Over the past 15 years, a number of high-impact economic projects and plans were launched, then partially implemented or abandoned by successive governments, mostly due to development re-prioritisation.
In nearly all cases, the country has missed or delayed economic opportunities promised by the projects. There was the multi-component Mwai Kibaki legacy LAPSSET corridor project of which the Jubilee government prioritised the implementation of three berths of Lamu Port. The Kenya Kwanza administration's efforts to complete the highway initially from Lamu to Garissa are handicapped by insecurity.
Only a completed highway all the way from Lamu to north-western Kenya through Samburu and Turkana counties and beyond into South Sudan will unlock the envisaged LAPSSET socio-economic benefits. A completed highway will open up the northern half of Kenya, strengthen security management, and secure social economic development while opening up enormous mining opportunities in northern counties.
The stalled Turkana oil project with a 100,000 barrels per day production potential has significant economic value at a time when Kenya continues to import all its oil. The Jubilee government evidently lost focus on Turkana oil during its second term, and there is no strong indication that it is a priority project for Kenya Kwanza. Kenya needs creative ways of commercialising the oil without Tullow Oil.
The standard gauge railway (SGR) project implemented by the Jubilee government was meant to stretch from Mombasa all the way to Uganda and beyond, a business model that was disrupted when the line terminated at Naivasha. The Kenya Kwanza government has indicated that it will pursue SGR extension to Uganda. Only when this is achieved will SGR become a dominant regional economic driver.
A comprehensive mining masterplan started by the Jubilee government lost focus along the way and it is only recently that Kenya Kwanza has brought it back into the limelight. Also derailed was the dream to make Kitui County a mining and industrial hub with its known deposits of coal, iron ore and limestone deposits. Mining should be made an anchor production sector to boost Kenya’s GDP, for indeed mining has the highest capacity to attract FDIs, especially for critical energy and technology minerals.
Finally, credit goes to Kenya Kwanza for moving fast to rejuvenate the Konza high-tech project, which was started during President Kibaki's time, but relegated to low priority by Jubilee. The project and its associated Open University will open up new opportunities in a fast-expanding ICT sector.
