Lobby gives 'economic manifesto' proposals

Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) CEO Carole Kariuki addresses members of the press on March 2, 2022 at Serena Hotel, in Nairobi. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

The Kenya Private Sector Alliance yesterday presented a proposed Private Sector Economic Manifesto outlining five key areas businesses need the government to address. 

They presented the economic manifesto during a meeting with ODM leader Raila Odinga.

The private sector lobby said yesterday’s meet was the first in what will be a series of engagements with the presidential candidates in the run up to this year’s General Election.

Kepsa said the five priority areas should be captured in all manifestos and also form part of the working plan by the administration that will take over after the August poll .

If addressed, the lobby said, the priority areas had potential to change the country and see the Kenyan economy take off.

The priority areas for businesses are job and wealth creation, social transformation, enhanced governance and economic stability, business competitiveness, and innovation and investment.

“Poor governance and corruption stifle economic and social development by increasing the cost of business while creating distortions in public expenditures. We believe that increasing the digitisation of government processes will enhance transparency and efficiency within key processes and delivery of services, which can be achieved by the adoption of block chain for quality control, traceability and transparency,” said Carole Kariuki, the Kepsa chief executive.

Raila also said his government would be keen on the Buy-Kenya-Build-Kenya campaign as a means to create jobs and grow local industries.

Though spearheaded by the government, the campaign that was aimed at supporting local enterprises has registered dismal success, with many of the government entities preferring to import goods that are locally available.

He also said if elected, his administration would embark on reviewing the Public Private Partnerships Act, which he noted has failed in attracting both foreign and local investors to finance major infrastructural projects.

While PPP has in the past been seen as a tool that could substantially tame the government's appetite for debt, only a handful projects have been undertaken through the model.

These are largely in power production and recently in roads, with the Nairobi Expressway and the yet to commence Rironi-Mau Summit Road being the only roads built using the model. “We are going to promote private sector participation in several fields including infrastructure,” he said.