My 10 issues to UDA
1) Ensure every Kenyan has piped water and electricity. This should not cost a lot. Electricity we are nearly 8m out 12m. We need to connect 4m - maybe 3m to main grid...and 1m in remote areas to off grid solution. Piped water is where we are far far back....maybe less than 50% of kenyans have piped wate....this need massive investment in dams....perhaps if you assume half the counties have issues...we need 25 mega dams....with supply lines.Reality - small water projects except gravity based - are not sustainable - they cannot even meet electricity cost for pumping water.
FINANCING: Electricity is cheap (see the WB bank loan to Last Mile). Water supply will require cooperation with counties - water supply is their main job.
2) Ensure all roads classified as D-A (Kerra, kura, kenha) are paved. This expensive but will have great pay-off. They are maybe 60,000kms such roads..we are maybe about 25,000kms now. We just need one big push and we are done with it. Counties can continue maintain murram in rural county roads and pave those in towns.
FINANCING - CREATE INFRA FUND- that is not dictated by budgetary cycles.
3) Fix Nairobi and other main cities traffic gridlock by investing in a metro, brt, more expressways and freeways. Nairobi is our engine - and it just need traffic - and housing fixed - and it will generate lots of wealth for kenya.
FINANCING - self financing/ BOT/BOOT/TOLL ROADS - most key roads can be tolled - and houses can be sold cheaply and profitably! Maybe only Metro/Light Rail will require Loan - Ethiopia did it with 0.5B dollars.. Nairobi can do a proper one at 1-2B dollars.
4) Provide employment to millions - by engaging in huge constructions - to fill the housing deficit - and also see 2#- to build roads. We cannot have 90% of our urban population renting.
FINANCING - see 2 - build huge residential house cheaply in all the 47 towns by tapping chinese construction engine. Self financing - if houses are cheap. Primary teacher can afford to buy 1million 2 bedroom house in Kericho town - and tenants too.
5) For manufacturing - replicate Athi River EPZ model nationally - build special economic zones strictly for export only companies- where companies enjoy diplomatic immunity, labor laws, unions, taxes - are suspended - also ensure electricity is cheap - and tax holidays. All the companies in these economic zones need to ensure is that they don't sell locally and they employ thousands. That is all we care about - employment and providing export forex.
Financing - FREE - Give them TAX BREAKS - FREE LAND - as long as it EPZ/ SEZ.
6) Privatize nearly all public companies and parastal - these should be listed at NSE and sold for public through IPOS - except those that strictly deal with regulation and critical services - use the money to pave all roads, provide water and electricity to everyone.
FINANCE. Use the proceeds to start Infrastructure Fund - to fund paving of roads and pipping of water. Safaricom alone can contribute 5B dollars.
7) Urbanize kenya - by building 47 cities from the current 47 county towns - by investing massively in housing, EPZ, paving all roads, acquiring land compulsory in those zones within city limits - and encourage people to move to cities - and save the farmland.
FINANCE - LINKED TO MANUFACTURING AND CHEAP AFFORDABLE DECENT HOUSING.
Reduce corruption, red-tape and continue with reforms on 'Ease of Doing' business. Reduce overregulation. Fix judicial backlog. Fix police and insecurity.
9) Continue with social investment - ensure universal health coverage by NHIF - make it compulsory for everyone to have NHIF. The police should arrest anybody without NHIF. Reform NHIF - poor should pay 100shs per month - while the rich shouldn't pay 2,000 - but some % of their salary - maybe 2% - so if you're earning 200,000 - that is 4,000. Eliminate user fees people pay in gov hospitals. Hospitals outpatients should be free - because everyone has NHIF.
NHIF/NSSF - RUTO ALREADY ON BOARD HERE
10) Invest in massive irrigation schemes - in Luo Nyanza, Coast, Ukambani and such areas - that are awash with water and are in lower basins ideal for irrigation - and land. Grow cheap food. Maximize the water from Tana, Athi river and the western kenya rivers.
LOWERLAND KENYA MARSHALL PLAN - kenya highlands do well in agriculture - time to focus on lowlands that have rivers flowing through it.