This archive report was first published on 25 July 2021.
Raila Odinga's Vision for Rural Kenya ¶
Published on July 12, 2021
Transforming Kenya from a poor to a prosperous country requires a deliberate focus on turning around the fortunes of rural Kenya, according to Raila Odinga. He believes that with the right policies and investments, rural Kenya can be transformed into a thriving region.
As Prime Minister, Odinga championed slum upgrading to ensure that those fleeing rural areas do not end up in more deplorable urban dwellings. President Uhuru Kenyatta has also championed urban regeneration, especially in his second term.
However, Odinga emphasizes that urban regeneration must go hand in hand with a deliberate policy of rural transformation that makes rural life more livable and migration to cities unnecessary.
Some of the key strategies for rural transformation include:
- Pursuing massive investment in development planning specific to rural areas.
- Pursuing massive investment in rural infrastructure as a long-term and ever-evolving priority in national development.
- Providing reliable and cheap electricity.
- Providing clean water.
- Providing good public schools.
- Investing in food production.
- Providing reliable, efficient, and quality healthcare resources.
Examples of rural-urban integration are already taking root in various parts of rural Kenya, with new trading centers emerging to compete with established towns.
However, even in urbanized societies, there will always be people who prefer to remain in rural areas and engage in farming. Odinga expects this to happen in Kenya and proposes that the government should move in to ensure a coordinated and planned growth.
The government will need to provide farmers with high-yielding seeds, help them with land reclamation and water preservation, and provide them with drying machines and storage facilities.
The end result will be the creation of functional and rich villagers who have money in their pockets, living dignified and decent lives in rural Kenya.
— Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, EGH
