Kibaki opens talks on development

President Kibaki has said Kenya’s future is guaranteed if the country has a shared vision and a united sense of purpose. 

He has said that this is the reason the government launched Vision 2030 in June, 2008.

“This Vision is Kenya’s development blueprint, intended to guide our development programmes and policies. It aims at making Kenya a middle-income, rapidly-industrialising country, which will offer a high quality of life for all its citizens in a clean and safe environment.”

The President was speaking during the opening of The Kenya We Want conference at Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi.

President Kibaki said Vision 2030 main aim is to raise Kenya’s annual average economic growth rate to 10 percent by 2012. 

It also intends to modernise and increase our agricultural productivity, boost productivity and competitiveness in the manufacturing and trade sectors, enhance good governance through various public sector reforms and alleviate poverty and create employment opportunities for the youth, among other things.

He said the country was on track on achieving these goals given the progress, however modest, it has made.

“I am confident that the modest progress we have made as a country in this area is sufficient cause for us to be optimistic about making even greater strides in attaining our national unity amidst our many forms of diversity.

“I am convinced the lessons learnt over the past one year will bear good fruits in the years to come,” said President Kibaki.

However, Former President Moi told the conference that realisation of the Vision will be difficult since we have been unable, as a country, to overcome tribalism, corruption and bad governance.

“All these factors are man-made and so they are reversible. It takes a sacrifice to fight them.”

Recalling the hopes Kenyans had after independence from the British in 1963, President Moi asked: “Is this Republic still on the right track? What ails our country? Where did we go wrong that jiggers can still torment people in the 21st century?”

He said to achieve the Vision 2030 leaders must accept their mistakes and be prepared to sorrow “not so palatable pills.”

The President challenged more Kenyans to open their hearts and minds to opportunities accorded to them by living in a global village, while citing examples of those working outside their country.

“Kenyans are to be found in the boardrooms of multi-national corporations in the most developed countries working in multi-million dollar companies. They also live and work in small corner shops in some parts of Africa or rendering invaluable services in hospitals in some remote parts of Botswana, Zambia, Sudan or South Africa.” 

He told the conference that this could be achieved through persistence and a focus on our common features that foster our common Kenyan identity, a condition that will make the people more competitive around the world.

“I know it will take a while. But we have to persist in order to succeed.  We have seen it happen in other countries, most recently in America.

“In that country, the same institutions that once barred an African-American from casting a vote, have now, not only embraced them, but they have placed in office President Barack Obama.”

President Kibaki said it was his belief that “out of this conference, we shall truly be committed to the One Kenya-One Dream and make this a turning point in our journey towards a common future for a common destiny.”

He wished the participants “fruitful deliberations and practical conclusions that will be implemented in the years to come in order to create a vibrant, united, peaceful, prosperous working and caring nation of Kenya.”

Additional reporting by Muchemi Wachira.