Gatanga Member of Parliament Peter Kenneth formally unveiled his Presidential bid on Sunday, joining a long list of aspirants eyeing the top job.He launched his presidential campaign at the Kenyatta International Conference in Nairobi where he announced that he will be vying on a Kenya National Congress (KNC) party ticket.
"It is with God's grace, total humility and with a deep sense of responsibility that I offer mycandidature for the presidency in the year 2013," he told an ecstatic crowd of his supporters.
Kenneth unveiled a five year plan that would see him, should he be elected president, focus on five areas of security, infrastructure, education, water conservation and healthcare to improve the lives of Kenyans.
"I am committed to ensure that in the next three years, the 45 counties that do not have referral hospitals will have referral hospitals," he pledged.
Kenneth also pledged to build a national polytechnic in each county if he is elected to take over from President Mwai Kibaki who is retiring next year after serving for two terms.
On water conservation, Kenneth also pledged that each county would have a dam to facilitate irrigation to boost agriculture which is the country's backbone.
He faulted the government's failure to build a Likoni bridge which he said would be far much cheaper than acquiring new ferries.
On infrastructure, the Planning Assistant Minister pledged to improve the rail system saying, "We must see how our rail will work so that we don't have a burden on our roads."
He also intends to focus on four other areas which include agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and Information Communication Technology to improve the country's economy.
"We are only getting 1.6 million tourists in Kenya annually, yet we know the potential Kenya has is not even exploited. We know that despite the two areas where tourism is very popular we have not invested. You look at the coast province and you realise we should have done all the roads and bridges to ensure more tourists get to the coast province," he said, adding "You look at the Maasai Mara and you get embarassed watchingtourists getting stuck."
Kenneth told his supporters that if elected President he will also fast track reforms in the judiciary and implement the constitution.
Kenneth's son Andrew, was also at the launch and endorsed his father's presidential bid as did Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya who is allied to Prime Minister Raila Odinga's ODM.
"You know where I am and occassionally I've talked to you about working together but maybe it will come. Don't forget us when you get there," Oparanya said.
Capital News
