[Pictures from this weekends event can be found at this link.]
After listening to Hon. Amos Kimunya speak, I can see why he is so electable. It’s rare that you find a politician who is so approachable and forthcoming in his dialogue. The presentation he gave was both informative and humerous.
Best quote:
“Compare the size of the windshield to the the size of the rearview mirror. Let that tell us what we should be paying attention to.”
Amos Kimunya’s presentation in images can be found here. [in PDF format]
[Note, you can view the presentations of the other speakers at Kenyans 4 Kenya.]
March 25, 2007 at 9:25 pm
Hash:
I like the way you have layed out your summaries. They are very detailed , the pictures are so professional. I’m sure they will be a favorite for many of your readers.
All in all the event was wonderful. The highlight for me was meeting you and Joshua Wanyama. In fact I am working on the final installment for the Diaspora Investment series and will talk about why I think that us meeting each other was so significant.
Othewise, I really hope that you made it back OK. Thanks!!!
March 25, 2007 at 11:03 pm
Why didn’t they post the Minister’s presentation online? Considering Kenyans’ wholly justified scepticism over their leaders’ declarations, it just makes it seem like there’s something he is hiding.
March 25, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Re the investment environment: Did the Minister mention the promissory notes that were given to Anglo Leasing and Finance Limited? Billions of shillings are likely to be lost because the government won’t come clean on what happened. See
http://publications.marsgroupkenya.org/GAP_Report2_Passports/GAP2_Report_Web_Version.pdf
March 26, 2007 at 12:43 am
Hash,
After reviewing your pictures of the slide presentation, and without the benefit of hearing the Minister’s verbal explanations (I hope these were recorded and will be available online at some point), here are my initial reactions. I find it less than impressive.
After presenting a rosy picture ofour economy under Kibaki, he drops this bombshell without bothering to explain: “Some have argued that the recent growth momentum is due to a change in the way GDP has been calculated. This cannot be supported by the facts.”
Further on, regarding the fight against poverty, agricultural reforms, increases in government revenue collection, increased expenditure in health, education and water provision, higher disbursements under LATF and CDF are presented as if they are ends in themselves. The impact on rural poverty is hardly discussed except for vacuous statements such as “The strong rebound in growth of the agricultural sector has impacted positiely on rural incomes where most of the poor Kenyans live.”
The economic decay Kenya experienced over the last 40 years was largely due to kleptocratic and incompetent governance. However, the Kibaki administration efforts in this regard merited only one out of the 33 slides presented by the Minister. And that single slide is also full of meaningless generalisations. Though he claims the government has “taken administrative actions to reduce corruption in public sector”, no mention is made of any concrete achievements in the fight against corruption (to be fair to the gentleman, there have been none). Introduction of legislation is again presented as an end in itself as is “creating anti-corruption awareness”.
In spite of the glaring omissions, the Minister goes on to declare: “We have accomplished what we set out to do under the Economic Recovery Strategy.” Yikes!
As for Vision 2030, my take can be found here, here, and here.
March 26, 2007 at 5:48 am
Patrick, I wish you had been there to ask some questions of the minister yourself. Honestly, my head is stuck into the technology hole, so I can’t claim to know a lot about the topics you raised.
You might find some of those questions answered by some of the other media that were present though. I’ll try and find a link to one of the gentlemen who was videoing the session and the press conference.
March 26, 2007 at 5:58 am
Hash dont get dragged into cheap odm politics.people like gathara hate toy see kibaki ministers performing because it makes their silly odm politics look bad ,The fact that the economy is projected to grow at 10% this years speaks for itself.Only lazy idlers and complainers are not improving their lives in kenya .Kimunya has done an excellent job and kenya more politicians like him .who walk the walk .Arguing with gathara is a waste of time .People who spend most of their time listening to standard and ktn propaganda can get the jist of people like kimunya .its sad but true .Good coverage hash.
5 more years of kibaki
Kibaki growing all sectors of the kenyan Economy.
Odm breathing on all microphones around the country.
March 26, 2007 at 7:23 am
As usual, Joe avoids any cogent discussion of the particulars restricting himself to personal attacks and characterisations (and fallacies when he does deign to venture into the world of facts: the New CBK governor actually projected economic growth at 7% this year; others predict more modest figures of between 5.3% and 6%)
Hash,
I would appreciate any info to add to your great coverage of this event (the one thing I concur with Joe on).
March 26, 2007 at 8:53 am
hash am a lightening rod when it comes to politics and rugby !so i apologize before things run amock on your blog .
1.Gathara the Government can not feed you and your children.
Government only provides an enabling environment for you to do that .kibaki and kimunya are providing that environment.
2.Critizing just for the sake of it is pathetic.Even when the government is out here trying to get foreign investments .Gathara think kimunya is here campaigning.kimunya is here to promote investment in kenya not politicking .kenyand abroad wont vote but they do invest and that is where kimunya is coming from. (key word he is here attracting direct foreign investment to kenya he is not here to sell kibaki or partisan politics).
3.It is shameful that kenyan sitting in kariobangi can rush to castigate the finance minister for trying to woo direct investment from kenyand abroad .gathara would rather have kimunya in britain begging for foreign aid .
Not everything that the kibaki government does is wrong and not everything that the opposition does is bad either .We have to more to a more mature way of looking at issues without being caught up in petty pesa nane siasa .Kimunya is here for all kenyans including you gathara and your ODM fRIENDS .
Direct foreign investments benefit all kenyans .
Surely Gathara you can appreciate Kimunya’s plan is better than him begging for foreign aid.But then again ODM and its supporters (neo colonial homeguards) are only after the intrests of your foreign backers/masters .
March 26, 2007 at 9:20 am
ps blackberry spelling disclaimer
March 26, 2007 at 10:36 am
Joe,
Facts please!
I have nowhere asked for the government to feed either me or mine.
I have no problem with investment. It is the presentation that seemed to be more of a party political speech than an honest examination of the facts. By the way, Job Obonyo, writing on the “Business and Investment in Kenya” conference held a few days earlier on March 22 in Washington DC quotes him as saying: “in the unlikely event that Kibaki loses re-election, all these economic gains will go up in smoke”.
I have not asked Kimunya to go begging in the UK.
I have every right to chastise him for the whitewash he is seemingly trying to perpetrate.
March 26, 2007 at 10:51 am
OK Gathara you have had your say on kimunya ! since you claim you dont want direct investment from kenyans and you claim you dont want him begging . can you please tell kenyans who are reading this blog what you want !
As they say if you are not part of the solution you are the problem.Saying that the government is bad and pointing out the negative is not a policy that builds countries .
WHATS YOUR ALTERNATIVE PLAN tell us you guru of all things good
March 26, 2007 at 11:14 am
Hakuna shida. I’ll point everyone to my ground rules for arguments, as I first set them forth for the Somalis.
March 26, 2007 at 11:24 am
Joe,
Where did I claim that I “dont want direct investment from kenyans”? On the contrary, my last comment contained this statement: “I have no problem with investment.” Such a basic error speaks volumes about your comprehension skills.
Pointing out the negative may not be a policy but it does provide a valuable public service: keeping the government honest.
I do not disagree with Kimunya’s stated goal of attracting more investment from the Diaspora. I do disagree however with the means: sweeping problems under the carpet instead of dealing with them. In the long run, his is not an approach that will benefit us.
March 26, 2007 at 11:31 am
Many apologies Hash for hijacking your blog. I shall not seek to engage Joe anymore.
March 26, 2007 at 11:52 am
No Patrick, that’s not what I’m saying. Go ahead and debate, just don’t be too brutal with the opposition. 🙂
Blog comment areas are where these types of discussions are supposed to be.
March 26, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Gathara!The Era of odm youth wingers spreading propaganda on the net & trying to spin stories in your favour are over !
We are a working nation not a talking nation .If you cant contribute to the growth of kenya you are free to watch others who want to ,do it .
Complaining and crying all the time wont help kenya .for four years you have run around talking and writing (some even drawing)yourselves to death while the economy has been growing .When faced with the facts you have no answers .Kimunya is on point on the economy .hash and others attending the event were impressed .
Heck the economy is so good in kenya even Raila cab drive a 40 million ksh Hummer LOL-then what are you people on about that we have problems
kWANZA DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THAT HUMMER LOL -kibaki has done a very good job even raila is enjoying the fruits
Ama where did he get the chumes for that car if biashara in kenya wasnt that good lol
March 26, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Joe,
If I was faced with relevant facts from you, I would really be struck mute with amazement. As it is the only facts you seem to be able to come up with are those not in dispute: Hash was impressed and the economy is growing. I notice that once again you skirt the issues raised in my critique.
Oh and you continue to give wordy evidence of your ignorance. A H2 Hummer such as Raila’s actually costs about $53,950 which translates to Kshs.3,776,500 (or about 7M including duty), a far cry from 40M. See here.
Kenyans have always been a working nation. We have worked very hard over the last 40 years but have very little to show for it. Now Kibaki wants us to work even harder and shut up when he and his cronies cart off the fruits of our labour. Sorry, nothing doing.
March 26, 2007 at 12:54 pm
lol Gathara keep saying it we will believe you ! lol
March 28, 2007 at 7:22 pm
The conference in Atlanta was about the role of the diaspora. Its up to the diaspora to define that role. The Nairobi entrounge was to spell out the gaps in development, that Kenyans abroad can focus on, and get rich while developing their motherland. Poverty is not an impendiment but an opportunity for the brave. 67% of all customers in Equity never had a bank account. The bank has 1.15 million account holders, potentially there are over 10 million eligible account holders. Thats an opportunity not just for Equity but for anyone daring to put faith on the poor and those who have never been tested.
Those numbers captivated the Atlanta audience, but may have been missed in the other meetings