Uhuru borrowed to fix kenya's infrastructure which has lead to increased economic growth. They were loans well spent.
1. Rural electrification - it has stimulated small businesses mashinani, all schools have power, rural shopping centres are well lit for business and security. Milk cooling plants and fresh produce refrigeration now available mashinani and has increased farmer incomes significantly.
2. Roads - new roads such as isiolo - moyale, garsen - lamu, voi - taveta etc have connected new regions to the rest of the country. Bypasses and expressways have opened new areas in urban areas for settlement and saved billions that could have been wasted in jams and lost time. Tarmacked rural roads have ensured produce gets to the market and eased travel.
3. Dams eg karimenu, expanded ndakaini, north collector tunnel, thiba dam, thwake etc have increased water accesss to urban areas and irrigation.
4. Water and sewerage projects have connected many urban areas to water and sewer improving the lives and health of millions.
5. Sgr and revamped metre gauge rail has eased movement of people and goods. Many lives saved due to reduced road accidents.
6. Expanded geothermal, wind and solar power plants increased kenya's power production to power the economy now and into the future. Kenya currently has one of the highest electricity penetration in the world and highly stable power.
7. Lamu port and lappset - has opened up a new transport and economic corridor.
8. 30 new boreholes and 24 new hospitals for nairobi have increased water and health access to millions of city residents.
8. etc
9. etc
Even my grandmother in the village has seen and can feel what hizo loans zimefanya and is grateful for uhuru's visionary leadership. The alternative was kukakaa bila loans and investments and remain forever in the stone age.
At what cost man? The construction of a dual lane road was roughly 35-45M per KM. But these roads used to cost 100M+. Someone who was supervising road construction in a certain constituency huku central told me the MP's share was 30M. CDF offers very little to steal. These infrastructural projects are the real cash cows.
SGR, design and costing was done during Kibaki's time. It was built at an inflated cost by almost 100B. Read about how they used to buy a printer at 900K. Grass costed millions. Ungui mutheri.
Euro bond: the auditor general said the money could not be accounted for. $2B borrowed when Ksh was at 87bob, repaying when Ksh will be at 170-190 bob.
In my home area, they constructed the a road so as to open up those areas. But the priority for the residence is water-for drinking and irrigation. Hiyo barabara saizi hutumika tu na nduthi mostly coz there is no enough traffic for vehicles. Gari utapata ni za asubuhi na jioni tu. Isn't it a misplaced priority?
I have no problem with infrastructure projects, or even making billionaires thru looting. But look, our stock market is crashing, interest rates are rising, and had it not been the evil IMF, it would be an automatic debt default- whose consequences are dire.
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