Barely three days into the New Year are several issues of national importance set to remain in the headlines for the better part of 2018.
With Kenyans bracing up for another year to fulfill their dreams, seven issues as highlighted by Daily Nation that will play out include as listed below:
1.Raila Odinga’s political future
There is a lot of uncertainty at the moment over the next step Raila and his NASA team will take given their history of protracted political enmity with Jubilee administration.
Raila and his lieutenants claim they do not recognize Uhuru Kenyatta as the President because he is “illegitimately” in office. Premised on this, Raila with renewed backing from his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka has vowed to stay on course and will be sworn in as Kenya’s fifth President.
Kalonzo last week said Uhuru must engage the opposition on political dialogue lest they continue with their oath plan.
This is likely to shape 2018’s political events.
- Rolling out of new education curriculum
Kenya’s new education curriculum is set to take off as schools resume for new term. The new curriculum-with emphasis on technical aspects other than theory, the implementation of the 2-6-6-3 curriculum will be a major news item across the year.
It will replace the current 8-4-4 education system. Education stakeholders have supported its scrapping.
But teachers’ unions have called for caution even as government plans to roll out the new curriculum. They have called for systemic implementation with no haste that has punctuated the ministry’s move to roll out the new curriculum.
- Election petitions
After the August 8 polls, a total of 348 election petitions were filed. Judgment on all these petitions is expected to be delivered by the end of February. Hitherto, 60 petitions have been ruled upon.
At least 17 incumbent governors are waiting to know their fate. Three are already off the hook.
However, projection by pundits asserts that out of the 17, two or three could be back on the campaign trail after the court nullifies their victory on August 8.
- Recruitment of Court of Appeal Judges
With just 21 judges at the Appellate courts countrywide, Judicial Service Commission will be on focus on the recruitment of the judges who are required to be at least 30.
At the Court of Appeal spread across Nairobi, Nyeri, Malindi and Kisumu, there’s a shortfall of judges. Some have retired while others have been promoted but their positions have not been filled.
Justice John Mwera, Justice Anyara Emukule and Justice Festus Azangalala have retired.
- Taming road carnage along Nakuru-Eldoret Highway
In the month of December alone, 200 lives were lost in three black spots spread across the busy Nakuru-Eldoret Highway.
Focus this year will be on government’s commitment towards the construction of Sh500 million dual carriageway.
Transport PS Eng John Mosonik said construction work will begin from February and last six months to finally slay the road carnage dragon that on Sunday consumed 36 lives.