Uhuru Kenyatta Speech to the Asian Community Visa Oshwal Centre Jan 30, 2012 Good Afternoon, Its

s a pleasure to be here with you today. To be part of the conversation that well be having today. Let me begin by thanking you all, for attending. I think this meeting here, today, exemplifies the idea of co-operation for the common good. The idea of coming together across different disciplines, backgrounds and world-views- in order to forge a way forward that works for, and benefits, all of us.

Thats fundamentally, what the Jubilee Coalition is about. The parties that came together under this banner did so with the aim of collaborating towards economic success that would enable empowerment, create wealth and enhance national cohesion. We, as a coalition, truly believe that our national progress is dependent on the economic liberation of all our citizens. On every citizen having the power to meet their basic needs and access the opportunities that will help them pursue their goals, protect their families and eventually become society changers and community developers themselves. I believe that this agenda is not just relevant to a few of us- but its relevant to all of us. As a community Kenyan-Asians have always been a crucial, if often under recognized, part of our nation. You add a vast wealth of cultural dynamism to our nation and you, together with all other tribes in Kenya, contribute to making Kenya the eclectic country it is. The contributions that Kenyan-Asians have made to our nation are innumerable and I wont attempt to delineate them now. Yet I also recognize that relations between the government and this community have not always been smooth. Today I want to outline a few promises that the Jubilee Coalition has made- that are relevant to ensuring that the needs of every community are adequately represented by government and reflected within the framework of national policy. To begin with, as a coalition, our manifesto which will be launched on Sunday- emphasizes the need for transparency within government. Past government dealings and procurement procedures have often been shrouded with secrecy and been bereft of clarity. Our coalition is intent on ensuring that all government practices are transparent and enable a culture of political accountability. During my tenure as Minister of Finance I implemented the Integrated Financial Management Information Systems to foster that kind of transparency. As President, my promise to you is that all procurement for government tenders will happen through an open, fair and transparent competitive bidding process. Our government will have a zero-tolerance policy for unfair trade practices which includes eliminating nepotism within government.

The Jubilee Manifesto also emphasizes the need for increased entrepreneurial activity which, for us, means supporting small and medium-size enterprises through a series of incentives. A majority of these kinds of business are owned by Kenyan-Asians. Supporting these business will happen through various initiatives including initiatives that offer taxbreaks to businesses that meet certain criteria. Finally, our coalition, understanding the strength that lies within unity, will not accept cultural marginalization, but will seek to enhance cultural co-operation and understanding amongst our citizens and to encourage all cultural practices that are in line with the constitution and with all international standards which we recognize as being good and fair. In light of this, a major focus of the Jubilee government will be investing in the sphere of arts which includes literature, music; film and theatre because we believe these are the main carriers of culture in the 21st century. The last two decades have shown us that development and opportunity can come from the places we least expect. The technological revolution that seized the world is a testament to precisely that fact. The development of social media platforms and the easier access to information through the internet has made the term global village a near reality. Today with our nation being faced with increasingly formidable issues; not least of all the high-unemployment rates; rampant insecurity; dis-unity and marginalization of different groups of people; we need, now more than ever, to look at each sector and industry as an integral part of our developmental progress. As a sector than will provide jobs, help better living conditions amongst our citizens, increase our national output and place Kenya on the map as an economic powerhouse in Africa and, eventually, across the world. That is why the Jubilee Coalition is venturing to invest in sectors hither-to marginalized or ignored. We have pledged to build a new national theatre. We will work towards diminishing taxes and bureaucratic practices that make it unnecessarily difficult or tedious for foreign film-makers to access Kenya as a film location. We want film-makers from across the globe to access our diverse landscapes and use them for their work. In line with this, we will also work towards ensuring that our local cinema collaborates with Bollywood and other foreign film-industries for technical and creative support in order to ensure that our cinema grows more rapidly. These are some of the promises that our coalition is making to the people of Kenya. As the Jubilee Coalitions Presidential Candidate, I want to assure all of you that if elected, my promise to you is that I will work with you within a long-term partnership to address the issues that are important to you. I am confident that it is impossible to solve our national issues unless every interest group and tribe across the nation is represented at the decision-making table. I therefore pledge to work with interest and lobby groups that represent the needs within this community; to listen keenly to their solutions and to ensure that they are fairly analyzed and implemented. I urge all of you therefore to strive to create

groups that will not only represent your interests but that will hold our government accountable for ensuring we fulfill the promises you elected us to fulfill. Brothers and Sisters: this is our nation, and I look forward to working with you- to build it. Uhuru Kenyatta Deputy Prime Minister