STATEMENT BY H.E. HON.

UHURU KENYATTA, PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE KENYA DEFENCE FORCES, ON LABOUR DAY, 1 MAY 2014. Fellow Kenyans,

It is my pleasure to recognise and appreciate all Kenyan workers wherever they may be, as we join our continent, and the world, in celebrating the dignity of those who work.

This is not only your day, but it also carries a special significance for the whole nation. It is not oil, or gold, or diamonds, which built this country. ur wealth has come from the hard toil of our hands. This country was made by your steady labour. !ll we have, we owe to the sweat of our workers. "o it is my pleasure, and my duty, to recognise the central role of workers in building this nation.

Fellow Kenyans,

!s I have stated before in many forums # and as I will not tire of repeating # we aspire to be a middle#income country, o$ering a high %uality of life by &'('. The plan of that name is our vision) and my government has laid the foundation for its achievement in its first year in o*ce. The attainment of our vision depends on this country+s ability to achieve rapid economic growth, and that growth depends directly on our workers. ,ou hold in your hands this country+s hopes of freedom and prosperity.

To realise -ision &'(', we will all have to work together. .ach of us, anyone with any concern for the prosperity of this country, must submit their interests to the common good.

/et me acknowledge, in particular, all the active Trade 0nions and .mployers+ !ssociations, for their continued support and co1operation which has been a great help to my government in its first year in o*ce. They have taken to heart the importance of confronting together the challenges that face our economic life.

!nd we should admit those challenges, and face them s%uarely.

It is no secret that Kenya has not known complete peace in its labour relations. 2any of those who work for a living feel that they have earned better terms. They have not been silent3 they have pushed their claims, sometimes through industrial action.

It is no secret, either, that constant industrial action # strikes, go1slows, and the like # does not advance our country+s prosperity. This is especially so when demands for better pay and better terms are not matched by productivity.

In the last year, alone, my government received 44 strike notices, which brought industrial unrest a$ecting more than ('',''' workers. 2ore than 55 million man1hours were lost as a conse%uence. !lthough all the strikes reported were resolved through conciliation and mediation under the 2inistry of /abour and other government agencies, these are still massive losses for a country that faces other major challenges.

"o it is my duty to encourage every Kenyan worker to raise your productivity, even as you seek better terms. There is no doubt that Kenyan workers are among the most diligent to be found anywhere, but even as you pursue claims for better pay and better conditions, do not risk the health of the national economy, on which we all depend.

Fellow Kenyans,

The new constitution we chose in &'5' guarantees those who work the freedom to strike. 6hen all other means have failed, it is your right, in the last resort, to withdraw your labour. /ike most rights, your freedom too is subject to the law, and to the national values we adopted with our constitution.

I must remind you, therefore, to make certain that your actions remain within the prevailing law, and that they take reasonable consideration of others+ rights. It is also vital to remind the nation that the demands of our workers ought to be made within the established institutions, such as the "alaries and 7emuneration 8ommission, which is the institution, mandated to determine salary and remuneration in the public sector amongst others. 6hen we chose the new constitution, we chose, once and for all, to become a nation governed

by laws, and respectful of institutions. /et us keep the promises we so willingly made only four years ago.

Fellow Kenyans If the country is to achieve the lasting industrial peace and harmony we need for prosperity, we will have to promptly establish an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, as is provided for under our constitution and the law. ur brothers and sisters in the 9udiciary share this desire, for they wish also to reduce the backlog of cases in our Industrial 8ourts. The mechanism, I am happy to report, is now work in progress. 2y :overnment will lend all the support necessary to establish it, and I trust that at the ne;t celebration of this occasion, I will be able to report that our hope has been realised.

!t the same time, my government has begun a full review of the current labour laws, to align them better with our constitution, and with the re%uirements of our changing society. The process will be consultative, and any gaps and obscurities that now encumber our law will be remedied.

Fellow Kenyans,

"ubstantial progress has been made in the last year, in better representing the interests of workers3 my government has registered si; new Trades 0nions, bringing the number of recognised unions to <&. =& union branch o*ces have also been registered, raising the total to >?'. @etter representation amid a larger spread of unions means that every worker+s voice has a better chance of being heard, as it deserves to be.

There has long been a wide gap between the training o$ered in our institutions and the demand for skills re%uired by our present industries, and those we e;pect to come. This gap disadvantages workers, and slows our growth.

To close it, my government carried out a national manpower survey and prepared a report, to be launched by the end of this month. The survey yielded e;tensive data on the skills available in the country, in both our public and private sectors. It will now be put to use in our planning, and our focus will be on aligning our training and education to the demands of our labour market. 6e cannot a$ord to let any of our talents go to waste.

ne immediate result of our determination to improve the skills of our workers, and to better match them to employers+ needs, is the work of the Aational Training Industrial !uthority. It has trained over &>,''' young Kenyans in various industrial skills, carried out e;aminations for 4<,''' candidates for award of government trade1test certificates, and placed 54,''' students on industrial attachment to e;pose them to the real world of work.

!s befits a digital government, we have also begun the process of developing a /abour 2arket Information "ystem. The aim is to use digital platforms to allow government, employers, and workers to store, access, and use data on various aspects of our planning, development and employment policy.

Fellow Kenyans,

The safety and health of our workers is a vital concern for my government. Too many of us work in conditions that damage our health, or dishonour our e$orts. Through occupational safety and health inspections, medical e;amination of workers, testing and e;amination of plants and e%uipment and training of workers in occupational safety and health, we have slowly begun to ensure that each and every Kenyan who labours does so in an environment that is safe.

@ut more is re%uired, which is why my government has prepared a Aational Bolicy on ccupational "afety and Cealth, which was launched in Aovember last year. The policy gives each of us a roadmap for protecting our health and safety at work, and for strengthening the legal framework that protects our rights at our places of work. f particular importance are its provisions on e%uitable compensation and rehabilitation for those who may be injured at work or contract occupational diseases.

Fellow Kenyans,

2y government also recognises the contribution of Kenyan workers in the diaspora, as well as those who wish to seek opportunities abroad.

In our consultations, it became clear that there was a need for government to

hasten its dealings, so that those who wished to work abroad would not lose opportunities. This year, we have been able to reduce the time taken for attestation of foreign employment contracts from ( months to (' days.

From those who had already found opportunities abroad, there was concern about the possibility of e;ploitation, or e;posure to unfair terms. The 2inistry of Foreign !$airs has now finalised its negotiations for agreements with the 0nited !rabs .mirates and "audi !rabia. These agreements, when enacted, will protect Kenyans from mistreatment abroad, and create employment opportunities in the 2iddle .ast. ! similar agreement between Kenya and Datar has already been signed.

For similar reasons, my government has developed rules and regulations to govern the operations of private employment agencies. If need be, these will be tightened to ensure that no Kenyan su$ers for their diligence in seeking lawful employment, whether at home or abroad.

Fellow Kenyans !s you are aware, we remain committed to ensuring security in our country # for all people and property. 6e continue a major campaign against criminals and agents or terror and we will not relent. I want to take this opportunity to e;tend the amnesty on the return of illicit weapons by a further & weeks. I urge those who hold these weapons to use the e;tended grace period to surrender them. If you do not, you will have only yourself to blame.

Fellow Kenyans /et me close by reminding you of the history of our national motto # CarambeeE !s you remember, it was popularised by the first Bresident of the 7epublic # his inspiration was the joint e$ort of workers pulling together for the common good. /et it remind us that labour is at the centre of this country+s history, and let it also remind us that there is nothing we cannot do if we are in common bond united.

! Cappy /abour Fay to Kenyans and all those who live in our country.

2ungu awabariki na awalinde.