Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am indeed pleased to address this August African Peer Review Mechanism Forum of Heads of State and Government. Allow me to convey salutations and good wishes from the people of Kenya. I take this early opportunity to commend Your Excellency, President Olusegun Obasanjo for your able stewardship of African Peer Review Forum. On behalf of my delegation I extend our sincere gratitude to our host, President Yahya Jammeh, the Government and the people of The Gambia for the warm reception accorded to us since our arrival in this beautiful city of Banjul. I also wish to pay tribute to the distinguished A.P.R.M. Panel of Eminent Persons for the excellent manner in which they have conducted the peer review. I wish to single out Her Excellency Dr. Graca Machel for the excellent work in leading the review mission in Kenya.

Excellencies,
The A.P.R.M. is a unique and innovative approach which seeks to support and leverage national priorities. Moreover, it helps us to assess ourselves and to search for best practices to implement our sovereign mandates effectively and efficiently. It was for this reason that Kenya volunteered herself to scrutiny through a process that benchmarks our national targets to the ideal position that we think Africa to be. Indeed, globalisation entails that Africa re-positions itself in order to enhance our international competitiveness. I am happy to inform this forum that since we acceded to the A.P.R.M. process, Kenya has consistently remained faithful to the commitments of the process. As the review mission noted, and I quote;

"Kenya is, in fact, a model of best practices in organizing the review process, which received high-level political support, evidenced by the personal contributions to this process by His Excellency the President and the Cabinet"… end of quote.

As raised in the Country Review Report, my Government acknowledges that good governance is a necessary benchmark against which the performance of our institutions and total development must be measured. Moreover, good governance leads to greater efficiency in utilization of resources, which result in sustained economic growth and better standards of living for our people. For this reason, my Government has mounted a wide range of measures to improve governance, and, in particular, to combat corruption. As pointed out in the A.P.R.M. Report, my Government has "shown a demonstrable commitment and will to curtail corruption, corrupt practices and other illegal actions, particularly among public office holders".

Indeed, we have put in place extensive legal instruments as well as investigative and enforcement machinery to combat corruption. To date, the Government has established the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission, special Anti-Corruption courts, strengthened the National Audit Office, and enacted the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act as well as the Public Officer Ethics Act. All these instruments and bodies are fully functional and are entrenching our fight against this social vice.

I am glad to note that the Report of the Eminent Persons has recommended that the Kenyan civil society, particularly the media, should complement the efforts of the Government in fighting corruption. This recommendation is appropriate, as corruption needs to be combated at all levels. I need to mention, however, that considerable progress has indeed been realized in Kenya towards achieving a united national front against corruption through the combined efforts of all stakeholders.

For instance, at the National Anti-Corruption Conference held on 30th May 2006, by participants from all walks of life and from all parts of the country, a national Anti-Corruption Action Plan was adopted. This Plan provides for a common approach to the fight against corruption. The diverse stakeholders constituted themselves as a new Kenya Integrity Forum. We see this forum having a national platform that integrates all Kenyans in these joint efforts to change mindsets.

Excellencies,
We are also aware that a sound constitution is a critical instrument of entrenching good governance. My Government remains committed to ensuring that Kenyans get a new constitution that reflects modern aspirations and strengthens the bonds of national unity. Last November, Kenyans demonstrated their political maturity through a national referendum on a new constitution. Despite the outcome of the referendum, Kenyans still desire to have a new constitution.

Early this year, I constituted a consultative Committee of Eminent Persons to collect the views from Kenyans on how best to jumpstart and conclude the process of constitution making. As a nation we have learnt vital lessons on the constitution review process. As indicated in the report that was submitted by the committee, Kenyans are very clear on how they would like to proceed and ensure a logical conclusion to the process and guarantee Kenyans a constitution that will best serve present and future generations.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

One issue that we learnt in the process is the need to entrench in the constitution mechanisms that will guarantee harmony in the management of our diversity. Kenya is a nation blessed with a variety of ethnic communities who enrich our cultural and social values. My Government recognizes the ethnic, racial and cultural diversity of its people as an asset. To this end, therefore, my Government's policy is driven by the desire to harness this diversity for nation building and political stability.

To ensure non-discrimination on all bases of diversity, my Government has ensured the accommodation of all shades of diversity at various levels of Government including the cabinet and civil service. We have also continued to increase the allocation of budgetary resources to devolved funds to empower local communities on an equitable basis with positive bias to areas of high poverty incidence. For example since my government came into office, we have been directing a pre-determined percentage of our national taxes to the 210 political constituencies every year. The resources are meant for use at the grassroots level to finance community-based projects that have been deemed as priorities by the people themselves.

Currently, about 1 million US Dollars is being channelled to each constituency through the Constituency Development Fund to support grassroots development projects. The fund has been extremely well received by the Kenyan people and the percentage allocated was increased further in the last national budget. The Government is also directing additional resources through other devolved funds, namely the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund, The Local Authorities Transfer Fund and the Constituency School Bursary Fund.

We are disbursing these funds because of our firm believe of the need to empower our people, especially in the rural areas where 70 percent of our population lives. There are many lessons that African countries can learn from one another in our fight against poverty.

As part of our efforts to further address the issue of inequality in our society, we are investing heavily in the social sectors. For example we are offering free primary education to our people as part of an investment in education that takes up 30 percent of our national expenditure. We do this because education is the surest way to break the cycle of poverty that successive generations in Africa have been subjected to.

We are also allocating substantial funds for the health sector, in order to ensure that the more vulnerable members of our society have access to affordable health care. These investments in the social sector may not have an immediate impact on social equality, but we are confident that they are worthwhile investments for any government that cares for the present and future well being of its people. Part of the strategy to ensure social and economic equality is implementing an ambitious land reform programme. This is important because land ownership is the most important factor of production in a country that is still dependant on agriculture as its economic mainstay.

As rightly observed in the A.P.R.M. country report on Kenya, my country has been grappling with the land question since the colonial era. My Government has, however, made serious efforts towards addressing land problems. For the first time since independence, the Government is initiating national consultations aimed at developing a comprehensive National Land Policy. The policy will address critical issues such as land registration and administration, land use planning, environmental degradation, land related conflicts and the unplanned proliferation of informal urban settlements.
Excellencies,

We have also introduced wide-ranging reforms in the public service to ensure efficient implementation of government policies and programmes. The specific measures include adoption of results based management approaches, performance contracting as well as mechanisms for appraising performance. It is also a requirement that Government Ministries develop and implement Strategic Plans that are consistent with the overall National policy framework popularly known as Economic Recovery Strategy. Other measures include individual work plans, periodic sector-by-sector score cards and annual public expenditure reviews.

In addition, Parliamentary Oversight Committees such as Public Accounts Committee and Public Investment Committee are being strengthened to discharge their mandates with autonomy and vigour. In recognition of the critical need for better coordination and inclusion of broad public views, the Government has put in place requisite machinery for participatory policy making through the National Economic and Social Council. This Council brings together the government, academia, the private sector and civil society.

Excellencies,

As acknowledged in the Panel's Review Report on Kenya, my Government has made significant progress in the area of gender policy initiative. We have undertaken various measures, which include the creation of a Ministry of Gender whose core mandate is to develop gender policies and programmes and to mainstream gender in the development process. Furthermore, a National Gender Commission has also been established.

In addition to these measures, my Government has been implementing Affirmative Action initiatives. I am happy to report that today the number women appointed to key positions in the cabinet, civil service and state corporations is larger than ever before. Also under the Free Primary Education, we are now realizing equal numbers in the enrolment of both boys and girls.

Excellencies,

Regarding the youth, my Government is committed to empowering the youth and integrating them fully into the national development process. In this regard, and for the first time in Kenya, I have established a Ministry responsible for youth affairs. In this regard, we are making deliberate efforts to address the critical problem of youth unemployment. Further, youth polytechnics are being revamped in all constituencies across the country so as to equip the youth with skills necessary for employment. We have also established a Youth Enterprise Fund with an initial capitalization of about 20 million U.S. Dollars to enable the youth access affordable capital for investment.

We have also embarked on a process of moulding our youth for leadership. My Government has made progress by establishing an initiative called "Growing Our Leaders" which targets Kenyan youth for national leadership.

Excellencies,

Kenya has remained particular about the issue of transformative leadership. Indeed, as part of our wider public sector reform programme, we have embarked on initiatives aimed at building the capacities of members of the cabinet, parliament as well as senior public servants. Our vision under this programme is to establish a public service management culture that is responsive, results oriented and which rewards creativity, while promoting continuous learning.

As part of the reforms in our country, we have also deepened democratic reforms, heralding one of most dynamic periods in our nations history. Today our leaders are free to speak their minds without fear of intimidation or reprisal. The media is also now fully liberalized and free of state control. What we are now encouraging our people to do is not to just talk because they are free to speak, but instead to engage in national dialogue on the best economic, social and economic model that they deem appropriate for our nation.

Mr chairman, I would like to add that my government believes that Kenya can only achieve its full potential when all her neighbours are at peace and enjoying the benefits of economic development. Today Kenya is home to over 250,000 registered refugees from our neighbouring countries, who have been displaced due to conflict. This is the reason why Kenya has been at the forefront as an honest broker in the peace processes in Sudan and Somalia. We have made much progress and are confident that the people of the two nations are now ready to embrace peace. Kenya will support the reconstruction process in the two countries as part of our efforts to consolidate peace and development in the region.

In concluding my remarks, Mr. Chairman, allow me to share some of the lessons we in Kenya have learned as we walked down the APRM road. First, in my opinion, the process has taken too long for us. This has the effect of rendering most findings and recommendations irrelevant by the time one commits to implementing the plan of action. There is need to shorten the time, and provide the enabling capacity to implement the peer review process in a much shorter time-scale. This will require providing sufficient technical and financial resources to the national self -assessment teams as well as to the NEPAD secretariat coordinating the process.

The other lesson we have learned is that, unless there is a shared sense of destiny and vision within Government, within various players in civil society, and within the general population, the peer review process can quite easily become politicized and its effectiveness reduced by partisanship and subjectivity. It is therefore imperative to ensure that the country review teams, and technical assessment teams are constituted by solidly professional and objective members.

Finally, Excellencies, I appreciate the task ahead of us is formidable but by no means insurmountable. The progress Kenya has made so far serves as a clear testimony of our capacity to fulfill the principles and ideals of the NEPAD Vision. This Peer Review is just but the beginning of the momentous work that lies ahead of us in our renewed spirit and determination to transform our economies. I wish to re-state our desire and commitment to this NEPAD initiative. We know for sure that with this first step, we have laid a strong foundation for the implementation of our National Programme of Action. I return to Kenya with strengthened resolve to advance our commitment and dedication to the A.P.R.M. process for the sake of our people.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank you for your kind attention and God Bless You All.