Raila bullish on economy after elections

Prime Minister Raila Odinga is predicting robust economic growth and takeoff for Kenya after the coming elections and wants investors keen to reap the benefits to invest now.

Mr Odinga said companies that adopt a wait-and-see attitude because of the coming elections will regret as competition will be stiff for the Kenyan market after elections.

The PM gave the assurance on Sunday night during a cocktail party hosted for the visiting Chief Executive Officer of General Electrical Mr Jeff Immelt at the Nairobi Museum.

Mr Odinga said Kenya’s economy has shown a unique capacity to rebound, saying it recovered quickly after the election violence and also withstood the drought and global economic meltdown that followed.

The PM said that with a new political system and a peaceful election, Kenya will take off rapidly next year.

He asked investors not to fear the politicking going on, saying electoral politics tend to raise temperatures even in mature democracies with accusations and counter accusations.

He reassured foreign investors in the country that the security of their businesses will be guaranteed during the forthcoming general polls.

The PM asked investors to shun the traditional wait and see attitude that has preceded elections in Kenya saying Kenya shall never again experience election violence.

“The time to invest in Kenya is now. Those who wait until after elections will regret because it will be too late. I want to assure you that the next elections will be the most peaceful ever held in this country since independence,” the PM said.

He said the country has learnt bitter lessons from the violence of 2007-2008 and has become wise enough to prevent a repeat.

“They say to make a mistake is human. But to repeat the same mistake is foolishness. Kenyans have learnt and no violence will accompany the forthcoming elections,” Mr Odinga said.

He assured the investors that their operations will not be affected in any way since the coalition government had placed the needed mechanism to avert a recurrence of events that characterized the 2007 general elections.

He said the role of the private sector was critical in spurring economic growth and for the same reason the government keen to promote investor confidence.

The premier said the government was engaging the private sector in making the vision 2030 dream a reality to ensure that the targeted annual growth rate of 10 per cent was achieved within the set time frame.