A few weeks ago, Azimio launched its manifesto. It was not lost, even to casual observers, that it was neither a coherent plan nor a logical enunciation of policy. It was clear that the document was a rushed affair and, since then, the group has moved on to other things. No one in that camp discusses the issues they cited because they were merely a hotchpotch of promises meant to hoodwink the voting public.
Nothing illustrates better that the Azimio manifesto is a document of convenience than the contradiction between the presidential candidate Raila Odinga and running mate Martha Karua in their key pledge on free education. On manifesto day, Mr Odinga promised, and has been at it since, that schooling would be free at all levels. But Ms Karua has been on the stumps preaching fair distribution of bursaries!
The country and the world are, therefore, looking forward to a better for plan for Kenya. The Kenya Kwanza Alliance launches its manifesto on Thursday this week. There is reason to be hopeful. Deputy President William Ruto, the alliance’s presidential candidate, and his colleagues have identified economic revival as the single most important issue in this election.
In fact, this was at the heart of the Deputy President’s opposition to the massive push for constitutional changes since 2018. The Handshake duo of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Odinga literally abandoned all else and revved the engines of state, and everything in between, to mutilate the supreme law of the land, create more positions for politicians who sit at the apex of their communities and chaperone the country in a direction completely different from what Kenyans had envisaged in 2010.
In fact, he pointed out from day one that the political conversation would change from being leader to people-centred. He began a crusade to overhaul independent Kenya’s 60-year-old trickle down economic model that has left tens of millions behind. He has espoused the bottom-up economic approach that has blazed the country like wild fire. His mantra is: The people on the fringes of the economy must be fully involved.
It is, therefore, definitive that Kenya Kwanza has envisioned transformation of the economy beginning with the millions at the bottom of the pyramid. The argument is solid: A country cannot neglect a huge section of the population and expect prosperity for all.
A few snippets of the plan can be gleaned from the alliance’s formal and political events. Dr Ruto has identified unemployment of close to five million young people with post-secondary education as a sticking challenge that cannot wait. The situation where it has become normal in Kenya for college graduates to remain unemployed and unemployable must begin to be turned around.
Dr Ruto and Kenya Kwanza have pledged to deliberately formulate and fund programmes and policies, especially labour-intensive ones, that create employment. The plan targets massive revival of agriculture and provision of incentives that will boost production. The interventions include providing farmers with affordable fertiliser, quality seeds and AI services, and repealing laws and regulations that have in recent years installed cannibalistic monopolies in the sector.
Policies and programmes that boost manufacturing and value addition to produce will yield more jobs. An annual figure of Sh100 billion has been targeted to make interventions in all these areas with the aim of giving the economy much-needed impetus to put many Kenyans back to work.
Kenya Kwanza’s plan also hinges on giving business, especially the long-suffering small enterprises, a shot in the arm. Mama mboga (vegetable trader), the boda boda (motorcycle) rider and the mkokoteni (cart) pusher have come to symbolise the population Kenya left behind. The businesses suffer on various fronts.
One, the work environment is grossly hostile. These are traders who may have licences and permits, but have no fixed abode.
As a result, the business location is neither predictable, nor are the clients regular. In addition, they, therefore, operate like outlaws. As a result, they become easy prey to the police, county askaris, cartels and even criminals.
Kenya Kwanza has pledged to work with county governments to ensure that traders have better workplaces.
Lack of credit, including affordable one, is what has stunted and killed many businesses. Many do not access credit or they have to make do with high and punitive interest rates from shylocks and predatory online lenders.
The former lend for returns as high as 10 per cent a day. Businesses can neither thrive nor survive such a credit regime.
Dr Ruto’s plan is to provide government funding with the lowest of interest rates. With this, many businesses will thrive and expand, while more will be set up. They will create jobs, widen the tax base and boost tax collection. A Sh50 billion Hustlers Fund has been proposed for this.
The very distinction of Kenya Kwanza's preparation of the manifesto has been consultative through county economic fora and symposium. The proposals are not coming from upstairs; they are bottom up. This is a first for Kenya.
This is part of the revolution Kenya needs as the 21st Century inches to its third decade. The more of the same old story, the Azimio story, is not an option. The country cannot wait forever.
