We are going far guided by the vision of our forefathers and by Vision 2030

First let me express my sincere gratitude for your having found it fit, to hold this dinner to mark my half a century in Parliament and 10 years as president.


When I first addressed Parliament on July 23, 1963, it was a few months after our Independence. In fact, I had just been appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury.

The Speaker then, Mr Humphrey Slade, requested me to speak for just five minutes. I turned down that request and instead asked that I be allowed to speak the next day on the development estimates of just 14 million pounds, equivalent to today’s Sh280 million.

When I look back at the journey we have travelled in the last 50 years, I thank God for guiding Kenya through many challenges and the many opportunities that He has opened up for our beloved country.

At the age of 30, I was privileged to have worked with great Kenyan leaders such as Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Tom Mboya, Daniel arap Moi, Masinde Muliro, and Ronald Ngala, to mention just a few.

Steering a newly- independent nation was a great challenge. Our people emerging from the yoke of colonialism had very high expectations. Fifty years ago, we had to put our priorities right and thus we had to ensure a proper mix of private and public sector participation in the economy.

We sought to fight poverty, disease and ignorance. As one of those who helped shape the destiny of our nation, I will let others pass judgement on our record. I must, however, say that I am happy with what we have done for our nation.

I believe that we have collectively come from far.

We are still far, but most importantly, we are going far guided by the vision of our founding fathers and Vision 2030. The expansion of quality education is enhancing the fight against ignorance; our poverty levels are gradually dropping, while our people are enjoying better health standards as evidenced by increased life expectancy that now stands at 64 years.

To talk of my experiences in Parliament, and as president, would take most of this evening, so let me not get into too many details. However, those of you in this room will be getting a copy of a book that we have put together with some of the contributions that I have made over the years in Parliament. I hope you will enjoy the read.

As I reflect on my five decades in Parliament, I am hopeful of the next five decades and beyond. I am confident that the future is bright for our nation.

First, I am very proud of our country’s human resource base. It is first class and today we can confidently say that we are producing globally competitive citizens who can work anywhere in the world. We must not relent in our efforts to give our children a good education. Let us also cherish the virtues of hard work.

Second, we are putting technology to good use. Technology is what will enable us to move at faster speeds than today’s developed nations. Indeed, because of technology, we do not need to go through the learning curves of development. We have proved it with I.C.T. innovations. But let us invest more in technology.

Third, we must safeguard our position as the regional transport and financial hub. Kenyans have proved to be outward-looking people who quickly see opportunities outside our borders. Let us be true and faithful citizens of East Africa and let us treat our fellow East Africans as brothers and sisters.

I am also confident that the newfound-mineral and oil discoveries will catapult our economy to the next level. We must prepare for these discoveries and ensure they work for the good of present and future generations. We must, however, guard against the curse of mineral and oil resources that have been known to destabilise nations. Let us learn from the best global experiences in this area.

Finally, we are today the proud custodians of a modern Constitution. That Constitution and our Vision 2030 are guides to issue-based politics, social equity and economic prosperity. We must never pay lip-service to these documents. From being proud custodians, we must also be faithful implementers of what they outline, especially as we prepare for a devolution.

For you who will be running in the elections, I convey my best wishes now and in the future. I also thank the people of the then Doonholm Constituency and Othaya for their confidence in my leadership.

Let me also wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
source nation.co.ke

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