President elect William Ruto is likely to form the next government in Kenya after garnering in excess of 7 million votes against his closest challenger Azimio Leader Raila Odinga who got around 6.9 million votes in the 2022 General Elections.
In case the Kenya Kwanza forms the government (of course after successful going through the presidential petition at the Supreme Court), it is important as citizens to interrogate the PLAN Ruto team has in store for us in the next five years.
Kenya’s economic challenges require immediate attention and this should be Ruto top priority in his bid to revive the shambolic economy trying to survive in a post-Covid era.
One of his economic model that the nation will adopt is bottom up “hustler” based approach- a deliberate shift of reforms that is meant to accelerate job creation and allow empowerment process. The PLAN set precedence when the Kenya Kwanza team engaged the 47 counties so that they design a specific-centered solution for each zone.
Ruto bottom-up economic dialogue in the 47 counties, has been anchored on five pillars that include Agriculture and Food Security, MSMEs and Financing, Housing, Health Access and ICT and Creative Economy.
What to expect generally in Ruto Government:
- Providing Sh50 b annually to provide Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) with reliable access to credit known as Husler Fund
- Building 250,000 new affordable houses every year through public-private partnership.
- Setting up a settlement fund to acquire land and resettle up to one million landless families.
- Mandatory national insurance (NHIF).
- Establishment of new level 6 hospitals in six new sites and hiring an initial 20,000 health care workers.
- Constructing a 100,000-kilometer fiber optic connectivity network.
- Bridging current teacher shortage gap within two financial years.
- Doubling the amount of money allocated to the school feeding programme.
- Appointing all judges nominated by JSC for appointment to the Court of Appeal within seven days.
- Lower cadre officers (sergeant and below) to be given the option of serving in their home counties from age 50.
Agriculture & Food Security
- An investment of at least Sh250 billion in five years effective 2023.
- Investing at least Sh250 billion in five years effective 2023 to boost Agriculture and food security.
- Transforming two million poor farmers from food-deficit to surplus producers.
- Raising the productivity of key-value food chains and cutting basic food imports by 30 percent.
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME)
- Providing Sh50b annually to provide MSMEs with reliable access to credit.
- Provide one street trading premises for every 50 urban residents.
- Increase the daily income of informal traders by Sh200.
- Establishing MSME Business Development Centre in every ward.
Housing and Settlement
- New 250,000 affordable houses every year through public-private partnership.
- Grow the number of mortgages to one million.
- Settlement Fund to acquire land and resettle up to one million landless families.
Health Care in Ruto Government
- Fully publicly financed primary healthcare.
ICT & Creative Economy
- Construct 100,000 kilometer fiber optic connectivity network.
- Roll out fibre to counties, villages, schools, over 24,000 businesses and homes.
- Establish Africa Regional Hub and promote the development of Software for export.
Infrastructure in Ruto Government
- Complete all roads under construction.
- Construct 700km road along the Isiolo-Kula, Mawe-Modogashe-Samatar-Wajir-Kutulo-Elwak-Ramu corridor.
Education in Ruto Government
- Pay for in-service teacher training.
- Bridge current teacher shortage gap within two financial years.
- Review the current exam-based system of academic progression and introduce alternative entry criteria.
- Merge HELB, TVET under a National Skill & Funding Council.
- Set up a National Open University and implement 100 percent transition to higher education.
- Increase funding to research and development institutions from 0.8 per cent to 2 percent of GDP.
Gender
- Two-thirds gender rule in elective and appointive positions in public sector, within 12 months.
- 50 percent of cabinet positions for women.
- Ensure 100 per cent enforcement of the spousal consent legal provisions in land transaction.
Governance in Ruto Government
- Complete the transfer of all functions constitutionally earmarked as devolved functions to counties within six months.
- Strengthen the Office of the Attorney General.
- Audit judicial liabilities and shortcomings within the first three months.
- Strengthen police oversight and appoint an Ombudsman to focus on human rights violations of youth.
- Appoint all judges nominated by JSC for appointment to the Court of Appeal within seven days.
- Establish a Special Tribunal for Gross Human Rights Violations and Enforced Disappearances.
- Timely and predictable transfer of sharable revenue to counties.
Security services
- Contributory benevolent fund for families of fallen and terminal ill officers.
- Insurance cover for loss of life on duty.
- Review and improve pay for all officers in the security sector.
Read more on Uhuru’s Final Salute
