rift Valley
Leaders led by Alfred Keter and Isaac Ruto have maintained that there was no
transparency in issuing of the standard rail gauge tender as well as there has
been catcalls that the laptop tender was messed up with during the tendering
process. Seemingly, the Government is not working towards fighting corruption
and I’m afraid that Kenyans will be treated to more of these well planned cynical
games and an iceberg of the largest evil schemes.
To date, the public perception of the Government has
significantly changed and even the citizens are left wondering what are next
after all the events that have taken place. The sceptical public have been nagged
by the legislators who work for their own benefits. Surprisingly, the tyranny
of numbers has been evident even in the passing of the bills. The so much
talked about VAT bill was passed due to what I term as the, ‘Tyrannical
influence’ since the Government was seen as on the loosing side.
The President has decried and admitted that there are
problems and that efforts are in place to deal with the problems starting from
capacitating the police through police reforms so as to effectively deal with
insecurity and terror attacks.
However much President Uhuru’s
Government has been criticized of trying to
kill devolution, Its of importance to credit the jubilee Government with
embracing the police reforms that is currently underway as well as backing
devolution as all the 47 counties are now operational. The President has also
maintained good external links with other Government’s and leaders both continentally
and globally.
The Youths and women have been deemed and have remained the
greatest and biggest beneficiaries of the Government through the issuance and
rolling out of the Uwezo fund project that seeks to empower the two groups.
The Government has work on progress, but still may not
realize its promises of economic growth due to the large national debt. This is
evident as there is very little money to carry out most projects and the World
Bank has declined to offer loans to Kenya as the debt has outgrown to more than
50% of the country’s GDP. The condition and state of the nation has become
serious and this has even seen the president, his deputy as well as cabinet
secretaries take a 20% salary cut as well as reduce the miscellaneous spending
like the office tea so as to boost the money available for investment.
UhuRuto Government has also encouraged investors to come
into the country and the counties have signed several investments with other
western countries with Homa Bay and Machakos county signing multibillions
projects.
The President has also made the State house accessible by the Media, a place that was in the past regarded as only the Presidents' and could only be accessible to media and other leaders during the drama and music national winners perfomance and during presidents briefing. To date, the media house interview the President on various occasions
and topics, something that wasnt in existence in the previous regimes.