Thursday, 4th April, 2019

Your Excellency, Hon. Uhuru

Defence Forces, the Rt. Hon. Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Justin Muturi, Hon. Members of Parliament, Article 132(1)(b) of the Constitution of Kenya requires the President to address a Special Sitting of the Parliament of Kenya once every year and at any other time.

Further, Article 132(1)(c) requires the President to, among others, once every year report, in an address to the Nation, all the measures taken and the progress achieved in the realisation of the national values set out in Article 10 of the Constitution.

In addition, Article 247 of the Constitution requires the President, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the National Security Council (NSC), to report to Parliament annually on the State of the security of the Republic.

In this regard, pursuant to Article 132(1)(b) and (c)(i) and (b) of the Constitution and Senate Standing Order No.22(1) and (2), upon a request by His Excellency the President vide letter reference No. SH/5/22/Vol.208 dated 7th March, 2019, I gave notice of today’s Special Sitting to the hon. Senators by Gazette Notice No.2921 which was published in the Kenya Gazette on 26th March, 2019.

Accordingly, Hon. Members, this Special Sitting is properly convened. I thank you.

Your Excellency, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, Rt. Hon. Speaker of the Senate, Sen. Kenneth Lusaka, Hon. Members of Parliament, Article 132 (1) of the Constitution of Kenya requires the President to address the nation once every year and at any other time.

In this regard, pursuant to Article 132 (1) (b) and (c) (i) and (ii) of the Constitution and the provisions of Standing Order No.22 of the National Assembly Standing Orders, by Gazette Notice No. 2920 which was published in the Kenya Gazette on 26th March, 2019, I gave notice of this Special Sitting to the Members of the National Assembly.

Accordingly, Hon. Members, this Special Sitting is properly convened.

The Hon. His Excellency the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, Hon. (Dr.) William Ruto; the Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya and the President of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice David Maraga; the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya and the African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa, the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga; the former Vice-Presidents of the Republic of Kenya, Hon. (Dr.) Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and Hon. Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi; the Governor of Nairobi City County,

Rt. Hon. Francis Xavier ole Kaparo and Rt. Hon. David Ekwee Ethuro. They are all welcome to Parliament during this momentous occasion of the Address by His Excellency the President.

Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces to address this Special Sitting of Parliament.

The Hon. Speaker of the National Assembly, the Hon. Speaker of the Senate, Hon. Members of Parliament, fellow Kenyans, in accordance with Article 132 of the Constitution, I am honoured to report to Parliament the measures taken and progress achieved in the realisation of the national values set out in Article 10 of our Constitution as well as the progress made in fulfilling our international obligations.

It is my pleasure to submit the same to this Special Sitting of the two Houses of Parliament and to the entire nation of Kenya.

Hon. Speakers, the state of our nation is strong. We remain a country, striving and ambitious, taking on our pressing challenges and not avoiding them. We do this because we know that the path to lasting cohesion and decent jobs for our people can only be achieved in an environment where fairness, integrity and the rule of law are observed by all citizens without exception.

Hon. Speakers, as President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, I have heard the cries of our people and their stated hopes and aspirations for a better Kenya. When they elected me as their President, I committed to strive and unceasingly fulfil the trust and confidence that they placed in me and I will not turn back on this commitment.

Hon. Speakers, following the country’s first General Election under the new Constitution, I took the oath of office as the first President elected under the new legal order. My first term laid the foundation for a better Kenya by building on the promise and aspirations of the new Constitution as articulated under Article 10 and, therefore, set the stage to propel our country to greater security, health, unity, prosperity, equity and justice.

The national values and principles of governance epitomise the vision that Kenyans have for their nation. The forty-three words are the promise we have made to ourselves and the generations to come. As we reflect on these values, let us ask ourselves as leaders in the public and private sectors, as well as ordinary Kenyans, how much we are paying heed to these values and principles in our personal conduct.

Across the length and breadth of this great nation, ordinary Kenyans continue to do extraordinary things that show that the flame of our national spirit burns brighter than ever before. Our men and women in various disciplines keep the flag of Kenya flying high at international events, bringing glory to our nation.

In this regard, amongst many, the nation salutes Eliud Kipchoge and his compatriots who have continued to make our national anthem echo around capitals of the world. We are proud of our Peter Tabichi who was recently voted the best teacher in the world. He has demonstrated our aspiration and potential to deliver world-class education standards.

Hon. Speakers, Parliament remains a strident defender of our democracy. I laud Parliament for its steady guiding hand as we implement our transformative agenda for the country and its commitment to playing its constitutionally mandated oversight role.

I wish to acclaim Parliament for its continued diligence. In the period under review, 22 Bills have been enacted into Acts of Parliament with just two currently awaiting presidential assent. Some of the ground-breaking legislations that have been enacted from Parliament over the last year include: the Kenya Coast Guard Service Act 2018 which established our nation’s first Coast Guard Service; The Petroleum Act 2019, the Energy Act and the National Youth Service Act.

Hon. Speakers, to facilitate the implementation of our programmes under the Big Four Agenda, I urge both Houses of Parliament to fast-track the mediation of the Land Value Index Laws (Amendment) Bill, the Physical Planning Bill, The Irrigation Bill and the Warehouse Receipt System Bill as well as the Kenya Roads Bill.

Hon. Speakers, the consideration and approval by Parliament of various protocols, treaties as well as sessional papers continues to enhance Kenya’s international standing in the community of nations, creating stability and predictability in our governance framework.

Hon. Speakers, during the period under review, various treaties and protocols have been ratified, including the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, the Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement and the East Africa Community (EAC) Protocol on Cooperation in Metrological Services.

I am pleased to note that Parliament has also approved the National Housing Policy and the National Policy on Climate Financing; two Sessional Papers that will have tangible benefits on the day-to-day lives of Kenyans. I look forward to continued positive engagement with Parliament in the quest for a better Kenya.

Hon. Speakers, the state of our economy is also strong. Our broad-based economic growth averaged 5.6 per cent over the last five years, out-performing the average global growth. In 2018, our provisional estimates show that the economy grew by 6.1 per cent. This encouraging performance was supported by strong public and private sector investments as well as prudent macro-economic policies.

In 2018, economic growth was largely driven by the wholesale and retail trade, real estate, information and communication and tourism. It is worth noting that despite the challenges facing the wholesale and retail trade, the sector has also attracted new international supermarket chains and continues to support the expansion of domestic players.

Hon. Speakers, in 2019, we expect an even stronger growth of 6.3 per cent, reflecting continued improvement in the business environment, political stability as a result of building bridges, as well as improvement in the environment associated with the execution of the Big Four Agenda and sustained macro-economic stability.

Hon. Speakers, in the same reporting period, inflation averaged 4.6 per cent, remaining within the set targets. Our official foreign exchange reserves averaged USD

emanating from the recommendations of the Coffee Task Force. These include the ambitious rehabilitation of 500 pulping stations in 31 coffee-growing counties.

Hon. Speakers, with a view to comprehensively resolve the problem of undue delays in the payment cycle, we have also set up a Kshs3 billion Cherry Advance Revolving Fund to be operational from 1st July, 2019.

tangible impact on the lives and livelihoods of our people, associated with increased electricity connectivity cannot be gainsaid.

development. In this regard, we will be launching a Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Credit Guarantee Scheme in a few weeks aimed at deepening their access to credit without being subjected to complex application procedures and collateral requirements.

Hon. Members, to address the pressure on school facilities across the country, my administration has prioritised development of school infrastructure for the Fiscal Year 2019/2020.

I also, today, call on all Members to act in solidarity with our children and approve the education budget as per our request.

sustained the ban on environmentally harmful classes of plastics and polythene carrying and packaging materials, enhanced the protection and promotion of our national forests in line with our commitment to achieve a minimum of 10 per cent forest cover by the year 2020, and interventions with regard to water and air quality.

These interventions not only protect the environment but also create business and employment opportunities through the green economy. Indeed, as a result of our interventions, Kenya is today a global leader in green energy with 85 per cent of our energy mix coming from renewable sources.

Many leaders across the country and at every level of Government have opted for a renewed politics of unity. This has given Kenya a new and stable platform upon which we can rise above individual and sectarian interests, religious divide and partisan politics as we all together build a better, stronger and more prosperous Kenya.

Continent. This is key to actualising the shared prosperity of the African people through promoting trade between our brothers and sisters and further strengthening our bond of unity in this great Continent.

believes in giving second chances to those who are genuinely seeking to return to a path of legal conduct and embrace our constitutional values. In this regard, we are undertaking initiatives to disengage, rehabilitate and reintegrate returnees, who have been members of listed terrorist groups.

As I said earlier, there is no community, religion or moral code in Kenya that endorses stealing and abusing positions of responsibility. Africans, no matter their heritage or where they are in this continent, have ethical and moral principles as core to their cultures.

the Chief Justice and the Council of Governors (CoG) to commit to various demands that would entrench and widen the fight against corruption.

Mindful of my cardinal responsibility, which is to serve Kenyans as bestowed upon me by the Constitution, my administration has opted for an all-out assault on corruption. In this endeavour and in pursuit of this noble goal, my administration has continued to strengthen the investigative, law enforcement and prosecutorial functions of Government and embraced the multi-agency approach to encourage joint intelligence sharing, investigation and prosecution. These measures have already reaped visible benefits.

Hon. Members, it is not enough to merely jail and fine those who have looted from our public coffers. The wealth stolen from Kenyans must be returned to its owners; the People of Kenya, with the clear message being that corruption does not pay. It is in this context that we have entered into asset recovery agreements with foreign countries in pursuit of a robust restitution strategy.

There will be no turning back. There will be no sacred cows and no compromise. The fight must be won because it is a fight for the soul of our nation. The values of integrity, hard work and sacrifice must be reinstated and held dear in the eyes of our children. I intend to be the President that delivers that future.

Finally, Hon. Speakers, it is now my pleasure to submit to Parliament the

following three Reports as required by the Constitution-

Order, Hon. Members. You may be upstanding.

Your Excellency the President, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Senators, Hon. Members of the National Assembly, it is now time to adjourn the Senate. The Senate stands adjourned until Tuesday, 9th April, 2019 at 2.30 p.m. in the Senate Chamber.

I thank you. The Speaker of the National Assembly

Your Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, Hon. Members of the National Assembly, the National Assembly stands adjourned until Tuesday, 23rd April, 2019 at 2.30 p.m.