The Government is now changing tack in its war against terror, with President Uhuru Kenyatta acknowledging that defeating Al-Shabaab militants requires more than just military intervention.
Yesterday, the President said the Government had developed a major anti-radicalisation programme to counter extremism, reckoning that Kenya faced a new kind of enemy against whom conventional methods would not work.
"This enemy is a radicalised young man or woman who appears innocent but is devoted to death, division and destruction. To deal with this enemy, we must keep improving our methods and tactics," President Kenyatta said, stressing the need to stop radicalisation.
"We can't do this without the cooperation of parents, guardians, and religious leaders...Very shortly, all security organs, national and county governments, civil society groups and faith-based leaders, will begin to implement it," Uhuru said during an address marking the 52nd Madaraka Day celebration at Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi.
law graduate
The State is confronting reports that scores of youths, including university students, are being brainwashed into joining the dubious crusade waged by terrorists.
A law graduate reportedly led the attack in April on Garissa University College in which 148 people, mostly students, were killed. Dozens of youths have been reported missing by their parents with fears they have been recruited to join the terrorists operating from their hideouts in neighbouring Somalia.
The President said his government has done a lot to equip the police, empower the National Intelligence Service and criminal investigation institutions, and Kenya Defence Forces.
"Prevention is better than cure: and that is why we must stop them from being radicalised. We can't do this without the complete cooperation of parents, guardians, and religious leaders," said the Head of State. "Theirs is not a minor responsibility. Radicalisation does not always wear its intentions openly. Your child might appear devoutly religious, but you must be able to tell when radicalisation turns piety to evil."
He identified corruption, unemployment, inequality and poverty as other problems facing Kenyans and detailed measures his government was taking to address these.
On the back of ongoing graft investigations against top officials including Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and governors, he termed corruption as the foremost danger facing Kenya due to a large number of public officials engaging in the vice.
"I call on every Kenyan, be it in the public or private sector, to reflect on the question of upholding the tenets of good governance," he said.
On the ongoing corruption probe by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission involving senior State officials, he said: "On our side, we recently commenced very vigorous action to bring accountability to various allegations of corruption involving Government officials. We are serious about this and we will succeed."
The President criticised the Council of Governors for opposing the national government's Sh38 billion medical equipment leasing scheme, saying the programme would be rolled out in every county.
"Given the consequences of further delay, it is clear that this scheme can no longer be politicised. There is no good politics which prevents X-ray and dialysis machines from reaching those who need them."
To further ease the cost of healthcare, President Kenyatta announced his government is implementing a universal health cover through the National Hospital Insurance Fund that would ensure those expenses not met through free health schemes, would be underwritten through public medical insurance.
give tenders
To create more jobs and boost the local industry, the President said in the new financial year, his administration would strictly ensure that, as a minimum, 40 per cent of all goods and services procured by the Government at all levels, are locally produced.
This is in addition to the rule requiring 30 per cent of all tenders in Government institutions benefit the youth, women and persons with disabilities which he added has seen 8,464 companies win tenders worth billions of shillings.
The Government, he said, has raised capitation to secondary schools from Sh28 billion to Sh32 billion, and for primary schools from Sh14 billion to Sh15 billion.
Recruitment to the National Youth Service has risen to 31,000 in one year, and yesterday the President was to commission 7,000 youths who have just graduated as servicemen and women.
"They will be in the informal settlements in Nairobi and Kisumu, and in other counties across the country working together with residents to make the informal formal."
On infrastructure, he said the new Standard Gauge Railway would have reached Nairobi by 2017.
The President said 40,000 transformers would be distributed across the country to ease access to electricity whose connection fee has been reduced from Sh35,000 to Sh15,000.
By the close of this financial year 2014/15, the Government will have opened a total of 44 Huduma Centres, he said.
