Uhuru Kenyatta convenes 4-day Cabinet retreat to review government performance

President Uhuru Kenyatta.

By Job Weru

Nanyuki, Kenya: Members of the cabinet started arriving in Nanyuki Monday for a four-day retreat to review the performance of the government.

President Uhuru Kenyatta will chair the meeting at the Mt Kenya Safari Club in Nanyuki .

It is the first time the cabinet is holding an informal meeting to review the progress made during its first year in government.

With most of the cabinet meetings being held at State House Nairobi, holding a meeting outside the capital is more of a bonding session than the formal gathering.

“It is a working retreat that would see the cabinet members bond and review their individual achievements. It will be going on till Thursday,” said the official.

The cabinet is also expected to draw a working plan to ensure that the Jubilee manifesto is implemented.

“The executive branch of government will for three days (4-6 March 2014) reflect on its progress toward the targets in the Jubilee manifesto, Vision 2030, and the new constitution,” said State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu in a press statement.

Key in the agenda is the Constitution, public affairs and public finance.

Monday, the venue of the meeting was a hive of the activity as preparations entered the homestretch.

Some Cabinet ministers had already arrived at the hotel ready for the meeting.

The meeting comes at a time when the government is facing numerous challenges.

Insecurity and challenges on devolution are causing the government sleepless nights as criminal activities rise.

Terrorism threat and the South Sudan crisis have pre-occupied the government in the past few months with talks of an impending reshuffle always in the grapevine.

The issue of looming famine might also come up at the retreat where Deputy President William Ruto is also expected to attended

At the same time, the government is yet to deliver on one of the key pledges in the election-the delivery of laptops to children joining class one- three months after the pupils joined school.

The controversy surrounding the standard gauge railway line has also bogged down the smooth operations of the government.