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Hon. Edwin Sifuna
Senator, Nairobi City County
Deputy Minority Whip, Senate
Hon. Edwin Sifuna
Senator, Nairobi City County and Deputy Minority Whip, Senate
My Agenda and Manifesto
Cost of Living
Kenyans are feeling the pinch with the rising cost of basic commodities. They have been for a long time. Whether it is food items, electricity, schooling, rent; it has become unbearable and making ends meet has become a real challenge for many, many households.
The high cost of living can be attributed to many factors, most critical being the exorbitant taxes imposed by the government, in order to fulfill their borrowing obligations.
I plan to enforce stricter gatekeeping measures at Senate level to check government spending and borrowing and ensure the common mwananchi does not get unnecessary taxes and levies passed on to them.
Ease of Doing Business
Kenya is ranked 56th among 190 economies in the ease of doing business, according to the latest available World Bank annual ratings. Economies with a high rank (1 to 20) have simpler and more friendly regulations for businesses.
In Nairobi especially, there are lots of bottlenecks that frustrate budding business owners;
– High taxes
– Cumbersome and too many registration requirements
– Exorbitant licensing fees
– Digital Service Tax
My office will prioritise putting in place protectionist measures through legislation, that will safeguard those who wish to venture into self-employment and contribute to the growth of Kenya’s economy.
Unemployment
There is a 39% unemployment rate among the youth. This is very worrying as the youth form one of the largest demographics in Nairobi. They have educational qualifications but lack opportunities for them to earn a decent living. This ‘gap’ is directly proportional to the rate of crime in the country.
Currently, there is a lot of hopelessness and deteriorating mental wellness which has; caused additional anguish to families, increased drug abuse, strain on health facilities, the list is endless.
How can I help our youth especially? Prioritising legislation and partnerships with companies both locally and abroad, to create a job pipeline and mentorship programme for the youth. Also, encouraging new autonomous digital based hubs with little government interference.
Access to Quality Healthcare
When a person in leadership dies at a government hospital because of lack of oxygen apparatus, you wonder how then can an ordinary mwanainchi, whose taxes are meant to provide adequate and affordable healthcare, will survive when s/he falls ill.
It is an open secret that the majority of government health facilities are inadequately stocked and have a shortage of specialists. With Devolution, healthcare has been left to the counties and this has caused a gap in the quality of care. The referral hospitals are stretched beyond capacity.
Support of Sports and Art sectors
Sports is a huge potential platform for youth looking for alternative ways to earn an income; and if you are really good at it, has the potential to change lives and whole communities.
Our shujaas have always made us proud even when their training has been severely compromised due to lack of adequate facilities, lack of adequate monetary support in terms of incentives and rewards.
We will create policies and laws that ensure talent from a young age is nurtured through institutions recognized as sports centers.