Why I turned to the military when others failed - President Uhuru Kenyatta

President Uhuru Kenyatta during the 59th Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1, 2022. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

President Uhuru Kenyatta has justified his incorporation of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) into state agencies.

Speaking today at the Madaraka Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, Uhuru was quick to enumerate why he has had to involve the military.

“When we took over in 2013, we had some state corporations, that were rotten from the core. We had to drain the swamp from the inside out. But we had to balance the cleanup exercise with accelerated performance,” said Uhuru.

Some of these government agencies include the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) which has been headed by Lt. Gen. Mohamed Badi.

Until his appointment, Badi was a senior Air Director at the National Defence College.

The Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) is also now run by the KDF. The president in May 2021 transferred the meat processor to the Ministry of Defence, saying the move was aimed at salvaging the livestock sector.

“Some have accused me of militarising our country; I have no such intention. Kenya is a democracy and shall always remain a democracy. But I did not hesitate and will not hesitate to use our disciplined services to correct and do that which others have failed to do," he said.

"We turn to our disciplined forces, and we summon them to the course of nation-building. And the record must reflect that they have not disappointed us.”

While giving examples, Uhuru pointed out what he considers success stories through his venture.

“When we gave them the Kenya Meat Commission to manage, they turned it into a profit-making enterprise within a year," said Uhuru. 

"The other institution worth of mention is the Kenya Shipyard Limited. This institution had collapsed due to mismanagement and corruption, and then last year we handed it over to the disciplined forces. Today this corporation is poised to have the largest shipyard in sub-Saharan Africa.” Said Kenyatta.

Other projects that were handled by the KDF include the Uhuru Gardens National Monument and Museum.