Speech of H.E. Kalonzo Musyoka during promulgation of Constitution at Uhuru Park, Nairobi.

Your Excellency Honourable Mwai Kibaki President & Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kenya

All visiting Heads of States and Governments

The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, Raila Odinga

The Speaker of the National Assembly Hon Kenneth Marende

The Chief Justice Hon Evans Gicheru

Cabinet Ministers and Assistant Ministers

Members of |Parliament

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Wakenya Wenzangu.


It is tremendous privilege and honor that I stand here and salute you all on this very special occasion as we celebrate the inauguration of a new constitution of our Republic.  This day is historic.  It marks the beginning of a new era in the life of our great country.  And for this significant achievement, I say thank you to God, and to Fellow Kenyans – Congratulations!  Hongera Sana!  We have emerged triumphant.

We can now look back with satisfaction at how much we have over the past decade consulted each other about how best our society should be governed.  We have in the process written and re-written numerous drafts of our constitution until we overwhelmingly approved the final edition in a public referendum early this month, paving the way to this day’s celebration.

Many countries around the world have moved forward to set the stage for a brighter future for their people.  For us Kenyans, this day marks the beginning of our renaissance.  We have taken the first – indeed the boldest – step in transforming our country into a great nation.  We are now set to recapture and restore out independence dreams and aspirations – the dreams of a united and prosperous nation.  Under the new constitutional order, we will be able to reclaim our dignity as a people.

• Justice will be guaranteed for all, while our God given national resources will be exploited for the benefit of all. And on their part, leaders will be accountable to the people of Kenya.
• Kenyans from all walks of life will be fully on board the bus of destiny – the youth, the aged, the disabled, and women who have traditionally been marginalized will now be fully included in social and political processes as a matter of constitutional right.
• In short, Kenyans nationalism has shifted from a dream to a reality under the new constitutional order.

Fellow Kenyans,

The dawn of the new era also portends tremendously well for our national pride, prestige and image in Africa and the world.  By the single act of inaugurating a new and quality constitution, we have regained our honor.  We shall regain the pride our heroes and our sportsmen and sportswomen such as Kipchoge Keino, Ben Jipcho Catherine Ndereba, and Rudisha bestowed upon us and raised our flag high in the eyes of the world.  We shall once more be proud to profess that we are Kenyans.

There is a sense in which our achievement in passing a new constitution marks an important beginning in the journey towards a new social and economic era for our country and our people.  We must not lose sight of the reality that poverty and social distress in now the outstanding challenge that is facing us today.  A lot of us have lived in and understand the enormity and dehumanizing characteristics of poverty and deprivation.  Poverty hurts.

Therefore, time has come for every Kenyan to roll up his or her sleeves and work to create wealth and conquer poverty.  We must create opportunities for investment in order to expand our economy and create jobs.  The long queues of men and women walking from Kibera, Kawangware, Mathare, Uthiru and other suburban areas to Industrial Area and the city centre going to work in the morning must be replicated in the afternoon and evening as we move closer towards a 24 – hour economy.

This new dawn will only come once we shed off destructive, ethnic-based leadership and embrace a high moral value-based leadership style, such kind of leadership must focus on addressing economic and social needs of our people.

Finally, Fellow Kenyans

As we celebrate this great day, we should reflect upon the great sacrifices that others in the past and present have made in bringing our nation this far.  We had our independence freedom fighters such as Ezekiel Apindi, Orkoiyot Koitalel Samoei, Moraa Moka Ngiti, Waiyaki wa HInga, Field Marshall Dedan Kimathi, W.W.W.Awori, Mekatilili wa Menza, and of course Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and the rest of the Kapenguria seven, among several others.

The NARC dream, personified by such luminaries as Professor Wangari Maathai, the late Kijana Wamalwa among others and the moral high ground it espoused has now, in earnest, been realized.  Kenyans now, rightfully, belong.

And now I turn to Your Excellency Hon Mwai Kibaki.  Thank you Mr. President.  You have done us proud.  You have led us all to the send republic; one that holds promise of a better future and good tidings.  Mr. President you will leave behind an unassailable legacy that will, change the fortunes of this country for ever.

Wakenya Wenzangu

Katiba hii tunayozindua siku ya leo ni dhihirisho la mwanzo mpya na mwelekeo mpya wa Taifa letu la Kenya , Katiba hii itatuwezesha kufikia ufanisi mkubwa katika safari yetu ya kujenga taifa thabiti na lenye uongozi utakaoimarisha uchumi wetu na kuwanufaisha Wakenya wote popote walipo.  Hasa uongozi katika vita dhidi ya adui msalia ambaye ni umaskini.

Kenya Hoiyee!

Katiba Mpya Hoiyee!

Ahsanteni sana!

Long live Kenya

God bless Kenya .  God bless you all.

H.E. Kalonzo Musyoka at Investment Forum in Nairobi.

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has challenged leaders and professionals to unite and play a greater role in the development of the country. “There is need for professionals to support the Government in exploring ways and means of exploiting untapped resources which if fully utilized can uplift the people’s living standards in the country," he said. The Vice President was speaking today at a Nairobi hotel during an investment forum in which MPs from the Ukambani region called for political unity ahead of 2012 elections.He said investments go hand in hand with political goodwill, saying it is through unity and teamwork that the much needed development in the region can be realized.

The Vice President further expressed concern over the continued degradation of water catchments in Ukambani among other regions and called for ways of reducing the trend.He challenged professionals from the region, to assist in the conservation of the environment to avert desertification in the area."There is serious environmental degradation in Ukambani and I therefore challenge professionals to help in containing the situation which is worsenedby  sand harvesting,’’ he said.

He said that the Government is committed to the development of the region citing the construction of an ICT center at Malili ranch and rehabilitation of manyroads in the region as some of the projects that the Government has heavily invested in. On constitution, Mr. Musyoka expressed optimism that with the new constitutional dispensation, wananchi will steer the country towards a vibrant middle income economy.He said the new constitution will greatly help residents in the region and urged them to support the implementation of the constitution ahead of its promulgation on Friday this week, noting that many investors have expressed their interest to invest in the country.

The Vice-President pointed out that the Government had developed a clear youth agenda to nurture and provide the country’s youthful population with lifetime gainful opportunities, urging Kamba leaders and professionals to unite and forge a common agenda to accelerate development in the region.

Finished tour of China.

Vice President Kalonzo today wound up his tour of China by visiting various industrial concerns involved in agricultural equipment manufacturing, as well as agro-processing, in Shandong Province South East of China.

Speaking after an extensive tour of the Foton Lovol Heavy Industry Limited, the company that manufacture tractors and construction equipment. The vice president expressed joy that the directors had agreed to visit Kenya and consider the possibility of setting up a farm machinery manufacturing plant.

Foton Lovol produces 350 thousand tractors and 150 thousand heavy construction equipment like loaders and drilling rigs a year as well as 1.5 million tricycles mainly for Asian, European, American and Africa markets.

According to Mr. Alex Li the director for African markets, his firm was keen to establish a big presence in the East Africa through Kenya. The Vice President also toured the Denghai Seed Company, in Lai Zhou County, which develops high yield maize seed, used to produce most of the maize grown in China, a country which surprisingly has huge grain reserves despite having to feed 1.3 billion mouths.

Mr. Musyoka and his delegation which includes agriculture Assistant Minister Kareke Mbiuki also visited the Yantai Dongqi Agricultural Equipment Company another tractor manufacturing firm as well as Shandong Xinlengda Foodstuffs Group Company limited to familiarize himself with cutting edge technology in agro processing.

At the Shandong Asahi Green Source Milk Products the Vice President was given a guided tour of Dairy milk processing while at the Yantai urban planning exhibition Hall he was briefed on urban planning of Chinese cities which are undergoing rapid expansion and modernization.

In a meeting with Mr. Zang Xinqi the Secretary of the Weifang Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Weifang City of Shandong Province who also doubles up as the mayor of Weifang city; the Vice President lauded the efforts of Provincial Governments in China to invest abroad.

“I am delighted that apart from the support we get from the central government in Beijing, business people and provincial governments from various regions in China are willing to invest in Africa.”

Mr. Xinqi announced that a team of business people and government representatives will visit Kenya next month to explore business opportunities.

The Vice President has been in China for the last one week to attend the China-Africa Agricultural Forum, at the invitation of the International Department of the communist Party of China. He thereafter participated in a series of meetings with regional leaders as well as a guided tour of major cities of Shangdong Province.
 
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At Closing ceremony of China-Africa Agriculture forum.

The China-Africa agricultural program in which Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka represented Kenya drew to a close with the Beijing declaring for massive agricultural technology transfer to enable Africa boost production and thereby guarantee world food security.

The declaration called for a leap in Africa’s agricultural output by transforming its rural agriculture through infusion of Chinese agricultural characteristics.

This will involve rural farmer education, setting up of modern farming demonstration centers, use of better quality seeds, and new technology in appropriate farming machinery as well as soil improvement techniques.

The Vice President said the 21st century belonged to Africa and he was confident that the continent will transform her economies to the extent of helping feed the rest of the world.

Reading the declaration the deputy Prime Minister Mr. Hui Liangyu said global food security should be the number one priority of world governments given that acute food shortages were bound to lead to food crisis hence social and political instability.

He added that whereas China has the technological advantage Africa was blessed with arable land and a better climate.

Later the Vice President met with leaders of major Chinese firms doing business in the African continent. In his meeting with the Chairman of the board of Sino Hydro, a major player in the power generation and dam and roads construction, the Vice President said modernization of Kenya’s infrastructure was a key objective in the realization of vision 2030.

He urged them to seek to be involved in Kenya’s reconstruction efforts.

Board chairman Huang Baodong said his firm has operations in 24 African countries including Kenya where they are involved on the Thika Road super highway project among others adding that his firm was driven by the objective of quality service within set timelines. Mr. Musyoka also held discussions with officials of China roads and bridges co-operations.