What awaits Ruto cabinet secretaries in actualising hustler dream

Ministry of Agriculture Livestock Development-- Franklin Mithika Linturi

• Over 3.1 million Kenyans facing starvation
• Rising cost of food has sent inflation to levels last seen over 5 years ago
• Food imports have increased from 10 to 17 percent of goods imports over the last decade showing dwindling local production
• Continued reliance on rain fed agriculture amid increasing drought instances
• 83% of Kenya's land area being Arid and Semi-Arid but only 2% percent of arable land is under irrigation
• Kenya's maize production has been declining forcing imports to rise
• Cost of farm inputs such as fertilizer are on rise and subsidy faces test of cartels
• Chicken and animal feeds raw material subsidy is ending October
• Kenyan farms are generally small and shrinking and are becoming uneconomical to operate
• Actualise Ruto dream of increasing productivity of key value food chains and cut basic food imports by 30%

Ministry of Education-- Ezekiel Machogu

• Competency-Based Curriculum has entered critical stage but criticism still abound
• Ruto has ordered a review on the CBC but his deputy has clarified there is no plan of phasing it out.
• Government lagging behind on building classrooms to accommodate learners transitioning to junior secondary schools
• Debate on scrapping boarding schools still abound
• New CS expected to actualize Ruto dream of hiring 116,000 teachers within two financial years
• Actualise Ruto promise to merge HELB, TVET and University Funding Board under a National Skill & Funding Council
• Actualise Ruto dream of doubling money allocated to school feeding programme
• Implement Ruto promise of paying for in-service teacher trainings initiated by State

Ministry of Health- Susan Nakhumicha Wafula

• Majority of Kenyans burdened by health costs
• Ensuring over half of the dormant NHIF members reactivate payment to enjoy insurance services
• There is weak community health care which has seen many people lose lives
• Public hospitals are few and face shortage of drugs, beds and doctors and therefore condemns many people to private facilities
• Roll out and ensure success of Ruto's dream of publicly financed primary healthcare
• Set up national fund for chronic and catastrophic illness and injury costs not insured
• Establish level 6 hospitals in 6 new sites as promised by Ruto
• Eradicate malnutrition within five years as promised in Ruto manifesto.
• Employ an initial 20,000 health care workers and gradually increase this as promised by Ruto
• Digitize health records as promised by Ruto

Ministry of youth affairs, Sports and Arts- Ababu Namwamba

• There were 959,889 youth (15-34 years) classified as unemployed by March 2021
• 67 million youth classified as not in labour force by March 2021
• Youth not in the education system and not working or being trained for work totaled 3 million by March 2021
• The FIFA ban on Kenya's premier league is still on
• The start of 2022/2023 premier league season is in a limbo as clubs disown caretaker committee picked by CS Amina last year
• The Jubilee administration promise on stadiums still hangs on
• Many sports men and women are retiring to a life of penury
• Dwindling fortunes of corporates has seen many sports entities starved of sponsorship money
• National Youth Talent Academy (NYTA) not inclusive of all sports and also not doing much to grow grassroots talent
• New CS expected to return Kenya to international football as promised by Ruto
• The CS also expected to work on keeping alive the Safari Rally
• The CS will also have to find ways of mainstreaming arts and culture and convert it into money for millions of youth

Ministry of Labour and Social Protection-- Florence Bore

• Many Kenyans lost jobs while others suffered pay cuts in the wake of Covid
• Workers have endured inflation adjusted pay cuts for second year running
• Cases of fake jobs amid rising unemployment are rampant
• Many Kenyans working overseas such as in Middle East subjected to torture
• There is a rising pool of distressed Kenyans seeking social protection
• Many firms not implementing the minimum wages as declared by government
• National Safety Net Program currently supporting around 1.4 million beneficiaries yet around 13 million children in need of assistance
• Senior citizens grappling with income insecurity and inadequate health services

Ministry of National Treasury and Planning- Njuguna Ndung'u

• Public debt is at Sh8.563 trillion and there's pressure for govt to slow down on fresh debt
• Debt ceiling is Sh10 trillion, leaving thin room to borrow more
• Inflation is now at over five-year high and has breached govt's range of 5% to 7.5%
• There is IMF pressure for radical reforms on parastatals such as KQ and Kenya Power
• There are over Sh500 billion pending bills which need to be prioritized
• The shilling is on a weakening streak against the dollar and import costs are rising
• Subsidies such as those on fuel are proving unsustainable
• Ruto wants a review on checks involved in handling Sh1m and above and CS will have to work with CBK on this

Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMEs development -- Simon Chelugui

• Many small businesses are struggling to access credit
• Majority of MSMEs faced with multiple fees, levies and taxes
• Address concerns of rising number of mushrooming Saccos facing liquidity and supervision challenges
• CS expected to lead in reviewing and rationalising all business licenses as promised by Ruto
• CS will also have to push for legislation to cap total licences cost at 1.5 percent of turnover
• The CS will ensure the Sh50 billion annual allocation for providing MSMEs with 100% access to affordable finance as pledged in Ruto manifesto comes to life
• CS will also have to ensure he delivers MSME Business Development Centre in every ward as promised by Ruto in the manifesto

Ministry of energy and petroleum-- Davis Chirchir

• Address the rising cost of fuel even as state drops subsidy
• Address calls to review the role of independent power producers
• Accelerate development of geothermal and wind energy
• Provide legislation to promote development of micro-grids
• Work with the private sector to accelerate the move from fossil fuels to green energy
• Address concerns about fair revenue sharing between mining companies and communities
• Ensure Kenyan taxpayers and surrounding communities get the full benefits of the ongoing oil prospecting in Lamu and Turkana
• Lay ground and establish single consumer protection oversight agency for all utilities as promised by Ruto
• Set up a legal framework to ring-fence the fuel stabilisation fund as pledged in manifesto

Ministry of Information, Communication and Digital Economy- Eliud Owalo

• Fast track the completion of the Konza City technopolis
• Ensure the Sh2.5bn annual allocation to Kenya ICT startups as promised in manifesto works
• Review the recently enacted ICT law as promised in manifesto
• Implement the Kenya National Digital Masterplan 2022-2032
• Implement the National Broadband Policy to extend the fibre optic footprint to 100,000 kilometers
• Guide the country's rollout of commercial 5G
• Implement policies on the adoption of Artificial Intelligence and Block chain technologies in accordance to the findings of the taskforce on the same
• Oversee the digitisation of public records in state departments, ministries and counties
• Facilitate the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, ODPC to widen its mandate
• Fast track the completion of the Konza City technopolis
• Ensure construction of 100,000 kilometer fiber optic connectivity network as is in manifesto
• Roll out fibre to counties, villages, schools, over 24,000 businesses and homes as in manifesto

Ministry of EAC, arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) and regional development-- Rebecca Miano

• Address dissatisfaction between Kenya and Uganda exporters
• Address falling exports to Uganda, Kenya's biggest trade partner
• Address concerns of EAC member states over Kenya's trade deal with the US and UK
• Over 3.1 million Kenyans are facing starvation and require aid
• Address the ongoing conflict in the DRC, the regional bloc's latest entrant
• Review the application of Somalia to join the regional block

Ministry of Environment and Forestry- Soipan Tuya

• Pursue Kenya's commitment to COP 26 solutions on climate change
• Implement the plan to rid single-use plastics by 2030
• Maintain re-afforestation targets amid talks to resume farming in forests
• Lead in establishing five million acres agro-forestry woodlots in drylands as promised by Ruto
• Decriminalise the charcoal trade without hurting forest cover as promised in manifesto

Ministry of roads, transport and public works--Kipchumba Murkomen

• Create incentives for adoption of electric mass transit systems in all cities and towns as promised by Ruto in manifesto
• Deal with the rising number of accidents on roads
• Prioritize upgrading and maintenance of rural access roads as pledged in manifesto
• Complete all roads under construction as promised in manifesto
• Conclude development of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit system
• Conclude tendering and development of Nairobi Light Rail system
• Address concerns about existing major roads that have been neglected e.g. old Mombasa Road
• Ensure success of SGR project as port operations revert to Mombasa and use of SGR for cargo is made optional

Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs-- Salim Mvurya

• Address plight of artisanal miners including unsafe sights and exploitation
• Seafarers with training gaps and rising labour disputes
• Blue economy identified as a priority sector under Kenya's Vision 2030 development agenda but no much progress in realising full potential

Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development-- Zachariah Mwangi Njeru

• Start and oversee settlement Fund to acquire land and resettle up to one million landless families as promised in manifesto
• Deliver new 250,000 affordable houses every year through public-private partnerships as is in manifesto
• Grow number of mortgages to one million as is in the manifesto
• Roll out incentives to developers to build more affordable houses
• Collapsing of buildings, a scare for urban dwellers and solution needed

Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage-- Penina Malonza

• Tourism numbers yet to recover and so interventions are needed
• Pressure to diversify Kenya's tourism by promoting niche market products as promised in manifesto
• Wildlife population and heritage sites coming under threat from human activities
• Nurturing a tourism ecosystem that supports local tourism
• Helping Kenya diversify tourism source markets to include African market

Ministry of Interior and National Administration -Kithure Kindiki

• Operationalising financial autonomy of the National Police Service after transfer of their budget from the Office of the president
• Continued clamp down on extremist groups like Al-Shabab and Juvenile gangs
• Address insecurity in northern Kenya and cut proliferation of illegal firearms
• Find solution to security threats in volatile areas such as West Pokot, Baringo, Laikipia, Samburu and Marsabit
• Oversee completion of reforms in the security docket
• Actualize the setting up of contributory benevolent fund for families of fallen and terminal ill officers as pledged by Ruto manifesto
• Roll out insurance cover for loss of life on duty for all government
• Harmonization of affordable housing mortgage for officers in security docket

Ministry of Defence-- Aden Duale

• Actualize Ruto's pledge to review salaries and insurance for military officers
• Ensure peace in the region by managing Kenya's contribution to the Standby brigade in DRC
• There is continued call for withdrawal of KDF from Somalia and he will have to confront this

Water, Sanitation and Irrigation--Alice Wahome

• Accelerating the implementation of water sector reforms
• There are increasing instances of drought and yet Kenya continues to rely on rain-fed farming
• Only 2% of arable land is under irrigation and this leaves many farmers exposed
• Confronting the stalled Galana-Kulalu irrigation project issue
• About 22 million people lack access to improved sanitation and national sewerage coverage is at 16%

Foreign and Diaspora Affairs-- Alfred Mutua

• Articulate Kenya's foreign policy in quest to promote and protect its national interests
• Strengthen Kenya's voice in local, continental, and global affairs, continue to lead efforts to advance regional stability and peace, aid global initiatives to counteract violent extremism, and cooperate with other countries as a reliable ally or neighbor
• Creation of a State Department to address issues affecting diaspora citizens as promised in manifesto
• Unlocking full potential of Kenyans in diaspora by facilitating their investment locally
• Roll out safety net for distressed diaspora citizens as promised in the manifesto

Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action- Aisha Jumwa

• Address issue of aging public service workforce
• Two-thirds gender rule in elective and appointive positions in public sector a sticky issue
• Ensuring 100% enforcement of the spousal consent legal provisions in land transactions as pledged in manifesto

Trade, Investment and Industry-- Moses Kuria

• Ensuring roll out of Sh50 billion annually to support small businesses
• Business are complaining of multiple taxes across counties and in national govt and the CS will have to deal with this
• Suppliers and contractors are decrying the rising pending bills
• There is a rising number of informal and digital businesses that are angling for growth

Compiled by Standard Checkpoint