President William Ruto yesterday marshalled his troops in Parliament to rally around his agenda during a two-day retreat that was also addressed by experts.
Dr Ruto said the discussions were informed by the desire to execute an agenda that would reverse the high cost of living. “We have to do necessary reforms in all sectors to ensure that we save appropriately and use the available resources well. It not only secures the future, but it also gets us the resources” Dr Ruto said.
The reforms, he said, would touch on all sectors, including housing, health, manufacturing and agriculture.
“Hosing plan is not just about building houses. It's the whole concept of transforming communities and transforming our nation as a whole. Getting the people in slums, living in decent habitat, making sure that we create more homeowners than rent-payers,” Dr Ruto said.
Taking them through the programme was Housing Permanent Secretary Charles Hinga, with the Head of State passionate about the project that seemed to run into headwinds towards the end of the Jubilee administration.
“We want to ensure the people living in slums have a decent habitat and making sure there are more homeowners than rent payers,” said the President.
He said housing plans were designed to help millions of young people have jobs and, to some extent, spur industrial growth through the standardisation of building materials “so that it is possible to produce building materials in large quantities.”
Dr Ruto explained that several reforms in the agricultural sector may not have an impact immediately but will eventually and sustainably lift the economy. “We can increase productivity without necessarily increasing the acreage through these plans.”
He termed Universal Health Coverage a possibility in the near future, saying every year one million Kenyans run the risk of being destitute because of ill health.
The Head of State also lamented Kenyans’ saving culture, terming it “poor” and the lowest in East Africa.
“It is not possible for us to continue contributing Sh200 and pretending that we are doing OK. It is not safe...It is a joke,” he said.
The Head of State who had a busy schedule, chairing some of the sessions was also appalled by what he described as poor saving culture among the Kenyan people, terming it the lowest in the East African countries.
He pointed out that countries like Tanzania and Uganda had a better saving culture compared to Kenya as he called on the citizenry to develop a robust saving culture.
“I think we've also agreed that we have among the lowest savings as a percentage of GDP in our region. It is not possible for us to continue contributing Sh200 and pretending that we are doing ok. It is not safe…It is a joke,” said Dr Ruto.
Adding: “We have agreed and have been taken through the numbers here what savings can do for our country. In fact, savings is biblical.”
Quoting from the Holy Scriptures, the Head of State: “a good man leaves an inheritance for his children.”
“So good people. We have to do the necessary reforms. Change the law and amend the regulations so that we can save appropriately. We've all been given the benefits of saving. It not only secures our future, it gets us the resources to implement and grow our country to implement our plans to fund our development,” noted the Head of State.
