Nairobi, Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned that civil servants who fail to perform their duties as required will be sacked.
Saying politicians have to go back to the people every five years to seek the mandate to continue serving, President Kenyatta said failure to deliver means being sent home.
“So those public servants who think that they will wait for another administration to come and then continue working, I can assure them that they will go home before I do,” President Kenyatta said.
The President was speaking on Friday at Kenyatta International Conference Centre during the National Exporters Forum that brings together stakeholders in the export sector to exchange ideas and strategize for better performance.
The Head of State emphasised that it must be understood by all that public service is about providing service to the over 40 million Kenyans.
President Kenyatta said the Government is supposed to facilitate those who who produce and create jobs, adding that public servants must change their mentality and begin to serve selflessly.
Citing the National Electronic Single window that has been discussed for a long time, the Head of State said it must be operational before the end of the year.
“There is no reason whatsoever why that cannot happen because we must begin to change our culture,” Uhuru said.
The President, at the same time, disclosed that the Government has set aside Shs 22 billion for the construction of a modern standard gauge railway line from Mombasa to Kisumu.
He said his Government will also prioritise value addition of local produce in its bid to move away from exportation of low value commodities to exportation of high value finished products.
The President pointed out that the initiative will arrest the widening trade deficit and alleviate the current unemployment situation affecting youth and women.
“The value addition initiatives will diversify our export base and lead to increased production of goods and services that will be consumed locally, regionally and internationally,” Uhuru said.
The President disclosed a raft of other measures being implemented to promote the growth of the export sector including the exploration and exploitation of alternative sources of energy such as solar, wind and geothermal.
He said the Government is also fast-tracking the implementation of the LAPSSET Project which will open up the markets of South Sudan and Ethiopia.
Other measures include the establishment of international distribution infrastructure including warehouses and business information centers in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Juba in South Sudan.-standardmedia.co.ke
