Nairobi — The government will not go back on easing vetting of Kenyans living along the borders for issuance of identification documents, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has said.
The DP said the decision by President William Ruto remains in force and is meant to do away with past discriminatory tendencies targeting some communities.
Kindiki on Tuesday hosted Members of Parliament leaders from Northern Kenya for consultations on ongoing development projects at the Official Residence in Karen, Nairobi.
“I am happy with the policy interventions that dealt with discriminatory tendencies on issuance of IDs. They have made some sectarian people uncomfortable but we must do them for the sake of forging a united and prosperous country,” the DP said.
Further, Kindiki said the government is implementing a non-discriminative development agenda saying he is an advocate of equal treatment of all Kenyans.
“I am a great advocate of inclusion, equity and the indivisibility of Kenya and I believe every part of Kenya needs to be treated equally and places that have lagged behind deserve affirmative action from the government,” he affirmed.
In line with this, infrastructure projects including roads, electricity, water, affordable housing and construction of modern markets are ongoing in the northern parts under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda that aims to reinvigorate grassroots economies.
The DP assured that the Isiolo-Modogashe-Wajir-Kotulo-Elwak-Rhamu-Mandera will be completed as planned.
The 750km road intended to open up the region to economic takeoff is among other projects underway in the area.
The Deputy President praised the securitization of the roads levy saying it is an innovative way that has unlocked funds for revival of stalled roads across the country.
“Many contractors that had abandoned sites, some for over six years, are now back. The financing model will expedite the completion of the Northern Kenya roads including Lamu-Ijara-Garissa and Isiolo-Mandera Roads. The completion of this road will be a game-changer for the region and the whole of Kenya,” he stated.
The DP said the resistance of the Universal Health Coverage under SHA had faced serious resistance but has turned out to be successful after over 25.4 million Kenyans enrolled for it.
The focus now, he assured, is to fine tune it to get rid of emerging operational challenges like delays in approvals, fictitious payments and claims.
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“Right now half of Kenyans have medical cover. Every day we have over 50, 000 registering. By 2027 we will have over 35 million covered. It is a huge milestone. The debate now is how to perfect it,” he noted.
To ensure hospitals are equipped with medical equipment and medicine, the government is exploring various ways to curb shortage and loss.
“We are aligning medical supply with the institution. We want to ensure the medicine goes directly to the dispensary, the health centre or the hospital from KEMSA,” he said.
The DP also assured the leaders that the affordable housing project does not discriminate against any county as it is a national initiative.
“Kenya’s future is urban. In another 20 years, 60 percent of Kenyans will be living in urban centres. We will have urban centres in Wajir, Garissa, Mandera and the rest of the country. The housing and market construction program is timely and will help in raising the country’s profile,” he said.
The lawmakers appreciated the government’s expansive development agenda in the region saying it is the most intense since independence.
“We want the President to be reelected. We want this government to come back. We want all the projects to be taken off. For the first time in 63 years, we consider ourselves citizens of this country,” Dadaab MP Farah Maalim, also Patron of the North Eastern Parliamentary Caucus, said.
“There are individuals who have taken time to profile the community we represent. This is the time to push back the narrative,” said Eldas MP Adan Keynan, Chairman North Eastern Parliamentary Caucus.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
