The season for launching party manifestos is here again. Kenyans should scrutinise these documents to ensure that they reflect their needs and aspirations. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. In the past, Kenyans have been given colourful manifestos that were long in promises but very scant in details and implementation roadmaps.
The Azimio manifesto, for example, gave very good general proposals on how to address various issues but was scanty with suggestions on implementation.
As the country awaits the launch of the Kenya Kwanza manifesto today, there are a few things that stand out about the way it has been created. These include wide consultation with every county and sector, leading to the signing of various charters.
Inclusivity has been very pronounced in the entire process. Various groups such as women, people with disability, manufacturers, health workers, university dons, the youth and many others have been consulted in the manifesto writing. There is hope therefore that the Kenya Kwanza manifesto will address the following areas:
Employment and Equity: The number of unemployed youth and the wealth distribution gap have been growing at a very high rate. If this is not addressed urgently, it can take us to a tipping point that will lead to increased crime and anarchy. The Kenya Kwanza manifesto should explain how employment will be created and provide measurable milestones. It should also address how the wealth gap will be bridged.
Micro, small and medium enterprises: The creativity and productivity of this sector is sometimes mind-boggling. If well harnessed, it can lead to significant wealth and employment creation for a struggling economy like Kenya’s. We expect Kenya Kwanza to tell us how they will fund the MSMEs and at what interest. They should also clearly explain how they will expand markets.
Agriculture: This has been the backbone of Kenya’s economy since Independence. The sector, however, does not give value for money to the farmers due to exploitation at various levels. Cash crop and horticulture farming can be improved through value addition and protection from middlemen.
Almost 90 per cent of the nation’s milk production comes from small-scale dairy farmers. The dairy industry in Kenya is faced with various challenges including high cost of production, high cost of collection per unit of milk, low quality of raw milk delivered to the milk processor, low quality feeds and feeding systems, dairy animal genetics with low productivity, poor animal husbandry, and poor management of dairy marketing systems, among others.
We expect Kenya Kwanza to address the issue of agricultural support in areas such as market linkages, value addition, protection from brokers, provision of quality seeds, fertilisers, agro-chemicals, and extension services at affordable prices.
Kenya Kwanza presidential running mate Rigathi Gachagua has talked about the reintroduction of Guaranteed Minimum Returns system, which would be a game-changer for farmers. The issue of zoning regions to encourage the growth of crops that fit and maximise productivity per acre should also be considered.
Regarding education, this is a core human rights issue and any government should pay premium attention to it. The country embarked on providing free basic education in 2003. This however brought many problems such as student-teacher ratio, and classroom shortage among others hence compromising the quality of education.
We expect Kenya Kwanza to explain how they will reduce the student-teacher ratio to the level recommended by Unesco. They should also tell us how new classrooms will be built, children fed, security will be provided and continuous teachers training will be achieved.
On gender balance, the 2010 Constitution gave guidelines on how this can be achieved. However, the last two Parliaments have failed the nation by not creating laws to address the two-thirds gender rule. Kenyans have high expectations that Kenya Kwanza manifesto will explain on how this issue will be resolved.
Regarding healthcare, the high cost and poor quality of healthcare has impoverished many people and in many cases led to premature deaths. Kenyans want a health system that is reliable, predictable and affordable. They want an assurance that good medical services will be available all over the country and Kenya Kwanza has to guarantee this in their manifesto.
Another challenge is cost of basic goods. Although there has been arguments that this has been caused by Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine, any responsible government should always be sensitive to the plight of its people. Kenyans want to hear how runaway prices of food, fuel and farm implements, among other things, will be addressed. Kenya Kwanza should give details of how the perennial food shortage will be addressed.
Lecturer at the School of Business, Africa Nazarene University
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