HIS EXCELLENCY’S EIGHTH STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS H. E ...

HIS EXCELLENCY'S EIGHTH STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS

H. E. Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, CGH, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief

of the Defence Forces Parliament Buildings

Nairobi, Kenya November 30th 2021

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Honorable Speaker of the National Assembly, Honorable Speaker of the Senate, Honorable Members of Parliament, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. Good Afternoon.

2. It is my distinct honour and high privilege to return to the

chambers of Parliament to deliver my Eighth State of the Nation Address since my assumption of Office as the Fourth President of the Republic of Kenya, on Tuesday, 9th April, 2013.

3. As always, it gives me great pleasure to return to this, August

House where I served on both sides of the parliamentary divide, with many of you present here today.

4. I first served as a nominated Member of Parliament and later

as a Cabinet Minister. I was a young man then; which is a testament

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that even the young can serve. After an unsuccessful Presidential bid in 2002, I found myself on the opposition benches as the Leader of the Official Opposition and Member of Parliament for Gatundu South.

5. Five years later, and in recognition of my distinguished and

principled service, I was called to serve as the Deputy Prime Minister in the Grand Coalition Government under His Excellency the Former President, Hon. Mwai Kibaki and under the Former Prime Minister, Rt. Hon Raila Odinga. In that Administration, I held the position of Minister for Trade and later as Minister for Finance.

6. This journey of mixed fortunes taught me that you could serve

your country in any capacity because service is not a position; it is

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action. It also taught me to have empathy for both sides of the parliamentary divide and all shades of political opinions.

7. Of all the lessons, the enduring one is that Kenya is always

greater than any one of us. In times of great political turmoil, patriotic men and women were spurred by the love of their Country to bridge partisan divides and to come together to put Kenya first.

8. It was not easy but it is necessary. Then, as is now, we were

called upon to do all that is necessary to heal Kenya, to build bridges, and to focus on the 99% of shared visions of a better Kenya as a priority to the 1% of differing ideologies.

9. Personal ambitions were placed aside for the good of Kenya

and for the enduring benefit of generations of Kenyans yet unborn. That selfless service, that sacrifice, led to the people of Kenya ultimately working together bestowing on me the high honour and extreme privilege of serving them as President, come 2013.

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10. For the trust and faith that the Great People of Kenya placed

in me, I am and will forever be, most grateful and eternally humbled.

Mr. Speaker,

11. Today, I return to Parliament as President. I am here to fulfill a

constitutional imperative introduced into our political tradition and practice by the 2010 constitution.

12. In fact, I was indeed privileged to be the second President to

discharge this constitutional mandate when I made my first State of the Nation Address on 27th March, 2014.

13. The constitution, at Article 132, mandates the President to report

to a Special Joint Sitting of both Houses of Parliament on measures taken and progress made in the realization of our National Values as defined by Article 10 of the Constitution.

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