State in Sh4bn cable car plan for Likoni channel
President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto with Transport Principal Secretary Esther Koimett (second left) and PS for Youth and Gender Affairs Francis Otieno Owino (far right) moments after taking oath of office at State House, Nairobi. PHOTO | PSCU
What you need to know:
The project which is estimated to cost Sh4.1 billion will move up to 5,500 passengers in one direction or double that number in both directions in one hour.
The project was approved during on Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi.
The Cabinet also approved the revival of the Kenya National Shipping Line “which will involve giving the company the sole mandate to handle government cargo.”
The national government has approved plans to develop a cable car system to ease traffic congestion on the Likoni channel.
The project which is estimated to cost Sh4.1 billion will move up to 5,500 passengers in one direction or double that number in both directions in one hour.
The project was approved during on Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi.
The privately initiated investment will be sponsored by a Kenyan and Austrian company and is expected to be in place over the next 25 years.
“It is estimated to cost Sh4.1 billion and will be implemented as a 25 years Build Own Operate Transfer public-private partnership,” read a bulletin released by State House after the meeting.
REFORMS
The Cabinet at the same time proposed far-reaching reforms to the graft -ridden National Youth Service (NYS) that may see it turned into a company with its own assets, and the obligation to make its own money.
In its third meeting this year, the Cabinet said that the NYS—now in the storm of graft allegations, and its director-general Richard Ndubai, former Youth principal secretary Lilian Omollo, and other officials of the agency suspended—be reformed to ensure effectiveness and efficiency.
“Key among the raft of proposed restructuring measures of the NYS are the establishment of an oversight board which will effectively make the organisation a body corporate with a director-general as the chief executive officer,” State House said in a statement after the meeting.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had earlier in the day set the tone for the new NYS going forward, asking new Youth Principal Secretary Francis Otieno Owino to lead the clean-up of the agency.
CHANGE LIVES
“The time is gone when you said: ‘I did because someone made a phone call to me. Mr Owino, with you there, we hope we are going to change the organisation that has changed the lives of young people. It has had challenges, and it is your job to clean it out,” President Kenyatta said at State House when Mr Otieno was sworn in alongside Transport Principal Secretary Esther Koimett.
Besides changing the NYS to a body corporate, the Cabinet also proposed a clean-up of the supply chain management function as well as budgetary and internal audit reforms among other measures.
The Cabinet also approved the revival of the Kenya National Shipping Line “which will involve giving the company the sole mandate to handle government cargo.”
In what might prove to be a big score for counties, the Cabinet also approved a national policy to back the ability by the devolved units to collect more revenue.
REVENUE COLLECTION
"The proposed policy is geared towards addressing the challenges county governments are encountering in revenue collection, mitigating their negative effects and assisting the counties to optimise own-sources revenue," State House said. Also approved is the Nuclear Regulatory Bill, 2017 aimed at repealing the Radiation Protection Act and providing a comprehensive regulatory framework for radiation and nuclear safety.
The Cabinet granted approval for Kenya to vie a non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council for two years (2021-2022) at the elections to be held during the 74th session of the UN in 2020.
“This will enhance Kenya’s influence in international decision-making process, particularly on matters of peace and security for the benefit of the nation and the region at large,” State House said, announcing that a campaign strategy is in place to back the seat.
