President Mwai Kibaki this morning officially opened a three-day conference dubbed 'The Kenya We Want' at Kenyatta International Conference Center'-KICC- in Nairobi, with Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, retired President Daniel Arap Moi among other leaders in attendance.
Cabinet Ministers, Members of parliament, the diplomatic core and members of the public also attended the opening of the landmark conference, which aims to reflect on the state of the nation and collectively determine how to steer the country on the path to prosperity during the three day conference.
During the conference, Kenyans and other development partners will discuss the progress of the national reconciliation efforts and deliberate on necessary reforms to the country's legal, economic, social and political systems.
Stakeholders at the meeting also intend to review the grand coalition's performance over the last ten months and propose ways of fast-tracking reforms to the country's electoral, judicial, governance and economic systems.
Among the foreign participants expected to address the conference are former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, Malaysia's former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohammed, President of Senegal Dr. Abdoulaye Wade, Mozambique's former President Joachim Chissano and former South African First Lady Graca Machel.Others are Cyril Ramaphosa, a respected South African business executive, Dr. Salim Salim, former OAU Secretary General, Geraldine Fraser Moleketi, South Africa's Minister for Public Service and Administration and Tharcisse Karugarama, Rwanda's Minister for Justice. Former Botswana President Ketumile Masire and former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda will also attend.
Speaking in the same meeting, Prime Minister Raila Odinga said that negative ethnicity is a major drawback to the development of this country.
Emphasizing that the country's ethnic diversity should be a source of strength, Mr. Odinga pointed out that Kenyans cannot achieve the vision of a better country if they do not find a way of dealing with negative ethnicity.
Said he, "We have a common destiny, and we have often said our ethnic diversity is our greatest strength. We have yet to prove the value of those words."
Noting that the Kenya must aspire to attain the status of successful nations of the world, the PM said it was defeatist to compare herself favourably with failed and non-competitive states.
The PM was who speaking at the opening session of the ‘Kenya we want' conference noted that though the country's potential was enormous national life is characterized by broken promises, missed opportunities and unfulfilled ambitions.
Said the Premier, "We have had many false starts. We have managed to achieve very little that is fresh and new. Although our potential remains enormous, we have always played in the minor, not the premier, league in matters of development."
Noting that it was time to resolve that the worst days were behind and the best ahead, Mr. Odinga said Kenyans must no longer cling to history to justify the country's poverty and deficiency, bad politics, injustice and failure to live up to the dreams and expectations of the nation's founding fathers.
He called for the implementation of the vision 2030 regardless of political and ethnic affiliation saying it provided the framework which the country can have a robust economy and be a beacon of good governance in Africa and beyond.
Noting that political independence must be matched by a resolve to find a long term solution to the country's challenges the PM observed that the government was dealing with the spin-off of the global economic crisis, spiraling inflation and runaway food prices as well as the unfinished business of constitutional review and matters arising from the turbulence of last year.
The PM noted that Kenya must use her strategic position in East Africa to become a hub in the region, adding the country must develop her infrastructure -air and maritime ports, roads and railways to support industrialization.
Saying Kenyans must be optimistic about their future, the Premier stated that there was need to discard cynicism that the conference was business as usual.
He said, "I urge all Kenyans to do their best. What matters is not how much you have in terms of skill and material endowment, but what you can achieve with the resources available to you. What matters is not only what your country can do for you, but also what you can do for your country."
Moi urged Kenyans not to loose sight and reject leaders misguiding them.
Vice president Kalonzo Musyoka says at the same time said it was time for kenyas to enjoy a wealth living and therefore called on the president to deal with corruption right from the top following the ongoing scandals.
Minister for planning and development 2030 said Kenyans must work in unity if they have to achieve the Kenya they want.
