NAIROBI, Kenya Jun 30 – The implementation of Kenya’s long-term development plan, Vision 2030, has gained momentum and is ahead of schedule on some fronts, a report card on the blueprint now confirms.
The report presented during the fifth Vision 2030 Delivery Board (VDB) meeting by the Secretary and Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat Director General Mugo Kibati showed that strategic goals set for attainment by the year 2010 had been achieved setting the stage for further growth as envisioned in the long term blueprint.
In a media communiqué, Mr Kibati said flagship projects such as the Rural Electrification Programs were ahead of schedule as part of an overall goal to increase access of electricity in the rural areas from the current 63 percent to 100 percent connectivity by 2030.
The report highlights the landing of the three undersea cables connecting Kenya to the rest of the world as a major milestone. Already 47 districts across the country are connected to the national fibre optic ring.
Other success projects include numerous road construction activities currently underway such as the eight-lane Thika Highway among others.
“Indeed, the fifth Vision 2030 Delivery Board report card confirms that tremendous progress has been made in the scheduled attainment of the long term blueprint and is set to receive a further boost with the dawn of the East Africa Community Common Market,” Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet, Amb Francis Muthaura said.
VDB Chairman James Mwangi added: “The board has also welcomed the establishment of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Secretariat at the Treasury and resolved that the implementation of several Vision 2030 flagship projects would be undertaken through Public Private Partnerships including a proposal to pursue a turnkey management approach on key flagship projects to further fast track Vision 2030 delivery.”
Members agreed on the need for the immediate implementation of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Park project as an important medium term capacity-building strategy that will begin to prepare Kenya for the opportunity-rich IT enabled services sector.
“There will be immediate quick wins if this project is fast-tracked as several multinationals have already indicated a willingness to relocate thousands of jobs to the park as soon as it is made available to them,” Ministry of Information and Communication PS Bitange Ndemo said.
Dr Ndemo explained to the VDB that provision of freely leased space remains an ideal incentive to attract such investors as is the practice worldwide.
The provision of freely leased space at the proposed BPO facility, he added will additionally allow for the facilitation of the incubation of local BPOs which are too small to individually attain the critical break-even mass.
The VDB also noted that Special Economic Zones (SEZs) set for rollout at the Coast and Lake Victoria and Resort Cities planned in Isiolo, Kilifi and Diani are major flagship projects of Vision 2030 under the Economic Pillar.
“Resort Cities and SEZs will be essential to the fulfillment of one the most important objectives of Vision 2030 – the creation of millions of jobs for Kenyans and good progress has been made by the Ministries of Trade, Industrialization, Tourism and Lands towards the implementation of this project,” Mr Kibati said.
