DISPATCH FROM CABINET
Tuesday, 28th February, 2023
PRESIDENT William Samoei Ruto, PhD, C.G.H., has this morning chaired a meeting of the nation’s apex policy organ, Cabinet, at State House, Nairobi.
TODAY’S CABINET MEETING considered policy imperatives to anchor the implementation of the Administrations transformative plan as espoused in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BeTA), which posits socio-economic liberation as the great task of our time.
ON THE STATE of the nation’s security, Cabinet was apprised on the ongoing joint security operation in the North Rift region of the country. The meeting observed that the task of conclusively eradicating cattle rustling and banditry attacks that had in part been ‘normalized’ by the affected communities as a cultural way of life was a top priority of the Administration.
CABINET ALSO received a status report on the ongoing drought as well as the support being rendered to vulnerable households and school-going children through the school feeding programme. The meeting observed that the State’s humanitarian support actions towards the drought, was being fortified through enhanced partnerships with our development partners. In that regard, Cabinet approved the appropriation of a further Ksh. 4 Billion to the nation’s drought alleviation programme.
THE NATION’S TOP policy organ also considered our nation’s human health situation, as well as the health of Kenya’s flora and fauna, as part of the Administration’s quest to lead the nation to a path of sustainable development in addressing the devastating effects of climate change.
ON EDUCATION, Cabinet considered the progress being made in the implementation of the transition to the Junior Secondary School, which is part of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). The Cabinet directed that to foster equal opportunity to all our nation’s children, even where the transition to Junior Secondary School may warrant a change of uniform, no student should be turned away from school for lack of school uniform so long as they are kitted in their primary school uniforms.
CABINET SANCTIONED early preparations for the 2023 national examinations, being KCPE and KCSE, as well as the taking of national examinations by the second cohort of Grade 6 learners in the form of the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).
AS PART OF THE Administration’s agenda on entrenching the ethos of good governance as part of our national life, Cabinet considered and approved the Conflict of Interest Bill, 2023. The Bill seeks to provide a framework for the management of conflict of interest on the part of State and Public Officers arising from the discharge of their official duties.
THE PROPOSED LAW will herald a new dawn in the management of public affairs by introducing strong legal safeguards against real, apparent, or potential conflict between the private interests of public servants on one hand and the public interest and their official duties on the other.
THIS PARADIGM SHIFT, once enacted into law, would mark the end of the era where public servants would subordinate their official duties to their private and commercial interests. Cabinet has also reviewed the previous Cabinet decision of 1971 adopting the Ndegwa Commission Report of 1971’s recommendation that public servants be given nearly unlimited scope to engage in private interests and commercial affairs.
TO GIVE THE NATION the assurance that our labour will bear bountiful fruit, Cabinet also considered various policy interventions geared towards enhancing the contribution of our nation’s greatest asset – our people, as the lynchpin of our socio-economic renaissance.
IN TAPPING OUR NATION’S newest and most promising frontier of growth as we enhance our influence within the community of nations, Cabinet considered the National Migration Policy. The Policy positions our nation’s human resource at the heart of Kenya’s growth strategy by addressing the profound internal systemic inefficiencies that deny us the opportunity to fully explore the immense opportunities available on the international stage.
THIS SEMINAL POLICY is expected to enhance Kenya’s international presence and influence by better coordinating labour migration and the protection of the rights of migrant workers. This will have the added benefit of increasing the number of Kenyans working lawfully and safely abroad, which in turn is expected to result in a doubling of diaspora remittances to Kenya – our nation’s leading foreign exchange earner.
IN ADDRESSING the challenges of realizing sustainable energy mix occasioned by the prolonged drought, Cabinet approved the lifting of the moratorium on Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) as a way of enhancing our nation’s energy security through opening up the energy sector for continued investments. Cabinet further approved a framework for transparent engagement of independent power producers in keeping with the Renewable Energy Auction Policy.
THE POLICY FRAMEWORK is a break from the current negotiated procurement or feed-in tariffs (FITs). Therefore, the new framework will enable the State to procure clean energy at prices that reflect those prevailing in the market, giving consumers the benefit of competition in pricing.
IN FURTHERANCE of the national endeavour to realize energy security as a catalyst for economic development, Cabinet approved the implementation of the 40 MW Olkaria I additional Unit 4 & 5 and Olkaria IV Unit 1 & 2 uprating power project.
IN SUPPORT OF DEVOLUTION and our County Governments, Cabinet considered the County Governments (Revenue Raising Process) Bill, 2022 in light of the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC). Principally, the Bill regulates the introduction of taxes, fees, and charges by County Governments.
THE SAFEGUARDS CONTAINED in the proposed legislation enhance the ease of doing business within the nation by eliminating the arbitral introduction of taxes, fees, and levies by any of Kenya’s devolved units. In that regard, if the law is enacted the issuance by County Governments of new taxes, fees, and charges shall require a consultative process involving both levels of Government before the same can come into effect.
IN KEEPING WITH the global best practice on Debt Limit Policy, and in furtherance of the Administration’s quest to realize inter-generational equity through sustainable debt management, Cabinet considered the legislative proposal to harmonize the definition of ‘Public Debt’ in the Public Finance Management Act, 2012 and the attendant Regulations with the spirit and letter of Article 214 (2) of the Constitution of Kenya. In that regard, Cabinet approved the transmittal to Parliament of the legislative proposals replacing the nominal debt ceiling of Ksh. 10 trillion with a debt anchor set at 55 percent of GDP in present value terms.
TO ENTRENCH THE PRODUCTIVITY of the Public Service, Cabinet was apprised of the outcome of the FY 2021/22 Performance Contracting Cycle of all Ministries, State Departments, and State Agencies. Whereas the results are a vivid account of the priorities set and successes achieved during the previous Administration, the results also affirm the enduring nature of the Government of Kenya.
IN THAT REGARD, and as part of deepening a performance-based culture within Government, the performance management function has been elevated and is now vested in the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary. This is expected to entrench productivity as the Administration’s Mantra while also enhance accountability. To realize this objective, the Administration’s first contracting cycle will crystalize the Ministerial Priorities approved during the Cabinet Retreat held at the beginning of the year.
IN ADDRESSING THE health of the nation as part of Administration’s Universal Health Coverage plan, Cabinet approved the development of a centres of excellence for health education and training seeking to improve cancer care in Kenya; as well as the of healthcare workers between Kenya and the United Kingdom under the Kenya UK Health Alliance (KUKHA) framework.
AS THE FIRST STEP towards the actualizing these measures which promise to realize high quality tertiary healthcare services covering the Western Lake and South Rift Regions of Kenya, Cabinet observed that treatments and research of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Respiratory Diseases, Sickle Cell, Malaria, HIV, Mental Health, and Cancer Care and Treatment would be delivered through the following universities: Kisii University, Egerton University, Maseno University, Masinde Muliro University, Kibabii University, and Bomet University College.
IN FURTHERANCE OF our nation’s foreign policy and to cement the place of Nairobi as a Diplomatic Hub, Cabinet considered the proposed amendments to the Privileges and Immunities Act. The amendments seek to foster diplomatic hosting and engagements in Kenya by promoting the socio-economic contributions of various Kenya-hosted entities; including the United Nations and its specialized agencies, Foreign Diplomatic Missions, Consulate Generals and Consular Posts, International Governmental Organizations (IGOs), and Agencies with operations facilitated by the Government of Kenya through Host Country Agreements (HCAs).
IN RECOGNITION OF the improved business environment, and in affirmation of our place of esteem as a top destination for regional and continental offices, Cabinet approved the granting of Host Country Status to Plan International, as it seeks to operationalize its global headquarters in Kenya. Plan International is an internationally acclaimed not-for-profit humanitarian and development organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Established in 1937, Plan International has an active presence in 75 countries across the world.
The grant of approval by Cabinet means that Plan International can now move its global headquarters from London, UK to Nairobi, Kenya.
THIS MOVE IS A SIGNIFICANT boost to Kenya’s status as a leading investment and economic hub, and comes hot on the heels of J.P. Morgan, a leading global financial conglomerate, choosing to establish their regional headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
SIMILARLY, CABINET approved the hosting of the East African Community Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency’s Regional Centre for Aviation Medicine in Nairobi, Kenya. The Centre will serve all East African Community as an Aviation Hub for Member States by providing services across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South-Sudan, and DRC.
THE ADMINISTRATION’S resolve to improve the lives of all Kenyan’s through economic and social equity remains at the core of the Cabinet’s agenda as manifestly set out in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BeTA).
Download Dispatch: Despatch from Cabinet – 28.02.2023
CABINET OFFICE
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Tuesday, 28th February, 2023
