President Kenyatta declines to read written speech

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President Uhuru Kenyatta PHOTO COURTESY

Nairobi,KENYA: President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday declined to read his written speech while officiating the Small and Medium Enterprise summit held at Strathmore University.

The president said he was embarrassed to read a written speech because as a government they have failed to sort out the issues affecting the traders.

“Mimi nina aibu kubwa sana kwa sababu kwa ukweli hatujawatendea haki kulingana na ile mahitaji ambayo mko nayo(I’m very embarrassed because honestly we have not done you justice according to the needs you have)” Kenyatta said.

The president did not shy away from putting leaders present at the summit on the spotlight for not ever having a sit down with the entrepreneurs, yet they are so welcoming of large-scale businesses.

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and cabinet secretary for transport James Macharia were on the receiving end when the president gave an example of the Gikomba market in Nairobi where traders were willing to build the market on their own but the government offered to do it and a year later, no action is taken, citing this as one of the reasons for his embarrassment.

He proposed a collaboration of the national and county governments to come up with solutions to the issues that arose during the roundtable forum.

According to the head of state, the issues raised at the summit are those that can be sorted out by quick action rather than policy matters.

“Kwa sababu mengi yale yamesemwa hapa(because most of what has been said here), I don’t see the problem, the problem is just us to move and to implement and to do it.” Said the president.

The SME owners got a promise straight from the president that “they will see action”.

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