Mashujaa Day: President Ruto’s full speech at Uhuru Gardens

1. I am tremendously privileged to join Kenyans and our visitors today
as we commemorate the 59th anniversary of Mashujaa Day. It is with
great humility that I preside over this year’s celebrations for the first
time as President and I am humbled and grateful for the honour.

2. We solemnly observe this important day every year in order for us
to reflect upon where we have come from as a nation. We mark this
date to consider the troubled road we trod through, the sorrowful
wilderness of cruel colonial injustice and the price that was
paid in blood, toil, anguish and death for us to be a free people.

3. We take this opportunity to also celebrate the histories of the heroes
and heroines who sacrificed valiantly in our freedom struggle, their
character and most importantly, the values and principles which
inspired, sustained and vindicated them, so that we may emulate
them by leading lives worthy of their sacrifices. We ask ourselves
today: What must we do to transmit this noble history and ensure that
future generations appreciate us, not only as worthy heirs of our
illustrious ancestors, but also as skillful stewards of their heritage?

4. We do this in pursuit of a solemn covenant proclaimed in the
preamble of our Constitution that we, the people of Kenya,
shall honour those who heroically struggled to bring freedom and
justice to our land by adopting, enacting and giving the Constitution
to ourselves and to our future generations.

5. Our Constitution articulates a vision of Kenya our heroes and
heroines would have approved: A Kenya worth fighting for and worth
paying the ultimate price for. It is their legacy to us and it sets the
stage for us to continue their patriotic work in that noble spirit that
roused the first freedom fighters to resist colonial rule and their
successors to reject post-colonial repression.

6. Our heroes and heroines were neither elected nor appointed. They
were not sponsored and they were not funded. They had no offices
or budgets. They were ordinary people invested in the struggle to
make good their unwavering belief that all people are equal and
deserve to live in freedom. People of all walks of life: subsistence
farmers and traders, clerks and former soldiers, teachers and their
learners, preachers and their congregants, drivers, cooks and farm
workers ran away to the forest, armed with nothing but the conviction
that a more just way of life is possible and that it is worth fighting for.

7. The legacy of independence is the historic achievement of valuedriven bottom-up heroism. The people were distinguished by their
unity and commitment to selfless endeavour, determination,
patriotism and an unyielding sense of justice. Every time we have
come together, we have accomplished major feats. That is why, as a
nation, we are exhorted by the National Anthem: “Let one and all
arise, with hearts both strong and true”.

8. Our Constitution, the people’s sovereign charter, is an instrument of
collective memory. It proscribes tyranny, marginalization and
oppression, provides institutional means to dismantle injustice and
eradicate inequality and gives us an opportunity to expand freedom
and actualise rights. It also defines human well-being to be the reason
for individual and collective action as well as the object of the totality
of national enterprise.

9. We are united in common endeavor with those who came before us
and did so much for our country. We may define ourselves as a nation
proudly standing on the foundation of the Constitution, united in
pursuit of the wellbeing of every citizen.

10. The principal reason for promulgating our Constitution, then, was to
inscribe the values which animated our history of accomplishment
and to project them in a manner that resonates across generations.
The national values and principles of governance set out in Article 10
form the soul of its dispensation. They define the parameters of
patriotism, exemplary service, selfless sacrifice and profile us in
terms of who we are and who we ought to be, individually and as a
nation.

11. We can and we must employ these values as beacons for
identifying people whose contributions honour the memory of our
heroes and heroines and bring glory to our nation.

12. It is time to direct our focus on the work that each one of us does to
understand how we contribute to our individual well-being, as well
as that of our communities and nation. In this understanding, we
must take into account that individuals make up the greater national
family and that Kenya’s stature and splendor is always greater than
the sum total of our individual efforts or community endeavor.
Similarly, our national capacity determines the extent of
opportunities all Kenyans have to pursue and attain their aspirations.
What I am saying is that regardless of the type and scale of our
pursuits, every contribution matters. And regardless of our walk of
life, our work matters, our intentions matter and our thoughts matter,
because we all matter.

13. I congratulate every citizen for their part in ensuring that the last
election was peaceful. I know of attempts at division, disunity,
confusion and even some who did everything in their power to entice
and pressure our people to engage in criminal activities. But I also
know that, despite a competitive campaign period characterised by
intense rivalry, Kenyans resolved, in unison, to remain peaceful,
united and compassionate. We set a new standard for ourselves:
issue-based campaigns, transparent elections and a peaceful
outcome.

14. I salute all Kenyans who set out every day, everywhere, doing
ordinary things in inspired and extraordinary ways to fend for
themselves and their families, thereby keeping the country going. I
commend those whose work involves service to others. I celebrate
those who volunteer and give, expecting nothing in return, yet serve
selflessly. From the farmers who feed our nation to the drivers who
connect all parts of the country by conveying people and
goods, educators who impart knowledge to our infants in
kindergartens, children in schools and youth in tertiary institutions,
medical staff in wards, in the field and training institutions, workers
in quarries and construction sites, artisans in their small sheds and
in large workshops, traders on the side streets in rural and urban
markets, and all the way to the Nairobi Securities
Exchange, professionals who give their best in every sector of
national endeavour and our men and women in uniform, whose
bravery and commitment continue to set the gold standard for
sterling devotion to our flag – this nation salutes your service and
celebrates your contribution. These are real acts of heroism.

15. Because of the contributions of Kenyans everywhere, our country
continues to make great strides towards socio-economic
transformation, shared prosperity and enhanced wellbeing for our
people. In the East and Horn of Africa regions, the larger
African continent and globally, this nation expresses our values with
greater clarity, and the State projects our aspirations more
emphatically.

16. It is now time to lay the foundation for our future. Agriculture, as the
lead sector to the economic transformation of our country, is the
place to start, owing to its potential for high and quick returns on
investment. But the situation in the country is wanting and we have
a severe food shortage as a result of a prolonged drought in Kenya
and the larger Horn of Africa region, the worst in nearly half a
century, with three years of failed rain. Coupled with this are the
extremely high global fertiliser prices. Our government’s initial
intervention to mitigate these challenges has been to step up food
supply in northern Kenya and other regions and ensure better
coordination between government and development partners. We
thank our partners for their input that has gone a long way in
relieving the dire situation.

17. World fertiliser prices have more than doubled in the past 2 years
since Covid-19. The prices were passed on to farmers, and the cost
skyrocketed to more than Ksh7,000 for a 50-kg bag. This had a
huge impact on productivity of farmers last year. For example,
maize production suffered a deficit of more than 10 million bags.
Our government’s first intervention to address the fertiliser
challenge and make it available to counties and regions that plant
in the short rain season, was to import 1.5 million 50kg bags and
distribute them at a lower cost of Ksh3,500. We have also made
arrangements to make another 6 million bags of various types of
fertiliser available for the long rains season. We have also asked
county governments to work with us on last-mile delivery to centres
close to farmers.

18. These, however, are short-term measures, and we have to take
very bold steps to end the perpetual cycle of hunger and
dependency on rain-fed agriculture. We must eradicate hunger in
our country in the shortest time possible. To do this, we have the
following plans:
a) We have to increase agriculture productivity. We will support all
farmers to access quality inputs such as seeds, fertiliser and
pesticides, among others and also ensure that our farmers have
access to extension services in order to improve farming skills.
In the short-term, we will continue with the fertiliser import
programme. But in the medium term, the government plans to
have fertiliser manufactured in partnership with EAC countries
in our region.

b) On seeds, our government will work with local research
institutions and both the public and private sectors to scale up
seed multiplication for all crops.

c) However, irrigation is the ultimate solution in guaranteeing food
security. In 2017, the government set out to build 57 dams to
harness water for irrigation and domestic use. Many did not
even start, few are complete while the rest are ongoing. The
huge capital outlay required for dam construction in the context
of competing budgetary priorities, poses a huge challenge to
this programme.

d) To address this challenge, we are working on innovative
investment mechanisms through public-private partnerships to
construct at least 100 dams. Consequently, it would be possible
to progressively irrigate the 3 million acres already identified as
irrigable land. In the next three years, the government plans to
double the land under irrigation to 1.4 million acres. Of these,
200,000 acres will be under rice irrigation and 500,000 under
other food crops. Rice production in Bunyala, the Tana Delta,
Rohole in Garissa, Mwea and Ahero will take priority.

e) Our dairy farmers struggle with the high cost of feed and
challenges of storage, preservation of milk and access to
markets. To assure them that they are on our priority list, we
have taken immediate steps to reinstate the stalled milk coolers’
programme and the distribution of 650 milk coolers will resume
shortly. In our plan, we have identified dairy and livestock
economy as sub-sectors with the quickest economic
turnaround time and they will become key drivers in improving
food security, creating jobs and boosting exports.
Housing

19. We have equally committed to close the housing gap, which stands
at 2 million units as at now. Our target is to increase the supply fourfold from 50,000 to 200,000 per year. Already, 2,592 units have
been completed, 40,452 are under construction and over 500,000
units that require financial backstopping and funding for bulk
infrastructure are in the pipeline.

20. I am happy to report today that the interest in the housing sector
has grown immensely and that many private investors, including
pension funds, have submitted proposals on the housing projects
they would like to invest in. We will work together on these projects
to facilitate their realisation.

21. It is clear from engagements with investors that the Government
needs to evolve from being a mere enabler to becoming a sponsor
of projects. Not only will we provide land and bulk infrastructure,
but I will personally take charge of the process to unlock the
challenges that inhibit investment. For instance, VAT exemption on
inputs has been enacted to lower the cost of construction, but its
implementation has been curtailed by delays in approving
applications for VAT refunds. As a result, developers pay VAT, but
the cost saving is not enjoyed by the end buyers. Government will
resolve such issues with the urgency required.

22. Let me emphasise that the housing agenda is not just about four
walls and a roof. The demand for affordable housing is an
opportunity to create jobs and stimulate the economy. Our
manufacturing sector, which already supplies many products in the
construction industry, will have expanded business opportunities.
Other housing inputs such as doors, windows, gates and hinges will
be made by our jua kali industry. We are designing the programme
in a way that will upgrade and support Jua Kali by linking it with
technical and vocational education institutions. In the end, we
expect enterprises that produce housing products to emerge or
expand, creating jobs and wealth for hustlers, making our housing
plan truly transformational from the bottom up.

23. We want to recreate the experience of hardworking Kenyans like
John Ochieng, who is present as one of my guests today. I met him
two days ago when I handed over keys to new homeowners in
Ongata Rongai in Kajiado County under the affordable housing
scheme. Ochieng began working as a carpenter in that housing
project when it began two years ago; then, home ownership to him
was a mere dream. Two years later, he owns an apartment in the
same estate. Given that there are developments today that cater to
the housing needs of ordinary Kenyans like John, I am convinced
that it is possible to provide quality affordable housing for rent and
sale, and Ochieng’s story will be replicated multiple times over
throughout the country. We, therefore, proceed with the confidence
that we will provide quality climate-smart housing that Kenyans can
Mashujaa Day Speech 2022
‘Mobilising transformational patriotism and value-driven heroism for the well-being of the citizens of Kenya’.
buy with mortgages for as low as Ksh5,000 a month to be made
available through various home financing arrangements.

24. Next week on Tuesday, I will break ground at the Kibera Soweto B
in Nairobi for a housing project which will deliver thousands of
social housing units. Going forward, we intend to collaborate with
county governments to achieve a target of at least 5,000 units in
every county. Counties with larger metropolitan areas have a
greater opportunity and can target as many as 50,000 units since
as demand is higher due to population density. We have asked
counties to identify land for this Housing program.

Access to Credit

25. Access to credit is a stimulant that invigorates the economy.
However, high interest rates crowd out the private sector, and
especially the small and medium enterprises. Our commitment on
affordable credit was at the heart of the Kenya Kwanza election
campaign. Already, expectations are very high across the country
on our promise to provide a fund that will offer affordable credit to
those at the bottom of the pyramid. We are aware that the most
significant question in the streets, boda boda parking lots and fresh
produce markets is: WHEN will the Hustlers Fund become
operational? I have an answer for you today.

26. Even before the fund is set up, we have made several
interventions to make credit accessible.

a) Safaricom and their financial partners have brought down the
cost of Fuliza by reducing interest rates by 50 per cent. As part
of that agreement, 4 million borrowers, who had been blacklisted,
will be freed from the yoke of the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB),
in the coming days. We have also secured an agreement with
CRB that it will abandon the punitive penalty of blacklisting
borrowers and move to a credit scoring system that makes
borrowers eligible for credit even as they work to improve their
creditworthiness.

27. As a result, no citizen will be excluded from the credit system. They
will, therefore, be eligible to access credit as they work their way
out in paying their loans.

28. On the Hustlers Fund, three issues are crucial:

a) Credit products will be available to small businesses on digital
platforms at affordable rates to individuals and through chamas,
groups, saccos and cooperatives.

b) All borrowers on this platform will also participate in a short-term
savings plan and long-term pensions program. Every saving
made by borrowers on this platform will be merged by the
government of Kenya on a 2:1 ratio to a level to be determined
by the program.

c) I will launch this Hustler Fund credit and savings product on the
1st of December this year.

Universal Health Care
29. Health is front and centre of socio-economic development. The
failure of a healthcare system undermines prosperity. Kenyan
families spend a total of Ksh150 billion in out-of-pocket expenditures
on health services a year mobilised from various sources, including
harambees, Whatsapp MPESA, loans, sale of land and other assets,
to pay hospital bills for loved ones. Also, many small businesses fail
when owners fall ill and cannot work, or divert money to pay medical
expenses. It is no wonder, then, that it is commonly said that most
families and individuals in Kenya are one illness away from poverty.
1 million Kenyans sink into poverty every year because of medical
expenses.

30. We want to lift this punitive burden from the shoulders of Kenyans
and their businesses through our universal health care plan. The plan
is to revitalise primary healthcare by laying more emphasis on
preventive and promotive strategies. Many critical health illnesses,
including cancer, heart complications, kidney failure and
hypertension, can be detected and addressed at this level without
the need for a hospital visit or admission.

31. Our health reform commitment is, therefore, three-folds

a) In partnership with county governments, we will mainstream
community health workers and make them the foundation of our
healthcare system.

b) Reforming the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is a
necessary imperative. Progress has been made in enrolling more
members. In the past 10 years, 12 million Kenyans have joined the
fund. The challenge, however, is that the NHIF is an occupational
scheme for salaried people on payroll in the public and private
sectors, and not the social insurance scheme it ought to be. We
shall change the contribution structure from an individual
contributory scheme to a household contribution model.

c) We intend to address the challenge of inadequate human
resources in the public hospitals and the poor industrial relations
between health professionals and county governments. We are
particularly committed to the professional development of health
workers. I take this opportunity to assure health workers that we
have listened to them and we will propose ways, in collaboration
with county governments, of resolving their outstanding issues.
Digital Superhighway

32. Kenya is a strong leader in the information, communication and
technology space. We are the proud regional and continental hub of
innovation. We have the appropriate policy framework,
constitutionally protected freedoms of expression, media, information
and communication to dominate the creative arts and entertainment
arena.

33. Our youth have consistently shown robust interest in this field and are
engaged on various platforms, generating captivating content that is
appreciated globally. There is tremendous potential for our country to
become a global leader, employ hundreds of thousands of young
people and generate immense wealth if we facilitate the young people
to plug into the global digital economy.

34. To achieve these purposes, the government is committed to invest in
the digital superhighway and the creative economy, which will be
enablers of transformation, productivity and overall
competitiveness. Over the next 5 years, the government will ensure
universal broadband availability through the roll-out of connectivity
throughout the country. The laying out of an additional 100,000km of
the national fibre-optic network is expected to deliver this target.

35. Government services shall be made available throughout the country
at greater convenience to citizens through digitisation and
automation of all critical government processes, with a view to
bringing at least 80 per cent of all government services online.

36. Moreover, to bring more Kenyans, especially the youth online for
business, learning, entertainment and socialisation, the government
intends to take measures to bring down the cost of calls and
data. This initiative converges with the efforts to boost the creative
economy and scale up cultural production and the arts industry.

37. Our government is also committed to the establishment of more arts
and culture infrastructure, including theatres, music auditoriums
and art galleries, and extensive refurbishing of facilities to expand
spaces for artistic and cultural expression and production.

38. The government is also firmly committed in investing in the robust
delivery of the five pillars of our plan for socio-economic
transformation. This investment is undertaken in full recognition of
national values and principles of governance as well as broader
national interests and goals. They include policy, legislative and
regulatory framework, national security, justice, law and order and
education.

Rule of Law
39. There are parts of this country where personal safety and security are
precarious, and life expectancy is low. Poverty and the cost of living
are high because markets and supply chains have been disrupted or
threatened by insecurity. The well-being of residents in these areas is
as paramount as that of every other citizen of Kenya. They, too,
deserve to live and work in safety and dignity, and to pursue
happiness without let or hindrance. And yet terrorists, bandits, cattle
rustlers and all manner of violent criminals have wreaked havoc on
their lives for far too long. Criminals have held them back,
extinguishing or deferring far too many hopes and dreams as the rest
of the country progresses.

40. It is time for this lawlessness to stop for good. Our Government has
undertaken necessary personnel realignments in the security services
to facilitate the rapid achievement of our objectives. On my first day in
office, I executed the instrument to actualise the financial autonomy
of the National Police Service, and have given the necessary

‘Mobilising transformational patriotism and value-driven heroism for the well-being of the citizens of Kenya’.
directives to enable it rapidly achieve national security strategic
objectives. These actions extend to the facilitation of the Director of
Criminal Investigations to expeditiously resolve investigations to a
standard that can support effective prosecution and secure
conviction.

41. The independence of the National Police Service is essential for its
institutional credibility and efficiency, citizen safety and welfare, and
effective maintenance of law and order. A professional police service
fosters harmonious relationships with citizens and communities,
cannot be weaponised in pursuit of divisive or partisan agenda and
can never resort to disastrous policies like extra-judicial murder as
part of policing. I believe we can keep this country safe and secure
without tormenting our people. We can efficiently and
effectively suppress crime, monitor, disrupt and
apprehend criminals without abducting, torturing, killing or causing
citizens to disappear.

It is time to retire these terrible tactics and professionalise our criminal
justice system. That is why our government is taking strong measures
to facilitate the enhancement of capacities along the chain. I have
directed that immediate measures be undertaken to disband
the Special Services Unit in the Directorate of Criminal
Investigations and with urgency investigations must commence so
that those found culpable are held accountable. There must also be
robust mechanisms throughout the police service to maintain high
professional standards, scrupulous adherence to the rule of law,
accountability for actions and decisions and operational transparency.

42. At the terminal end of this chain, the government has undertaken its
obligations to observe judicial independence while actualising
the Judiciary Fund, enhancing budgetary allocation to enable
it invest in infrastructure and facilitate the appointment of more judges
to expand access to justice. Effective deterrence of crime requires
robust prosecution, while economic efficiency, investor confidence
and competitiveness all depend on effective dispute resolution. A
well-resourced, independent, impartial and thoroughly
professional judiciary is indispensable for good governance, law and
order and is also essential for financial sustainability, transactional
effectiveness and business competitiveness.

43. The institutional independence of the judiciary must be upheld at all
times, and the independence of judges respected as the minimum
gesture of respect for the rule of law.
Mashujaa Day Speech 2022‘Mobilising transformational patriotism and value-driven heroism for the well-being of the citizens of Kenya’.

44. The fight against corruption must be won. Our government intends to
wage this fight and demonstrate its commitment to zero tolerance to
corruption by making all public servants accountable, and submitting
to the oversight of Parliament and other constitutionally mandated
institutions. We are committed to the rule of law, fidelity to
constitutional due process and implementation of judicial decrees and
orders. Most critically, under my administration, there shall be no
interference with, or any attempts to control, direct or undermine
independent institutions, including those in the justice, law and order
sector. The National Police Service, the Office of the Director of
Public Prosecutions, the Judiciary and the Ethics and AntiCorruption Commission shall perform their duties independently and
professionally, and likewise subject themselves to oversight by
appropriate agencies. This is our vision for ensuring that the war on
corruption is not itself corrupted by inappropriate interventions.

Education

45. For our socio-economic transformation to be truly inclusive, we must
empower all Kenyans, regardless of background, to effectively play their
part by contributing to the nation building effort, and partaking of the
dividends of shared prosperity. High-quality and relevant education is
vital in imparting the necessary skills and competencies to learners from
pre-primary to the tertiary level, in order to enable citizens engage
meaningfully with the world of the present and the future.
46. A week ago, we launched the Presidential Working Party on
Education Reforms to review all aspects of education in Kenya. Its
findings and recommendations shall inform subsequent necessary
intervention to ensure that Kenya delivers the calibre of education,
skills and training needed to successfully pursue sustainable
development.

Climate Change
47. We are concerned about climate change and its impact on Kenya
generally and our arid and semi-arid regions in particular. We will
address the effects of this phenomenon and its ravaging effects at
home and abroad. Our pastoralist communities have experienced
scarcity of pasture due to a prolonged drought, the worst in 40 years,
Mashujaa Day Speech 2022
‘Mobilising transformational patriotism and value-driven heroism for the well-being of the citizens of Kenya’.
and three years of absolute rain failure. As a result, we have lost 2.5
million head of livestock owing to drought. Rising food prices have
made an already bad situation worse. Elsewhere, communities in rural
and urban areas across the country are equally struggling under the
weight of high food prices and shortages of water.

48. Without a doubt, climate change is complicating our roadmap
towards socio-economic transformation and achievement
of Sustainable Development Goals.

49. As we seek short-term measures to respond to the evolving situation,
I have directed that a long-term and sustainable solution to the
planetary challenges be put in place. The ultimate solution includes
greening our country to more than 30 per cent of tree cover by 2032.

50. The central role forests play in addressing the effects of climate
change has become more prominent now than ever before, thanks to
their unparalleled capacity to absorb, store carbon and regulate
climate. Of the 59.2 million hectares land area in Kenya, only 5.2
hectares are under forest cover. The remaining 54 million hectares are
largely in arid and semi-arid lands.

51. The 10 counties with the highest forest cover are Nyeri, Lamu, Vihiga,
Kirinyaga, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Meru, Embu, Murang’a, Kilifi and
Nyandarua. On the reverse, the 10 counties with the lowest tree cover
are Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Isiolo, Siaya, Migori, Busia, Machakos,
Taita-Taveta and Uasin Gishu. I call upon the Council of Governors to
facilitate more discussions to achieve parity in tree cover by using
peer-to-peer learning and exchange of information. The government
will champion the transformation of forestry and rangeland restoration
to support the greening of Kenya so as to combat climate change.

52. We are at the final stages of designing a Special Presidential Forestry
and Rangeland Restoration Programme. This effort is spearheaded by
the ministry of environment and Forestry, various experts and partners
in government, UN organisations, NGOs and academia. The objective
is to grow 5 billion trees in the next 5 years, and an additional 10 billion
trees by 2032. This will eventually lead to the rehabilitation and
restoration of 10.6 million hectares in the 290 constituencies, as well
as some specially selected ecosystem and water towers threatened
by degradation and destruction.

53. To achieve this ambitious PLAN, the Government will continue to
support efforts by the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) in
high quality tree seed production in their 18 Tree Seeds Centers
countrywide.

54. Agro-forestry and farming of avocados, mangoes and macadamia will
also open new value chains for our export market, creating new green
jobs in the sector. I, therefore, urge all Kenyans to support the
government’s call to grow at least 15 billion trees in the next 10 years.
To achieve this target, every Kenyan should grow 300 trees.

55. Reforestation in the presidential programme will be undertaken by
youth and women groups, civil society, community and religious
organisations, leveraging on private sector and government financing.
To ensure sustainable funding, Kenya is developing policies and
strategies to tap into the global carbon market opportunities,
accessible through carbon trading.

56. Additionally, the Government will secure and protect public forests,
rehabilitate and restore all degraded water towers and other forest
ecosystems across the country. We will work towards fencing all
fragile water towers and other ecosystems to protect them from
encroachment. To resolve the capacity constraints at the Kenya
Forestry Service, I have directed the immediate recruitment of an
additional 2,700 forest rangers and 600 forest officers to augment our
interventions in this sector.

57. Shortly, I will also be inaugurating the Climate Change Council that
will steer Kenya’s climate action through stakeholder engagements
coordinated in the presidency, as required by the Climate Change Act,
2016.

58. Under the programme, we will start mobilising finance from public,
private and multilateral sources, to fund the proposed activities. This
is anchored on the United Nations goals and backed by the Tree
Growing and Sustainable Forestry Finance Management Programme,
supported UN and other international institutions. The programme
also responds to Kenya’s commitments to help reduce global
greenhouse gas emissions articulated in various multi-lateral
environmental agreements, and the United Nations Decade of Action
on Ecosystem Restoration. Kenya will rally the globe towards more
ambitious climate action in next month’s 27th UN Climate Change
Conference, at Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt.

59. In an increasingly interconnected world, our well-being depends onthe engagement with our neighbours, continental fraternity and
international partners. In all these arenas, Kenya has continued to be
a dependable ally, faithful friend and effective partner, ever committed
to win-win bilateral as well as multilateral outcomes, that achieve
mutual gains for the benefit of humanity.

60. In the East African Community, the rigid territorial borders are firmly
on the way out, as we move towards full integration. Non-tariff
barriers have come down, and trade volumes have soared.
The community is becoming even more tightly connected
with infrastructure systems criss-crossing the member countries. The
possibility of an East African Federation is no longer a wild
imagination or an idle dream. It is no longer a matter of if, it is a
matter of when.

61. In recent days, I have been to our sister countries in East Africa to take
care of mutually beneficial regional business. In Ethiopia, we launched
Safaricom Ethiopia telecoms’ money business, which
expanded Safaricom and Mpesa’s regional footprint, dispersing ICT
innovation and deepening the revenue base of the company.
Simultaneously, Safaricom became the largest foreign investor in
Ethiopia, and Kenya’s biggest foreign investor abroad.

62. The East African Community has become a closeknit neighbourhood, and everyone’s well-being has become
everybody’s business. With this unity and integration, we will achieve
much in our lifetime. And with these bonds of solidarity and fraternity,
we shall establish an oasis of hope and infinite possibility that will be
irresistible to the whole world.

63. In the Horn of Africa, peace and security efforts continue to dominate
our engagement. They are important components of a broader
strategy to recover stability in what has become a truly
rough neighbourhood. Countering violent extremism, controlling
the illegal movement of small arms, peace-building and peacekeeping initiatives will continue to dominate the agenda.

64. The conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia which, according to reports
from the office of the United Nations secretary-general, is escalating,
is a great source of concern for our region. Kenya shall continue to
play its role by making such contributions as is required of us, by the
Africa Union-sponsored mediation efforts. The sooner hostilities
cease and face-to-face talks commence, the better for our region.

65. The region is experiencing its 5th season of severely low rain due to
climate change. As a result, mitigation strategies, resilience-building
initiatives and climate change management programmes have
become urgent. The pressure on the capacity of regional States has
never been greater.

66. On the continental stage, we have sustained our PanAfrican credentials since the dawn of African unity. That is why
various frameworks of the African Union find expression in our
domestic agenda. The AU’s Agenda 2063, for example, is part of our
economic development plan.

67. Kenya is committed to the pursuit of trade-driven pan-Africanism as
the best means of rapidly delivering shared prosperity throughout our
continent. As we open up our borders and expand the scope of
collaboration beyond traditional economic blocs, the reality of a
continental free market has become a reality.

68. Kenya is a champion of the Africa Continental Free Trade
Area, AfCTA. Beyond ratifying the instruments establishing it and
domesticating its framework, Kenya has been a consistent participant
in efforts to make this continental agreement a reality. We see this as
the pathway that guarantees inclusive African economic growth and
sustainable self-reliance. In turn, this will hasten our continent’s postpandemic recovery, enhance climate change resilience and underpin
stability in the face of multiple regional and global crises, including
energy volatility.

69. Our implementation strategy envisions pan-African free trade as a
vehicle for empowering small and medium enterprises.

70. To signal this commitment, I recently flagged off
a symbolic consignment of KETEPA tea to Ghana under the Guided
Trading Initiative. Trade between Ghana and Kenya is off to an
admirable start and several firms and traders in the two countries
have undertaken brisk business, involving exports of incinerators,
sisal fibre, leather bags, fuel filters, beadworks and baskets
from jua kali artisans. This points to the huge potential of trade across
the continent.

71. Beyond our continent, Kenya continues to pursue a robust policy of
economic diplomacy. We are continuously aligning our strategic
interests with the welfare of our people. Therefore, we are focused on
finding opportunities for our people and deeper trade relations around
the globe. We are receiving encouraging returns on our efforts. This
week, our international port at Lamu scored a shining first, with the
export of livestock from northern Kenya to the Sultanate of Oman.
This signals the opening up of tremendous opportunities for the
pastoralists in our rangeland communities who deserve relief from the
devastating losses of ravaging drought.

72. We also remain devoted to our strategic engagements with key
development partners like the United States, which is now Kenya’s
premier trading partner, as well as the United Kingdom – which for
long held that position – the European Union, Middle Eastern nations,
the Far East, including China and Japan, and, indeed, many other
parts of the world.

73. Kenya’s diplomacy is deliberately shifting into emerging opportunities.
We are prepared to exploit the potential of the blue economy and the
fast-evolving digital universe to position our young generation as
competitive global players.

74. Kenya’s commitment to multilateralism is a fundamental plank of our
diplomatic strategy and foreign policy. This has defined
our international outlook since the advent of self-government and
full sovereignty. We have hosted several multilateral institutions and
aspire to receive more. Kenya has participated in many multilateral
undertakings, including humanitarian missions, international peacekeeping and pandemic responses.

75. We join other nations of the Global South to advocate
democratisation of global governance, and to invest the multilateral
system with higher moral imagination. We believe that global
governance must reflect the values it claims to advance and protect.

76. To effectively drive our diplomacy and international engagement,
Kenya has unified and clarified its policy in our Vision 2030 and our
government’s 5-Pillar Plan for socio-economic transformation, the
5th East African Community Development Strategy, AU Agenda
2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The purpose of
this alignment is to ensure that we forge a path for the achievement of
our objectives of enhancing the well-being of humanity.

77. We have warned the international community about global fertiliser
shortage and the risk it poses to global food shortage. Whether we are
speaking at the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, or
the UN Oceans Conference in Lisbon, our commitment to enhancing
climate change responses is strong and vocal.

78. Kenya advocates post-pandemic solidarity on a global scale to avert
economic crisis in the wake of Covid-19 by mobilising international
partnership and cooperation for recovery and resilience. This extends to
the need to ease the debt burden of economically vulnerable developing
countries and to afford them liquidity and fiscal space to manage shocks,
enhance social investment, invest in climate change adaptation and
mitigation, address security needs and finance development.

79. As an anchor state in the Eastern Africa and the Horn, Kenya has
sustained its robust efforts to achieve lasting peace and security. We
have also used the opportunity to serve at the UN Security Council
to give priority to regional peace, counter terrorism and violent
extremism, support peace operations and to further the climate and
security agenda. We consider these contributions to be critical in
building a safe and peaceful world that is safe, and conducive to human
flourishing.

80. Government efforts to affirm and project Kenya’s stature globally has
always been complemented by the contributions of Kenyan citizens who
live and work in various parts of the world. This demonstrates the
complementarity of State and citizen action, and the inevitable alignment
between patriotism and national well-being. We are all united in the quest
for a Kenya we can all be proud to call home. Our diaspora continues to
serve as Kenya’s excellent ambassadors along with our sports
people and the Kenyans who continue to excel abroad in diverse fields.
You make us proud and, in so doing, demonstrate the true spirit
of uShujaa.

81. Kenya is a good neighbour, true friend, loyal ally, dependable partner and
hardworking member of the international community. It lives up to its
strong value system, fluently articulating the ideals of compassion,
solidarity, justice, freedom and sovereignty. As a nation, we project and
amplify values and principles familiar to each one of us, and which form
the heart of our constitutional system. Greater fidelity to
the Constitution and better compliance with its mandates and principles
will not only make us better citizens and worthy patriots, it will make
Kenya a stronger nation. We, therefore, have a duty to respect, uphold
and defend the Constitution. The nation building enterprise enlists all
citizens to recognise their stake in making and keeping Kenya great.
Patriotism is a bottom up affair.

82. We are called upon to stand firmly on our values and strengthen our
resolve to wage war on poverty and inequality by pursuing inclusive
growth. Our aim is to remove all obstacles and bring down every barrier
to progress. By celebrating our values, we honour our heroes. Every act
of nation-building is an expression of these values, and a most
appropriate remembrance of those who began our journey towards
sovereignty, freedom and happiness.

83. This is a time for action. The opportunities to contribute to this historic
project are limitless. It is time for us as citizens to play our part in making
the Kenya we imagine come true and to turn the nation we dream of into
our lived experience. This moment calls for the exercise all our abilities,
talents, gifts, skills and strengths in pursuit of national as well as personal
self-actualisation. It demands that we demonstrate the patriotism of a
new age and express the timeless values, which unite us with our
heroes and heroines.

84. We are endowed with far greater capacity today than ever in our history
to pursue and accomplish major feats. Our predecessors, with far
modest means, nevertheless scored monumental triumphs. There is
absolutely no ceiling on our dreams, no limit to our determination, and
no barrier to our collective power. Nothing stops us from becoming what
we wish to be, and nothing can stand in the way of our resolve to drive
Kenya to its destiny of glory and abundance.

85. I stand here, therefore, on this sacred ground where we first raised our
proud flag at the dawn of freedom, where we made a covenant
to honour their glorious triumph and fine example by embracing their
values and serving our nation, to rally every Kenyan to rise up. This is our
moment to get up, work hard, take our chances, chase our dreams,
knock on doors and explore possibilities, because the horizon of our
destiny is draped in the splendor of our vision, and before us lies
potential of a magnitude never before imagined. It is all ours for the
taking, and I know we are ready, for it is our time.

86. Happy Mashujaa Day. May our heroes continue to inspire us, and may
our national values ever remain the True North of our moral compass.