•The President had said that food security in the country would bring to an end the perennial scarcity that for a long time has affected Kenyans.
•Uhuru has reiterated that nothing will distract his focus from implementing the big four for the benefit of Kenyans.
President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the Big Four Agenda in 2017 after winning his second term in office, promising to use his final term to turn around the country’s economy.
The president hardly has two years left in office to serve the country, and ensure his four agenda becomes his legacy.
The Big Four Agenda
Uhuru's Big Four agenda consists of:
- Enhancing manufacturing, raising the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 9.2-20 per cent by 2022.
- Food Security and Nutrition. This was to ensure 100 per cent commitment from the government and boost food availability in the country as well as nutrition.
- Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This was to improve the health sector in the country, making the service easily reachable by a common Kenyan by scaling up the NHIF.
- Affordable Housing. The government had planned to construct 500,000 new affordable homes under Uhuru’s administration.
Since the launch of the Big 4 Agenda, the government has set aside funds every year towards the pojects.
During the 2020-2021 financial year, the Treasury allocated Sh127 billion to Uhuru's Big Four.
Treasury allocated Sh400 billion to the venture in 2018-19, the first since the President’s declaration, bringing the total allocation to Sh987 billion so far.
The President had said that food security in the country would bring to an end the perennial scarcity that for a long time has affected Kenyans.
Uhuru has reiterated that nothing will distract his focus from implementing the big four for the benefit of Kenyans.
But with less than two years in office, the president is in a puzzle, whether to ignore the ongoing political turmoil in the country and focus on his promises to Kenyans or choose to please politicos at the expense of common Kenyans.
Among the issues staring at the president include the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), fixing the fractured Jubilee Party, succession politics which has divided his backyard region, as well as recovering the economy which was already struggling and has been been worsened by the coronvirus pandemic.
Building Bridges Initiative
In November 2019, the president in the presence of Deputy President William Ruto, ODM leader Raila Odinga, and the leadership of Parliament received the BBI report from the task force.
Later on, the president made the report public at the Bomas of Kenya and asked Kenyans to read the report and understand it well before the next step.
Earlier this year, the president gazetted a 14-member steering committee was tasked to oversee the implementation of the BBI report to a United Kenya Task force Report.
The members included Garissa Senator Mohamed Yusuf Haji, Bishop Lawi Imathiu, Maison Leshomo, James Matundura and Rose Moseu.
Others are Agnes Kavindu Muthama, Saeed Mwaguni, Bishop Peter Njenga, Archbishop Emeritus Zaccheaus Okoth, Adams Oloo, Busia Senator Amos Wako, Florence Omose, Morompi ole Ronkei and John Seii.
The joint secretaries are Martin Kimani and Paul Mwangi.
The committee had been directed to submit its comprehensive advice to the government by June 30, 2020.
The virus hampered the committee’s proceedings, which slowed down the final report which has not been made public.
Nevertheless, Raila has told Kenyans that the report is ready, and the long wait is over since the report might be out soon.
While addressing residents of Kawangware in Dagoretti North over the weekend after attending a church service, the opposition chief told Kenyans to be ready for BBI, stating it is just a matter of days before the document is made public.
Raila drumming support for the document touted as the solution to the country's problems.
"The second report is ready and within few days we will make it public," Raila said.
However, State House was noncommitall on when the report will be released.
Raila has hinted several times that the country could hold a referendum before the year ends to decide the fate of the report.
BBI was initiated following the Handshake between the president and Raila which marked the end of their differences following the 2017 elections.
The president had said that Kenyans will decide if the BBI is the way to go provided that it will be a solution to their problems.
The divided ruling party
Another issue is that of Jubilee Party. The ruling party has shown it is no longer a united house as it was during the 2013 and 2017 general elections.
When the president was away, Ruto and his allies stormed the party headquarters in Nairobi, what they later said was a normal visit to the office.
But Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju said that Ruto and his team’s action was ‘an attempted coup.’
Tuju added that Ruto ceased to be the Deputy Party Leader the moment he sanctioned the opening of the Jubilee Asili Centre.
The secretary general also said that Ruto was no longer welcome at the party headquarters, a decision which he said was reached by the National Management Committee.
The legislators allied to Ruto have criticised Tuju saying that he was working for the benefit of party outsiders.
The split within the party was felt over the weekend when the Tangatanga and Kieleweke supporters clashed, leading to the death of two people.
Raila condemned the incident, urging politicians to cease from early 2022 campaigns for now which might cause chaos.
The same narrative has divided the Mount Kenya region into two. A section of leaders has declared their support to Ruto while others who are pro-Kieleweke are against him.
The current pandemic has left the country with huge challenges to overcome, which need the attention of the president.
Many Kenyans have been left jobless since the virus struck the nation on March 13, 2020, where both the government and private sectors were forced to scale down.
With the reopening of the country, the recovery plan is needed to take back the economy to where it was before.
At the same time, the president’s attention is still on his Big Four Agenda, with the health sector being the key at this time of the pandemic.
It is a matter of time as Kenyans wait to see the president's move, as the deadline for realising the Big Four Agenda draws closer.