NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 30 – President Uhuru Kenyatta Tuesday lauded the double-digit economic growth of 10.1 percent during the second quarter of 2021 as a testament to the country’s resilience amid the COVID-19 pandemic which disrupted businesses across the globe.
Kenyatta, while addressing the parliament on the state of the nation, said the growth was a good gesture, being the first time the country recorded a double-digit growth number.
“While most economies in the world shrunk, our country’s economy grew at 0.3 percent during the 2020 period despite the COVID challenge. Although the growth recorded was minimal, the second quarter of 2021 registered the most impressive growth recorded in our nation’s real GDP,” Kenyatta said during his address.
He added that it was an impressive number citing that the last time the country got close to recording a double-digit growth number was back in 2010, during the Grand Coalition government when the economy hit an 8.4 percent growth rate.
“Given that we have doubled our GDP in a record 8 years, it is no wonder Kenya is projected to grow twice as fast as the sub-Saharan economies in the period of 2021-2022 and all this because of leadership and the power of choice given to our citizens,” he said.
Kenyatta further revealed that recovery was aided by the 13-point interventions announced during the Mashujaa day celebration which was meant to cushion the country’s economy as part of his government’s third stimulus package.
The Sh,25 billion economic stimulus package, was to be spread across the Health, Education, and Agricultural sectors with the Kazi Mtaani program receiving the highest chunk at Sh.10 billion.
Kenyatta said the funds were meant to be channeled towards initiatives that would complement ongoing state interventions that are expected to sustain the momentum of the recovery of the economy.
As part of the stimulus plan, he directed the National Treasury to channel Sh.8 billion towards the Education sector to cater for the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC)Infrastructure Expansion Programme.
“The Ministries of Education, Interior Coordination and Treasury should jointly create a framework for building of 10,000 classrooms needed to provide additional learning space,” Kenyatta ordered.
Another Sh. 3.2 Billion was set aside for immediate construction of additional 50 New Level 3 Hospitals, to be situated in non-covered areas and densely populated areas across the country.
Additionally, the president ordered the allocation of Sh.1 billion each to the tea and coffee sectors while the sugar and livestock sectors were allocated Sh.1. 5 billion each.
