By Billy Mijungu
Health financing in Kenya must be reimagined beyond payroll deductions and overstretched insurance schemes. A sustainable alternative lies in consumer-based taxation on fast-moving consumer goods, structured in a VAT-like model.
Food is health, and what we consume daily should directly finance the system that keeps the nation productive. This approach spreads responsibility fairly across society while reducing pressure on workers and employers.
At the same time, Kenya must decisively transition towards industrial agriculture. Smallholder farming alone cannot sustain a modern economy. The future lies in large-scale agribusiness, structured farmer aggregation, mechanisation, and strong value-chain processing.
From seed to shelf, Kenya must stop exporting raw produce and start exporting value. Industrial agriculture will stabilise food prices, improve farmer incomes, strengthen food security, and create millions of jobs across logistics, manufacturing, and export industries.
Water infrastructure must be elevated to the level of a strategic national asset. Without reliable water systems, agriculture, industry, and urban growth will remain constrained. Large-scale dams, water harvesting, irrigation corridors, and smart distribution systems should be treated as nation-building projects, just like roads and power. Water is not just a social good; it is an economic multiplier.
Equally, ICT infrastructure must be positioned at the core of national development. Broadband connectivity, data centres, cloud infrastructure, and digital public services will power Kenya through artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0, and future-facing innovation.
Digital infrastructure today is what railways were to the Industrial Revolution. Nations that invest early will dominate productivity, governance efficiency, and global competitiveness.
A winning political manifesto must therefore link health, food, water, and technology into one integrated economic vision. A healthy population, fed by a modern agricultural system, powered by water security, and connected through world-class digital infrastructure, is the foundation of a prosperous Kenya.
