Agriculture is kicking arse - esp horticulture - it not gov or private sector. Tourism is also back on track. Real estate is on a pause as people try to figure out Uhuru big 4. All other sectors are doing well - even manufacturing seem to back.I know financial sector is struggling with rate capping - but the mwananchi who is paying 13% interest is not complaining.
We need public investment in roads and rails. Look at say Bomet or Kericho county - we had very little tarmac before Jubilee - now everywhere I go there are low seal tarmac everywhere. There is electricity everywhere - street lights even in rural outposts. Counties have greatly improved murram roads, building small bridges and inter-connected rural areas.
Where I live in Nairobi - I am seeing sewers lines everywhere, the roads are being tarmacked & improved. Water is still a big challenge - both in rural and urban areas - and I hope gov can reverse this.
Maybe central is not feeling all these because they already enjoyed historical advantage. That is all I am seeing here. Otherwise for places like Turkana or Wajir - poverty is being halved as we speak!
Gov should continue to massively invest in roads, rails, electricity, sewers. Those that already have them - will complain - because they are not feeling the impact.
How come almost all the listed companies are issuing profit warnings? How come non performing loans have increased? The number of repos and auctions have increased? The problem is the private sector is struggling. Kenya economy is being driven by public sector and debt. Government has successfully crowded out the private sector.
The problem is the government is trying to do too much at the expense of the private sector. So people who are complaining don't want more government but less or at least not at inflated prices.
Therein lies the problem. To you development is building of roads sewer electricity etc at whatever cost and irrespective of demand. Real development is increase in productivity which leads to increase in incomes. If jubilee is investing in infrastructure which should encourage more trade, mt. kenya region would also be thriving since the region export bulk of what it produces. Coincidentally the weakest sector in the economy is retail and trade. Why, because kenyans don't have disposal incomes or its being eaten away by inflation.
Of course govt should invest in rd etc but at what cost? Just because bomet now has more roads that doesn't mean the locals income have increased. And most likely the roads have been built at inflated prices. So the locals are literally either paying high interest rates or lack credit . Because there's no liquidity the govt is sucking up money from private by borrowing and spending like drunken sailors. Money is being sucked from wanjiku to rich connected kenyans who're doing public works. Take electricity, jubilee is proud of increase in connections but it also means industries and middle class are subsidizing those connections which has meant high cost of elecricity overall.
Big Banks are doing well despite the capping of rates cause all they've to do is invest in treasuries at zero risk. Or extend mobile loans at shylock rates through the much vaunted fintechs.
BTW the economy slowed down 3rd quarter from 2nd 6.3% to 6% and i am willing to bet the 4th quarter will be below 6%. Even the pmi has been below 54 the last 4 months which means the economy isn't accelerating. Which it should given there's no external shocks that are buffeting the economy.
So in a nutshell mt. kenya region need not some preferential treatment just needs the real economy(increased incomes and more money in circulation) to grow cause that will trickle down even to the wanjiku in the village.
On construction isn't because of the big 4, its cause there's a glut in vacant buildings. The only reason why prices of houses and buildings haven't seriously tumbled its cause land prices haven't come down yet. Again there's no shortage of housing, there's low incomes. People who can't afford good decent housing.