Jubilee’s scorecard a mixed bag of goodies

NAIROBI: "Kenya's future," said President Uhuru Kenyatta in November 2015, " depends on upholding the highest standards of integrity in governance, in inclusivity and in the protection of peace." In an apparent moment of excess candour, Mr Kenyatta went on: "Corruption robs us of our security, our prosperity and our health. Corruption turns us against one another, it robs us of hope, it kills."

And so it was that an inter-ministerial public symposium was called yesterday to enumerate the achievements of the Jubilee -led government in the last three years. The general perception is that the Government could have done better. So although the meeting offered the Government a chance to read out its scorecard as they see it, recent revelations of grand corruption hang ominously in the air.

Indeed, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich is upbeat that at a growth of 6 per cent, the economy is doing well: at least 2.1 million people have been connected to the National Grid in the last three years; the Government contends that power generation has gone up by 600 megawatts thanks to geothermal power. Consequently, the cost of power has reduced considerably by at least 68 per cent. Elsewhere, there are commendable efforts to attract foreign direct investment and get tourists visiting our game parks and the sun-soaked beaches for the much-sought Forex earnings. Things are also looking up in the agricultural sector. And oil is cheap. Perfect recipe for growth you could say.

While this may sound good, the general contention is that the benefit has not trickled downwards; the cost of living is still way too high with no discernible drop in commodity prices; Inequality, runaway corruption, inefficiencies, wastage and insecurity is pulling back the economy. According to the EACC, on average, Sh600 billion of Government revenue is lost to corruption each year. That is staggering.

Such a revelation should trigger a serious clampdown on corruption from the authorities. The grim cost of corruption should provoke thought and action.