Post by joblesscorner on Sept 17, 2012 19:31:18 GMT 3
Opinion piece by Uhuru Kenyatta
Posted by Opinion Leaders on September 16, 2012
BY UHURU KENYATTA
www.capitalfm.co.ke/eblog/2012/09/16/opinion-piece-by-uhuru-kenyatta/
The world today is seeking to understand and invest in a newly emerging Africa.
It is impossible to ignore the fact that at present seven of the world’s ten fastest growing economies in the world are from Africa.
Our potential abounds in the form of minerals, oil, natural gas and the natural talents of our people. The influx of foreign direct investment in African countries is acknowledgement that we are on the right track
Kenya is no exception.
Ours is a nation of possibilities. Our young innovators, our new Constitution, our discovery of resources; our reformed and reforming Judiciary and our improving infrastructure are sure signs that our national vision is tenable and that that there is great opportunity for prosperity.
Yet, though our potential is great, our progress is hindered, and our prospects are threatened by some familiar vices.
Internally, the forces of negative ethnicity and religious extremism are, as we speak, spreading societal fear and distrust and distracting Kenyans from confronting many fundamental issues.
Tragic incidents such as those in Tana River, and in the Coastal region have made worldwide impact and are causing alarm and dismay amongst citizens; local leaders; entrepreneurs and foreign investors alike and while we will continue to condemn the violence and to stand with all the affected families- we have also taken heed of these events.
Across the country- too many of our citizens simply do not feel safe.
They cannot feel safe when they are forced to be overly cautious and go home increasingly earlier because a terrorist threat has been issued.
They cannot feel safe when a plethora of weapons and a lack of adequate regulation makes them insecure because they have to sleep wondering whether neighboring communities will resort to violence as a means to settle old-scores or advance their agenda.
Our youth cannot feel safe when education, that golden key we always told them would open the door of success- is less likely than ever to even get them a job.
In several places, young people cannot feel safe because drug-trafficking; prostitution; violent robbery and gang or militia activity, increasingly appear to be the only ways they can earn enough to get by.
These are the realities that we must contend with.
If we ignore them, if we sweep them under the carpet, if we speak in hushed whispers about them and anxiously wait for the future to unfold; if we watch passively as these elements of poverty, unemployment and recklessness aggressively undo our hard-work and undermine the promise of our freedom- we will do our nation and our continent a great, disservice.
The challenges that face us are many and they are big: there is no doubt about that.
Insecurity anywhere in the world is a threat to security everywhere.
It is imperative that we stand together and make the right decisions, in the right way.
That lesson is perhaps most pertinent to Kenya who is standing at the brink of a destiny-deciding election.
Now, more than ever, a credible electoral process must be ensured in order to avert the violence that is characteristic of electoral cycles.
Of course, within our nation, the IEBC has an important role to play in pursuing this goal.
So do our media; our religious institutions; our political parties and political leaders.
So does every peace-loving and law-abiding Kenyan citizen.
We must come together and protect the promised decorum of democracy, because we all have a stake in the fate and future of this country.
But, Kenya’s role must be complemented by support from regional and international actors. I ask that all actors ensure that they remain partial in the run-up to the elections, and that they respect the right of Kenya’s citizens to decide upon their leaders without undue international pressure or interference.
Those pressures are not welcome.
Instead Kenya extends an invitation to all international partners and friends of Kenya who wish to help us build the local institutions that will ensure that the next election- and every election after that- is free and fair.
The progress that the East-African Community has made should not be jeopardized by chaos.
The oil-line that will link South Sudan and Kenya should not be delayed by bad decisions.
The efforts to counter terrorism in Somalia and to curb insecurity in that nation should not be compromised by the creation of a home-based conflict.
We can’t afford the kind of economic losses that accompany uneasy passing of power.
None of us can afford a destructive 2013 election.
That requires that all national leaders, myself included, realize that the time has come when this nation has become bigger than any one man.
And it requires that every institution act responsibly.
But even beyond the election, long-term security also requires a great deal of investment in different sectors and the complex nature of some of our deep-seated challenges requires that we take a creative approach in dealing with the issues.
For the government: strengthening our security agencies and better equipping them to carry out their functions- is, and must continue to be, a priority.
During my tenure as Minister of Finance security apparatus such as cctv camera’s and metal detectors were zero-rated making them import duty exempt and more available to our nation in the fight against terrorism.
But, there is still a lot of room for investment in new technologies that will ensure that no matter how fast evil evolves- we will always be one step ahead.
We must take a bold step and create a National database that links our ID’s; passports; driving licenses; KRA information and criminal records. That is very possible in a country that created Mpesa! They are imperative in our fight against crime and in seeking to identify threats to our security before they do the kind of damage they can do.
But even as we do that – we must dig deeper and uproot the underlying causes of our security problems.
Youth unemployment and deeply entrenched poverty continue to fuel the disunity that is perhaps the single biggest underlying cause of National insecurity.
That is why we need to invest increasingly in the agricultural sector; the manufacturing sector as well as other innovative sectors such as telecommunications and sports which can create new jobs in Kenya.
In recent years, the government has invested more in agriculture by beginning crucial projects such as dam building and irrigation schemes which have ensured more people are able to participate in farming. With the right kind of investment in new technology there is absolutely no reason why Kenya should not be able to provide food for itself, it’s neighbors and the world.
Our manufacturing industry is another prime sector. Already it makes up 15 percent of our country’s economy and the ramifications of this – an emerging middle class- mean that international investors have every reason to be hopeful as Kenya increasingly becomes a market for goods.
In the field of telecommunications- Kenya is already a leader in Africa, as the home of Mpesa- which has changed the lives of 20 million Kenyans. With the statistics showing that over 90 percent of adults in Kenya have access to mobile phones and over a third of the population use the internet: the Vision 2030 idea of a ‘Silicon Sahara” is more viable now, than ever before. Indeed, continued exploration of the telecommunications industry is sure to provide the jobs that our youth need and what’s more these technologies provide a way of connecting our citizens with the kind of information that will connect them to opportunity, to each other, and to the world.
We already know that there is a prosperous land that lies beyond the fog of our present – but we must remember there is little to be gained in trying to go there alone, and everything to be gained by striving to get there together.
(The writer is the Deputy Prime Minister and presidential candidate on a TNA ticket)
Posted by Opinion Leaders on September 16, 2012
BY UHURU KENYATTA
www.capitalfm.co.ke/eblog/2012/09/16/opinion-piece-by-uhuru-kenyatta/
The world today is seeking to understand and invest in a newly emerging Africa.
It is impossible to ignore the fact that at present seven of the world’s ten fastest growing economies in the world are from Africa.
Our potential abounds in the form of minerals, oil, natural gas and the natural talents of our people. The influx of foreign direct investment in African countries is acknowledgement that we are on the right track
Kenya is no exception.
Ours is a nation of possibilities. Our young innovators, our new Constitution, our discovery of resources; our reformed and reforming Judiciary and our improving infrastructure are sure signs that our national vision is tenable and that that there is great opportunity for prosperity.
Yet, though our potential is great, our progress is hindered, and our prospects are threatened by some familiar vices.
Internally, the forces of negative ethnicity and religious extremism are, as we speak, spreading societal fear and distrust and distracting Kenyans from confronting many fundamental issues.
Tragic incidents such as those in Tana River, and in the Coastal region have made worldwide impact and are causing alarm and dismay amongst citizens; local leaders; entrepreneurs and foreign investors alike and while we will continue to condemn the violence and to stand with all the affected families- we have also taken heed of these events.
Across the country- too many of our citizens simply do not feel safe.
They cannot feel safe when they are forced to be overly cautious and go home increasingly earlier because a terrorist threat has been issued.
They cannot feel safe when a plethora of weapons and a lack of adequate regulation makes them insecure because they have to sleep wondering whether neighboring communities will resort to violence as a means to settle old-scores or advance their agenda.
Our youth cannot feel safe when education, that golden key we always told them would open the door of success- is less likely than ever to even get them a job.
In several places, young people cannot feel safe because drug-trafficking; prostitution; violent robbery and gang or militia activity, increasingly appear to be the only ways they can earn enough to get by.
These are the realities that we must contend with.
If we ignore them, if we sweep them under the carpet, if we speak in hushed whispers about them and anxiously wait for the future to unfold; if we watch passively as these elements of poverty, unemployment and recklessness aggressively undo our hard-work and undermine the promise of our freedom- we will do our nation and our continent a great, disservice.
The challenges that face us are many and they are big: there is no doubt about that.
Insecurity anywhere in the world is a threat to security everywhere.
It is imperative that we stand together and make the right decisions, in the right way.
That lesson is perhaps most pertinent to Kenya who is standing at the brink of a destiny-deciding election.
Now, more than ever, a credible electoral process must be ensured in order to avert the violence that is characteristic of electoral cycles.
Of course, within our nation, the IEBC has an important role to play in pursuing this goal.
So do our media; our religious institutions; our political parties and political leaders.
So does every peace-loving and law-abiding Kenyan citizen.
We must come together and protect the promised decorum of democracy, because we all have a stake in the fate and future of this country.
But, Kenya’s role must be complemented by support from regional and international actors. I ask that all actors ensure that they remain partial in the run-up to the elections, and that they respect the right of Kenya’s citizens to decide upon their leaders without undue international pressure or interference.
Those pressures are not welcome.
Instead Kenya extends an invitation to all international partners and friends of Kenya who wish to help us build the local institutions that will ensure that the next election- and every election after that- is free and fair.
The progress that the East-African Community has made should not be jeopardized by chaos.
The oil-line that will link South Sudan and Kenya should not be delayed by bad decisions.
The efforts to counter terrorism in Somalia and to curb insecurity in that nation should not be compromised by the creation of a home-based conflict.
We can’t afford the kind of economic losses that accompany uneasy passing of power.
None of us can afford a destructive 2013 election.
That requires that all national leaders, myself included, realize that the time has come when this nation has become bigger than any one man.
And it requires that every institution act responsibly.
But even beyond the election, long-term security also requires a great deal of investment in different sectors and the complex nature of some of our deep-seated challenges requires that we take a creative approach in dealing with the issues.
For the government: strengthening our security agencies and better equipping them to carry out their functions- is, and must continue to be, a priority.
During my tenure as Minister of Finance security apparatus such as cctv camera’s and metal detectors were zero-rated making them import duty exempt and more available to our nation in the fight against terrorism.
But, there is still a lot of room for investment in new technologies that will ensure that no matter how fast evil evolves- we will always be one step ahead.
We must take a bold step and create a National database that links our ID’s; passports; driving licenses; KRA information and criminal records. That is very possible in a country that created Mpesa! They are imperative in our fight against crime and in seeking to identify threats to our security before they do the kind of damage they can do.
But even as we do that – we must dig deeper and uproot the underlying causes of our security problems.
Youth unemployment and deeply entrenched poverty continue to fuel the disunity that is perhaps the single biggest underlying cause of National insecurity.
That is why we need to invest increasingly in the agricultural sector; the manufacturing sector as well as other innovative sectors such as telecommunications and sports which can create new jobs in Kenya.
In recent years, the government has invested more in agriculture by beginning crucial projects such as dam building and irrigation schemes which have ensured more people are able to participate in farming. With the right kind of investment in new technology there is absolutely no reason why Kenya should not be able to provide food for itself, it’s neighbors and the world.
Our manufacturing industry is another prime sector. Already it makes up 15 percent of our country’s economy and the ramifications of this – an emerging middle class- mean that international investors have every reason to be hopeful as Kenya increasingly becomes a market for goods.
In the field of telecommunications- Kenya is already a leader in Africa, as the home of Mpesa- which has changed the lives of 20 million Kenyans. With the statistics showing that over 90 percent of adults in Kenya have access to mobile phones and over a third of the population use the internet: the Vision 2030 idea of a ‘Silicon Sahara” is more viable now, than ever before. Indeed, continued exploration of the telecommunications industry is sure to provide the jobs that our youth need and what’s more these technologies provide a way of connecting our citizens with the kind of information that will connect them to opportunity, to each other, and to the world.
We already know that there is a prosperous land that lies beyond the fog of our present – but we must remember there is little to be gained in trying to go there alone, and everything to be gained by striving to get there together.
(The writer is the Deputy Prime Minister and presidential candidate on a TNA ticket)