EXECUTIVE OFFICE of
THE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE
(ED: 16:30 Hrs.)
ISSUE NO. 11 of 2024
DESPATCH FROM CABINET
HIS EXCELLENCY President William Ruto, C.G.H., has today
chaired the inaugural meeting of his reconstituted Cabinet. The meeting was
preceded by a Cabinet induction programme designed to establish the
framework for each portfolio’s execution of a reimagined and catalyzed
agenda as part of the Administration’s over-arching plan espoused as the
Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
CABINET CONSIDERED a range of policy proposals aimed at
supporting the rollout of various State programmes and pioneering
initiatives. Additionally, the meeting received an appraisal of the progress
being made in the implementation of the administration’s key programmes
as part of the periodic continuous reporting obligations.
AS PART of the Administration’s commitment to advancing
accountability and transparency in the management of public affairs as
a strategy to combat corruption, Cabinet assessed the progress made
under a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening governance and
ensuring the prudent use of public resources. These measures, as
proclaimed by His Excellency the President during the swearing-in ceremony
of the reconstituted Cabinet include:
I. Implementation of surcharges against any accounting officer
or public official whose actions or omissions lead to loss of
public resources, in accordance with Articles 226(5), 201(d), and
232(b) of the Constitution;
II. Implementation of a Unified Personnel Identification system
to eradicate 'ghost worker' payroll fraud across all levels of
Government, including constitutional commissions;
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III. Establishment of a legal and institutional framework for
mandatory and continuous vetting of all public officers,
centralizing wealth declarations under a single office across the
Government;
IV. Timeously investigation and prosecution of corruption and
economic crimes, amending relevant statutes such as the
Evidence Act and the Criminal Procedure Code to ensure that
corruption cases are concluded within six months;
V. Review of the and amendments to the Witness Protection Act
to provide appropriate incentives and safeguards for
whistleblowers;
VI. Transition to a zero-based budgeting system starting from FY
2025/26;
VII. Review of the VAT refund process to enhance openness,
transparency, and accountability.
TO INSTITUTIONALIZE the governance reforms annotated above,
Cabinet sanctioned the conclusion of the ongoing stakeholder
consultations, ensuring that public participation remains at the heart
of the process. The outcome of this consultative process will be considered
by Cabinet at the next meeting as the Omnibus Bill on Governance.
TO ACCELRATE the implementation of the Universal Health
Coverage (UHC) pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda
(BETA), Cabinet ratified the transition from the National Health Insurance
Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Authority (SHA), effective 1st October,
2024.
AS KENYA transitions into the leagues of nations with universal health
coverage, the scope of existing programmes such as Edu Afya will be
broadened to encompass all school-going children, extending beyond
its current focus on secondary school students. In tandem, the acclaimed
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Linda Mama Programme will be expanded to not only cover prenatal care
but also provide comprehensive postnatal care, ensuring a holistic approach
to maternal and child health. This expansion seeks to safeguard the well-
being of both mother and child throughout the entire continuum of
care. In that regard, Cabinet urged all Kenyans to register under the new
scheme through *147# or www.sha.go.ke.
THE NATION’S top policy-making organ was also apprised of the
progress made in advancing financial inclusion through the administration’s
flagship initiative, the Financial Inclusion Fund, commonly referred to as
the “Hustlers Fund.” Cabinet noted that, to date, the Fund has disbursed
Ksh. 57 billion to Kenyans, with at least 2 million customers now regular
daily borrowers. Additionally, in keeping with the Administration’s pledge to
inculcate a culture of saving for posterity, the Fund has successfully
mobilized Ksh. 3.2 billion in savings.
IN COMMEMORATION of the Fund’s second anniversary, Cabinet
directed the rollout of a third product offering specifically focused on the
Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector. This new product will
initially target the 2 million beneficiaries who have demonstrated a strong
credit history with the Fund. This groundbreaking initiative aims to create a
pathway for banking the targeted beneficiaries, further deepening
financial inclusion within the SME sector.
IN FURTHERANCE of the administration’s commitment to
conserving the nation’s heritage and natural splendour, the meeting
considered a raft of programmes and policies designed to accelerate climate
change adaptation within Kenya’s terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems.
AS THE onset of the short rains approaches (October-December),
Cabinet was briefed on preparations for seedling distribution under the
National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy 2023–
2032, which aims to plant 15 billion trees. Cabinet acknowledged with
appreciation the growing partnership between the public and private sectors
in advancing the tree-planting campaign. In that regard, and in an effort to
further deepen the partnership from the grassroots Cabinet directed The
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Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry to establish a more
robust framework for Community-Based Forest Associations to further
empower local communities in forest conservation efforts.
IN LINE with the nation's advancing global leadership on climate
change and adaptation, Cabinet considered and approved the establishment
of the Kenya Watershed Services Improvement Program
(KEWASIP). This seminal programme seeks to preserve the nation’s rich
heritage through the restoration of degraded landscapes, while enhancing
watershed services and building climate resilience across the country.
THIS PROGRAMME aligns with Kenya’s commitments to global
environmental goals, including the Bonn Challenge, which calls for the
restoration of 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes
by 2030, and the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD), which requires each member state to formulate
Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets aimed at addressing the
main causes of land degradation.
IN AFFIRMATION of Kenya’s rich biodiversity as one of the
nation’s most strategic assets and natural wealth, positioning us as a
conservation and tourism destination second to none, Cabinet was briefed
on the progress of the ongoing 2024-2025 national wildlife census.
THIS CENSUS marks Kenya's second such effort and demonstrates
our leadership in implementing bold actions to conserve and promote
our ecological wealth. In addition, the state's interventions respond
effectively to threats facing botanical and zoological life and their
habitats, updating the annotated inventory of our wildlife resources,
thereby acknowledging their significance as crucial national assets.
AS A testament to our commitment to enhancing the nation’s
Meetings, Conventions, and Exhibits (MICE) tourism, Cabinet
approved the hosting of The Third African Forum on Cybercrime in
November 2024. Further, Cabinet approved the calendar of activities to
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mark the United Nations World Tourism Day/Week in September 2024. The
week-long event, running from 22nd September to 29th, will include free
entry to all parks on 28th September, 2024.
IN CONCLUDING the day’s session, Cabinet expressed satisfaction
with the enhanced surveillance protocols at all national entry points,
designed to curb the spread of MPOX disease across the country.
These measures build on the national experience from the COVID-19
pandemic and underscore the commitment to strengthening public
health safety through vigilant monitoring and control of potential
outbreaks.
CABINET OFFICE
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Tuesday, 17th September, 2024
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