Vision 2030: What incoming government must put in place

Vision 2030 Managing Director Kenneth Mwige during an interview on November 20, 2020. [David Gichuru, Standard]

This month marks the expiry of the third phase of the country’s most ambitious long-term development plan, the Kenya Vision 2030.

The blueprint, which aims to transform Kenya into an industrialised middle-income country, is implemented through a five-year successive medium-term plans (MTPs) coinciding with elections.

Ahead of a transition election next August, the stage is set for the fourth MTP (2023-2027) anchored on economic recovery strategies. This is the second-last phase of Vision 2030, which has eight years remaining. In sharp scrutiny is the Kenya Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat, the body spearheading the implementation of the masterplan by ensuring close coordination by government ministries and counties.

The secretariat’s Director General Mr Kenneth Mwige maintains that the vision is on track and they have drawn lessons from the challenges faced during the implementation of previous MTPs to inform future strategies.

“Vision 2030 introduced a new way of planning and development in the country through long-term planning that transcends political regimes. The next administration comes and takes what it finds to the next level,” he told Financial Standard.

There are, however, underlying issues that may fill the in-tray of the next government. These include anchoring the blueprint in law, returning it to the Executive Office of the President and building its capacity.

With a staff of barely 50, the secretariat is stretched to the limit in a job that involves planning and pulling every corner of the two levels of government (national and county) in the same direction.

“It’s (coordination) the hardest thing...the work of the Vision is like that of a shepherd,” said Mr Mwige.  Of great help have been the County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) which cascade the planning and ensure counties are aligned.

“Policing implementation at the counties is not straightforward; you have governors and personnel changing hands…the normal human challenges,” he said.

“But everyone needs to know that there’s an overarching plan called Kenya Vision 2030 and you can’t stray far away because there are monitoring levels.”

The late President Mwai Kibaki had envisioned that Vision 2030 be under the Executive Office of the President.

Executive order

However, this is no longer the case and it is now domiciled under the National Treasury and Planning ministry as a department. However, the mandate of the secretariat requires it to be more powerful for most of the ideas to be executed – even through an executive order – as they are consequential and lengthy.

Interestingly, the Delivery Secretariat’s establishment was by a Gazette notice, which can be revoked. There is a need to anchor the master blueprint in legislation through, for example, an Act of Parliament, Mr Mwige said. To safeguard the country’s economic development strategy, he has been urging political parties to align their manifestos to Vision 2030.

As the various political outfits announce their economic models, it raises concern about whether they will ditch Vision 2030. “When a new administration takes over, it does what it thinks is important.”

To marry the national economic aspirations with political processes, the secretariat has been engaging the various stakeholders.

These include having an active working collaboration with the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) and other electoral process players such as Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) Kenya, Centre for Multi-Party Democracy work with political parties.

“The MTP development processes involve both counties and national government and room is created for the winning political party or coalition to have input before final MTP is launched.”

There have also been challenges in communicating government successes. “One of them is negative perceptions and attitudes by the citizenry of government successes. We also have limited budgetary allocations for media and branding,” said Mr Mwige.

Vision 2030, anchored on three pillars - economic, social and political - had assumed an ambitious annual economic growth of 10 per cent.

However, such growth has not been witnessed since its launch and the country sunk into negative growth in 2020 owing to the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic. But the economy is recovering and under the third MTP (2018 to 2022). It grew 7.5 per cent against the set target of 10 per cent by 2030. Mr Mwige came into office in July 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 but said they have done well so far.

One of his proudest achievements was launching the first Flagship Projects Progress Reports from 2008 to 2020.

The reports document every progress of Vision 2030 and are now released annually.

“Since taking over, my office ensured the issuance of criteria to all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and counties for identification of flagship programmes and projects,” he said.

His office also issued a circular on coordinated government communication on the achievement of Vision 2030 and the Big Four Agenda. Looking back at the Vision, Mr Mwige said one of the biggest gains has been the improvement of the delivery of government services.

Digitisation and automation

A good example is a trader bringing in a container through the Mombasa Port, which was previously a lengthy process to ensure compliance with multiple government agencies. Digitisation and automation of such processes have greatly reduced hurdles and time wastage.

Huduma Centres – the government’s deployment of digital technology and establishing citizen service centres across the country – have also been impactful and removed the red tape in access to services.

The third MTP, expiring in June, puts the Big Four as a priority and builds on the first and second MTP.

The third MTP’s target was to increase GDP annual growth from an average of 5.5 per cent achieved over the 2013-2017 period to seven per cent by end of the plan period.

Mr Mwige said there have been huge gains in health, education, ICT and infrastructure. Improving the transport and logistics network has also featured highly owing to its potential to unlock trade and access to the country.

The fourth MTP is set to start with the incoming government and prioritise the implementation of economic recovery strategies to re-position the economy on a steady and sustainable growth trajectory.

Key aims, noted Mr Mwige, include increased investments in improving infrastructure to lower the cost of doing business and also prioritise the creation of sustainable and decent employment opportunities.

To accelerate the realisation of the benefits of devolution, the plan will enhance capacity building and technical support to county governments. The fourth plan also aims to put in place incentives to attract both domestic and foreign investment including increased financing through a public-private partnership.

It will also strengthen bilateral and multilateral partnerships to access low-cost financing.