Jubilee New Year Message

The end of the year is always a time for reflection, re-evaluation and resolution. As a nation the year has been full of highs and lows. While weve maintained sounds economic growth, and seen our Defence forces win a war in Somalia, weve also experienced gross tragedies across the nation and seen an urgent need to address the fundamental problems that lie at the heart insecurity issues in our country.

A few weeks ago we celebrated Jamhuri Day. A day that is all about freedom and the possibilities that can become a reality if we pull together. Now, in our 50th year as a republic, and tonight, as we enter into the new year, those lessons are more pertinent than ever. Those possibilities and dreams, are more relevant than ever and, today, more than ever, the united voice of Kenyans must be heard once again.

49 years ago, we came together to counter the real enemies of our nation. Three issues that demanded our urgent attention: poverty, ignorance and disease.

This year, theres going to be a lot of work to be done and it will take us working together to do it. With the elections around the

corner- I urge all of us to remember that our duty is to be our brothers keeper. To ensure that we do everything in our power to secure peace and to make sure that the transition into a new administration will be as smooth as possible.

Moving forward, theres still a level of freedom that our nation must still achieve. Our citizens need to have economic freedom and freedom from fear. No citizen should have to live under the fear that one illness is all that stands between them and poverty or the fear that their children will never have the opportunities to completely achieve their dreams. We as a nation shouldnt live under the fear that the whims of the international community hold too much power over the course that our country takes. That their interests could be fatal to our own.

Until we achieve some of these freedoms for our nation and for our citizens, theres still work to be done. Its going to be up to all of us, to make sure that this year will be a Jubilee year. A year for celebration. A year for making our way back to the true promise of freedom.

Lets make this year, and the next 5 years, a time for truly attaining that freedom.

Uhuru Kenyatta Deputy Prime Minister