Remarks · 19 July 2024
Over the past month, Kenya's credentials as a democratic nation have been severely tested. During this time, the country has engaged in a difficult public conversation, providing an opportunity to reflect deeply on the relationship between fundamental rights and democratic freedoms, our collective aspirations for prosperity and efforts to secure opportunities for all, and the imperative to advance national sovereignty and the security of the state. In this discourse, the people of Kenya have expressed their views on governance, development, economic management, national finances, and many other aspects of national life.
It is of utmost importance that the Government takes measures to affirm our commitment to actualising the people's aspirations, assure citizens that the State exists to serve them efficiently and with integrity, and to signal to all that our national values and principles of governance are the foundation of our national dispensation. The issues that have come to the forefront, requiring expeditious attention as a matter of urgent priority include: a) Accelerated programmes to significantly increase food production in addition to other interventions so as to reduce the cost of living. b) The need to expand existing job-creation programmes and to create new intervention to address unemployment, in order to absorb thousands of unemployed youths into gainful work. c) The necessity for a public conversation on innovative, prudent, transparent, and accountable use of public resources, along with people-friendly mechanisms for domestic resource mobilisation and reducing public expenditure. d) The imperative of addressing the significant challenge of public debt by establishing and implementing clear mechanisms to reduce public borrowing and insulate the country from risks associated with debt accumulation and financial management. e) The importance of constituting a more inclusive government that unlocks the potential of citizens from all sectors to drive national transformation.
I gave the nation my undertaking to reflect at length on these issues that have been brought into sharp focus by the people of Kenya, consult widely on the way forward and craft a broadbased Government that would harness the enormous potential in our country to turbocharge our economic transformation and inclusive growth.
While the events of the past month have caused tremendous anxiety, concern and uncertainty, the crisis has presented us with a great opportunity, as a nation, to craft a broad-based, and inclusive citizen coalition for national transformation and progress, made up of Kenyans from all walks of life.
It cannot be denied that our nation has been in a crisis caused by multiple and complex factors. Neither can we turn away from recognising that the opportunity before us is greater than the crisis. Together, we have a chance to take our country where we all want it to be and make our nation the Kenya we all want: A great nation.
For these reasons, I have consulted extensively on two fundamental issues: a) We are enhancing, broadening and deepening the national economic turnaround Plan set out in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda to incorporate a wider range of ideas, programmes and interventions that will facilitate job creation, robust debt management, enhanced transparency and accountability in the use of public resources and enhanced domestic resource mobilisation, and optimise public expenditure. b) Consequently, I have started the process of forming a new, broad-based cabinet to assist me in driving the urgently needed and irreversible transformation of our country. I hereby nominate the following first batch of 11 individuals for consideration and approval by the National Assembly for appointment as Cabinet Secretaries and Attorney General: i.
Ministry of the Interior and National Administration: Prof. Kithure Kindiki ii.
Ministry of Health: Dr. Debra Mlongo Barasa iii.
Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development: Alice Wahome iv.
Ministry of Education: Julius Migos Ogamba v.
Ministry of Defence: Aden Barre Duale vi.
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development: Dr. Andrew Mwihia Karanja vii.
Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry: Roselinda Soipan Tuiya viii.
Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation: Eric Muriithi Mugaa ix.
Ministry of Roads and Transport: Davis Chirchir x.
Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy: Margaret Nyambura Ndung'u xi.
Attorney-General: Rebecca Miano
Further consultations are ongoing after which I will announce more names in due course. Thank you. God Bless you.