Kenya’s Vision 2030 Relevance to Rural Development

Kenya vision 2030 is Kenya’s long-term national planning strategy stating the main goals of economic, social and political pillars that underpin the vision 2030.It also provides a rundown of flagship projects to be embarked upon in the medium term period of the vision (2008-2012). It is the country’s development foundation store that covers 2008-2030. It aims at making Kenya a new industrial, middle income country providing high quality of life for all citizens. The vision is based on three pillars, namely;- the economic, social and political pillar. The economic pillar aims at providing prosperity to all Kenyans through an economic development program aimed at achieving an average of 10% annual GDP by 2030.The social pillar seeks to build a just and cohesive society with of social equity in a secure environment. The political pillar founded on issues based on politics that respects the rule of law and protects the interests of every individual in the Kenyan society.POL ICY OBJECTIVES.1. To unlock potential benefits of economic growth, employment and poverty reduction.2. To increase the annual GDP growth rate to 10% per annum.3. To reduce high energy costs.4. To improve poor infrastructure.5.To make Kenya a haul tourist destination in the world.6. To raise incomes in agriculture, livestock, fisheries by processing and thereby adding value to the products before they reach the market.7. To improve efficiency in the country.8. To make Kenya the provider of choice for basic manufactured goods in Eastern and Central Africa.9. To provide business services via internet to companies and organizations in developed countries e. g. Europe, Britain etc.10. To have a vibrant/ globally competitive financial sector.11.To promote globally competitive quality education/ research development.12. To promote efficiency and quality health care system.13. To achieve a nationally clean and secure environment.14. To provide gender equity.RELEVANCE TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA. ECONOMIC VISION AND STRATEGY. TOURISM. Creation of more tourist attraction sites with the aim of raising the tourist population in Kenya from 1. 8m (2006)- 3m (2030). This will involve upgrading the standards of attractive but rarely visited sites like Ruma and Marsabit. INCREASING VALUE IN AGRICULTURE.This will be done by processing goods before they reach the market in order to give them more value. Also, it aims at introducing new land use policies that will maximize utilization of the high and medium potential lands for large-scale agriculture. A BETTER AND MORE INCLUSIVE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE SECTOR. It aims at lowering transaction costs through institutional reforms. It will involve strengthening informal trade through investment in infrastructure, training and linking it to wider local and global markets. MANUFACTURING FOR THE REGIONAL MARKET.Kenya aims to become the provider of choice for basic manufactured goods in Eastern and Central Africa before breaking int o other markets targeting commonly used products. It will be done by improved efficiency and competitiveness at firm level, thus raising the market share in the regional market from 7%-15%. BUSINESS PROCESS OFFSHORING. It involves providing business services via the internet to companies and organizations in developed worlds e. g. USA. FINANCIAL SERVICES. Having a vibrant and globally competitive financial sector driving high levels of savings and financing Kenya investment needs.SOCIAL STRATEGY. EDUCATION AND TRAINING. It aims at Kenya providing a globally competitive quality, Itraining and research for development i. e. achieving 80% literacy rate, increasing school enrolment to 95% and increasing the transition rates to technical institutions and secondary schools to accommodate the ever increasing number of primary students who have qualified to join secondary institutions. HEALTH SECTOR. To improve the overall livelihood of Kenyans. The vision aims at providing efficient high q uality health care systems with good standards. WATER AND SANITATION.Kenya being a water scarce nation, the vision aims at conserving water sources and find new ways of harvesting and using rain and underground water. It also aims at promoting agricultural activities through irrigation (140,000-300,000 ha), 54km canal from Tana river to Garissa (Rahole canal), Tana Delta project and rehabilitation of major irrigation schemes. ENVIRONMENT. The vision aims in achieving a clean/ secure and sustainable environment by 2030. It will do this by increasing forest cover from less than 3% to 4% in the future, to lessen environmental diseases.HOUSING/ URBANIZATION. To achieve decent and high quality urban livelihoods by 2030. GENDER, YOUTH AND VULNERABLE GROUPS. To promote gender equality, improve livelihoods amongst vulnerable groups and become a responsible society by empowering women, children and the youth. It also aims at doing away with child labor and FGM. SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVAT ION (STI). It is based on the creation of internet competitiveness in the corporate level and also for the citizens. POLITICAL STRATEGY. RULE OF LAW. Inculcating a culture of compliance with laws and decent human behavior.Increasing service availability and access by reducing barriers for justice and public education. PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY. Promoting open engagement between the government and civil society as well as free flow of information e. g. by use of the media. SECURITY, PEACE BUILDING AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT. Promoting community policing, reducing the police to population ratio, adopting information and communication technology (ICT) in crime detection and prevention, enhancing police training, all with an aim of creating a society free from danger and fear. POLICY GAPS.1.Lack of clearly defined legal frameworks to deal with corruption e. g land grabbing.2. Lack of policies that seek to mechanize milk farming.3. It lacks avenues for the rural produce so as to discourage mo nopolies/ exploitation from private investors.4. Does not entail modern storage facilities for farmers during boom yields and harvests.5. It lacks frameworks to advocate for creation of small airstrips in high production zones so as to tackle the transportation challenge.6. Lack of introduction and inclusion of computer studies in the school curriculum at the elementary level.7. Does not seek to upgrade local hospitals to the referral level and also make treatment affordable.8. Lack of emergency and rescue services that are fully equipped.9. Lack of rural electrification programs.10. Lack of agencies at the rural level to regulate price exploitation on commodities.RECOMMENDATIONS.1. Legal frameworks should be created to deal with cases of corruption.2. The vision should include in it simple ways of mechanizing farming in the rural areas and at the same time create measures to ensure that human labor is not done away with completely.3.Markets should be found or created by the governm ent so that farmers have somewhere to sell their commodities at reasonable and fair prices.4. The vision should include construction of modern storage facilities so that farmers can keep their excess produce safely and this will help reduce food insecurity in the country during scarcity.5. Small airstrips should be constructed especially in areas that produce perishable goods so that they can be taken to major airports in good time.6. ICT should be introduced and incorporated in the school curriculum at the elementary level.7.The vision should advocate for affordable healthcare to all and also upgrade the local hospitals to referral statute.8. Emergency and rescue services should be upgraded to international levels so that 95% of the emergencies can be tackled.9. Rural areas should be electrified as this will attract industrialization in such areas.10. Prices on basic commodities should be regulated so that they can become affordable to everyone.REFERENCESUnited Nations, (2005). Mil lennium Development Goals. New YorkGovernment of the Republic of Kenya,(2007). The Kenya Vision 2030,Government Printers ,Nairobi, Kenya