Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has called for deliberate economic reforms to create more jobs for Kenyans, lower production costs and strengthen local industries.
Speaking during a public engagement at Safaripark hotel, Nyoro said Kenya must establish a national platform to manage healthcare workers, arguing that such a system would harmonise employment and improve the welfare of doctors, pharmacists and other medical professionals.
He cited unemployment among trained professionals as a major concern, saying families were struggling despite investing heavily in their children’s education.
Nyoro said manufacturing should be at the centre of Kenya’s economic transformation, drawing lessons from countries such as Singapore, South Korea and China. He argued that lower electricity costs would be critical to making Kenyan industries competitive.
He proposed further liberalisation of the energy sector to allow more producers to generate and sell electricity, saying increased competition could help reduce power prices for manufacturers and households.
The legislator also called for the government to leverage state assets in the energy sector to attract strategic investors and raise funds for expanding electricity generation.
On tourism, Nyoro proposed increasing international visitor numbers to 10 million annually, arguing that the sector could generate millions of direct and indirect employment opportunities through hotels, transport, agriculture and other businesses.
He further urged the government to protect Kenyan-owned banks from foreign takeovers while supporting the growth of large local financial institutions capable of competing across Africa.
According to Nyoro, stronger Kenyan banks would enable the country to retain more capital locally and expand their operations into regional and continental markets.
On agriculture, he warned that Kenya faced continued food security challenges and said the country needed additional interventions beyond fertiliser subsidies. He proposed greater support for farmers through affordable and certified seeds to improve both production and productivity.
Nyoro also called for reforms in the tea and coffee sectors, including better access to affordable inputs, improved packaging and greater investment in speciality products to enable farmers and the country to earn higher returns.
He said Kenya should focus on value addition instead of exporting agricultural commodities in raw or minimally processed form.
The MP maintained that Kenya’s economic transformation would require deliberate policies targeting manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, energy and financial services.
He said such measures would help create sustainable employment opportunities for young people while strengthening domestic enterprises and reducing the cost of doing business.
Nyoro emphasized that Kenya has significant assets and human capital that can be leveraged to accelerate economic growth, but warned that this would require bold policy decisions and stronger institutions.