Today is Wed, 15 Jan 2025
Executive Walkway![]()
ECONOMIC REVIEW AND HEALTHCARE IMPASSE FORM KEY PRIORITIES FOR THE EXECUTIVE THIS WEEK.
President Ruto is poised to chair a Cabinet meeting this week to discuss a number of things aligned to the Bottom-Up Economic Agenda (BETA), including the fiscal plan in the Medium Term.
The Cabinet is also expected to wade into the ongoing doctors’ strike that has almost paralyzed operations in public health hospitals. A ministerial working team last week met the doctors’ union to try unlock the impasse, as the President keen to reinvigorate the healthcare sector, having pushed for amendment of the regulatory framework of the healthcare sector through Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and the Digital Health Act.
The President will also meet the Presidential Council of Economic Advisors, for the 2024 First Quarter Review Meeting. This meeting comes in the backdrop of the release of the Medium Term Plan IV by the National Treasury, outlining the priority areas of the government, and its enablers, between 2023-2027.
In other news, President Ruto will meet Muslim leaders in Mombasa later this week, share an Iftar dinner with the leaders, and have a discourse with them on a number of issues. It is expected that the President will continue to seek support from the Muslim community in the government’s battle against ML/TF, in the wake of the recent US Treasury sanctions on Kenyans drawn from the Muslim community.
Parliamentary Aisle![]()
PARLIAMENT IN RECESS, INQUIRY INTO THE MAIZE FLOUR SUBSIDY PROGRAMME FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2022/2023 TO FORM POST-RECESS AGENDA.
Parliament is currently in a short Easter recess, resuming sessions on 9th April 2024. On resumption, the National Assembly will consider a motion on the maize subsidy program for FY 2022/2023.
Corridors ofJustice![]()
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACT, 2024 CHALLENGED IN COURT, AGAIN!
The recently enacted Affordable Housing Act, 2024 will be the basis of legal battles in the coming weeks. Busia Senator, Hon. Okiya Omtatah, Lawyer Elias Matindi and Nakuru based surgeon, Dr. Magare Gikenyi have separately lodged petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Act. Directions on these matters will be issued this week, even as Judges conclude the Annual High Court Leaders Conference in Kisumu.
Talking of Which![]()
IMF PAYMENTS TOTALLING TO KSHS. 25 BILLION FALL DUE IN APRIL
Kenya is expected to pay an estimated Sh25 billion in interest and fees to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the 12 months ending April 2024.The lender revealed that it expects to earn about two per cent of its lending income from Kenya in the financial year 2024, making the country one of its top revenue earners.
“Fund income from Kenya is projected to account for about two per cent of total lending income in FY2024 [ending April], based on a desk survey scenario for projected programme demand as of September 2023,” said the IMF.
Watch out for![]()
THE CONNECTED AFRICA SUMMIT, 2024
The Connected Africa Summit 2024 set to take place from 21st to 25th April is a premier event focused on advancing digital transformation across Africa. Themed ‘Unlocking Growth Beyond Connectivity’, the summit aims to drive investment in Africa’s digital economy, foster collaboration, and accelerate the digital transformation journey for African Nations.
The Summit will bring together Heads of State, Ministers of ICT, senior government leaders, CEOs, investors, and experts from various sectors to discuss strategies for leveraging the digital economy for development, aligning with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
This year’s summit will be graced by high profile guests who will make a case why the digital superhighway is a key economic pillar in realizing Agenda 2063. The high profile list includes: President William Samoei Ruto and the Cabinet Secretary Information, Communication and the Digital Economy, Eliud Owalo among others.
MovingUp![]()
In a Gazette Notice dated 19th April, 2024, President Ruto has appointed Dr. Linda Nkatha Gichuiya, PhD, MAAK as the Chairperson of the Affordable Housing Board. The Affordable Housing Board is a creation of the just enacted Affordable Housing Fund Act, 2024.
Dr Nkatha Gichuyia is an environmental design consultant and lecturer at the University of Nairobi as well as a former Gates Cambridge Scholar at the University of Cambridge.
Having served as the Chairperson of the Task Force on Re-engineering and Transformation of Urban Development, a task force aimed at reforming urban areas in Kenya, she is expected to lead and drive the President’s housing agenda.
Ambassador Martin Kimani of Kenya is the new Executive Director of NYU’s Center on International Cooperation (CIC), effective June 3, 2024. He is an accomplished diplomat with extensive experience in global peace, security, and development. Before this appointment, Ambassador Kimani served as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), where he held various significant roles, including serving as President of the Security Council in October 2021. He has also chaired the Executive Board of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Throughout his career, Ambassador Kimani has played pivotal roles in crisis prevention, countering violent extremism, and advancing regional integration in East Africa. He has notably contributed to peace and security efforts in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has led cross-border conflict prevention initiatives in the Horn of Africa as Director of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)’s Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism.
Ambassador Kimani holds a PhD in War Studies from King’s College London and is recognized for his distinguished service to Kenya with prestigious awards. He is a fellow of the African Leadership Initiative and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
His appointment at CIC signifies a new era of innovation and evidence-based action to address global challenges. Ambassador Kimani aims to leverage CIC’s expertise to develop practical solutions and foster robust multilateral cooperation.