Kenyan leader vows to reclaim, rehabilitate watertowers

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki called on all government agencies to be at the forefront in eliminating human settlements around the country's water towers and reclaim forests illegally allocated to private individuals.

Speaking at the official launch of the Prime Minister's Office Strategic Plan in Nairobi, President Kibaki called on Kenyans to understand the gravity of environmental degradation.

"I call upon Kenyans to understand that this is a matter of life and death for the nation. I therefore call upon them to support this effort in every way they can in order to ensure the country has enough rain, water and food now and in the future," Kibaki said.

He noted that the country's agricultural production had been seriously affected by the low and unreliable rainfall being received and had led to the current severe shortage of water across the country.

"The low rainfall is also causing a severe shortage of water across the country and has begun to, impact negatively on our power generation. Moreover, drought is also beginning to affect our premier tourist attractions, such as Maasai Mara while several rivers and lakes are drying up in many parts of the country," he said.

Kibaki assured citizens that the government was determined to reverse the situation.

He said he was happy to note that environmental issues have been given priority in the Strategic Plan and affirmed that all forms of human settlement in water sources must be cleared and the depleted forests replanted with trees.

President Kibaki also commended the Strategic Plan for attaching importance to Public/Private sector partnership and assured that the government was keen on collaborating with the private sector and the civil society.

Among the sectors in which the government has been collaborating with the private sector, include infrastructure development particularly roads, ports and the energy sector.

"As a government, we recognize the importance of maximum utilization of available human resources for the development of our country. We, therefore, place emphasis on partnerships with stakeholders, be they private entities, faith-based organizations or civil society," he said.

The President however cautioned against too much empty and unproductive talk and instead called on Kenyans to embrace the virtues of hard work.

"Let us all make up our minds to do something that will ensure our country moves forward. What we need is progress so that we can make this world that God blessed us with a better place," he said.

The Kenyan leader noted that many Kenyans were today working abroad, saying this was a sign that Kenya was endowed with talented manpower.

President Kibaki urged Kenyans to position themselves strategically to tap the full benefits of the sector, which he said the government had invested heavily on with the aim of reducing the cost of doing business.

He reiterated that the government was determined to make Kenya the ICT hub in the region and join the ranks of internationally competitive leaders in business process outsourcing.

He confirmed that the government was closely working with the private sector due to its strategic position in the development of ICT in order to create jobs for the youth.

President Kibaki also underscored the need to enhance the country's security and directed the relevant arms of the government to step up the war on crime in order safeguard the gains that Kenyans have realized so far.

"I have instructed the concerned agencies to vigorously step up the war against crime so that Kenyans can peacefully go about their business. I expect to see immediate results on this matter," he said.

He commended the staff in the Office of the Prime Minister for crafting an explicit road map capturing the aspirations of all Kenyans and demonstrating how well they could be achieved.

"As you are all aware, the Prime Minister is mandated to coordinate and supervise the execution of government affairs including those of ministries," he said.

"The Strategic Plan we are launching today provides the mechanisms for delivering that mandate. I am confident that the implementation of the Strategic Plan will go a long way in ensuring that services are delivered to the expectations of our people."