Newly sworn-in Cabinets usually usher-in high hopes and public expectations on delivery of socioeconomic development, services and jobs.
The Cabinet sworn in last week was specifically born out of a political crisis.
It is therefore important that political hype and temperature are immediately lowered to calm down the country to allow government machinery and the public to go back to serious work while allowing investors and businesses to regain confidence in Kenya’s political stability.
The public will increasingly be on the lookout for actions of financial mismanagement and corruption, for indeed they are more aware and able than before, to smell corrupt deals from a distance.
There will definitely be increased use of legal systems by citizens and civil society sector to protect public resources and interests. It is therefore important for the incoming Cabinet Secretaries to act with full accountability and within the laws and the Constitution.
With significantly reduced funding, the new Treasury Cabinet Secretary, John Mbadi has the most daunting and unenviable task.
He will need firmness and creativity in guiding the Cabinet on where to prioritise funding for development and for maximum socioeconomic impact. This is as he reviews and modifies government approach to taxation and borrowing, while taking into account economic and political stability.
It is not always that budgets are required to deliver results, for indeed “common sense” policies and regulations can remove sector bottlenecks and significantly enable economic actions by investors, businesses and individual Kenyans.
Openly discuss with various economic groups, chambers and associations on how to expand their capacity to produce more and expand employment.
Further, it should be noted that it is increased local production that will multiply national wealth while delivering many jobs. Productive sectors, which include agriculture, livestock, manufacturing, mining, oil production and commercial forestry, should be prioritised with enabling policies and resources.
Special interests and cartels in these sectors should not be allowed to impede common purpose to deliver economic results that benefit most Kenyans.
Turning to energy, the new Cabinet Secretary, Opiyo Wandayi, will need to be creative on how to fast-track commercialisation of Turkana oil reserves without allowing Tullow Oil to waste more time, knowing quite well that the firm has no capacity to develop Turkana oil.
Oil production value chains will reduce imports and improve balance of payments. Finally, LPG supply to public institutions should be prioritised in funding, for indeed it is an environmental necessity.
The writer is an energy consultant.
