Uhuru promises to boost economy

By Tobias Chanji

Mombasa, Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday stressed his campaign pledge of growing the economy at double digits annually to boost employment and spur development.

Uhuru said that his government will focus on strengthening the agricultural sector as a source of livelihood to address hunger and also in order to increase personal incomes and also create jobs.

“To achieve this, my government will be aiming at strengthening the small scale and micro enterprise sector that employs the majority especially the youth by ensuring that they have access to affordable loans for starting up or expanding their business,” said the head of state as he opened the 88th Rotary District conference at Leisure Lodge Beach and Golf Resort in Ukunda, Thursday.

The president lauded the work being done by the various rotary clubs in the region through assisting the less fortunate in the region.

“I remain impressed by the commitment of Rotarians to identifying the needs of various committees and working to develop sustainable projects to meet those needs initiated to increase literacy, combat hunger, promote healthcare and facilitate access to clean water,”he stated .

Uhuru said his government will foster equal distribution of resources in Kenya through devolved government so as to address conflicts that occur as communities compete over scarce resources.

“We want to improve provision of water including irrigation in the arid and semi arid parts of our country in order to further enhance food security,” he added.

The president also he will seek to diversify exports, add value to products and target new markets. To achieve these, he promised to deepen relations with Kenya's neighbours.

Uhuru said Jubilee will invest heavily in the information and technology sector in order to make Kenya a digital hub of the region that is also globally competitive.