As much as the commotion caused in Parliament during President Kenyatta’s State of the Nation Address has been criticized, I believe the opposition had a strong reason to do so.
The manner in which they used to communicate their message though cannot undermine the message's significance.
The opposition had various complaints that I have looked into and considered valid. The success of a nation is measured by its economic growth.
Although President Kenyatta announced that the economy grew by 5.8 percent last year and estimated that this year it would rise by 6 percent, these percentages do not make any sense to a population that has not felt the benefits.
Inflation and the cost of living continues to escalate. Ordinary citizens continue to agonise over price increases and deficient social services.
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The education sector has a lot of issues to be addressed. Beginning with claims that some teachers were involved in the massive exam cheating that was characteristic of last year’s national examination.
There is also the commencement of the review of the 8-4-4 education system which faces dismissal.
The government has been unable to find a permanent solution to the teachers striking issue. This means that the problem might resurface and paralyse education just as last year’s strike did. Learning did not take place for five weeks in third term.
Curbing corruption remains the single most spectacular failure of the administration. It was even difficult for the President to pinpoint what he had done to address the vice. For instance devolution which was rocked by the misuse and misappropriation of funds.
Furthermore after the President released a list of 175 officials suspected of involvement in graft last year, not much has been done apart from five cabinet secretaries and some principal secretaries being sacked.
The scandalous loss of Sh791 million at the NYS and the inaction that followed remains a big challenge.
In addition, questions about the Eurobond and how the government is evading it has made it difficult to succeed in the war against graft.
Tribalism is still a major challenge in this regime. The pledge to promote national cohesion has not been realised.
Ethnic division remains strong and allegedly biased state appointments have resulted in marginalisation. The President made more pledges this year. I pray and hope that this time they will be fulfilled.
