Kenyatta harvests grassroots rewards

Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta reacts after he was announced winner of the presidential election at the IEBC National Tallying centre at the Bomas of Kenya, in Nairobi, Kenya, Aug 11, 2017. With him is Deputy President William Ruto. [Photo/Agencies]

Another project is the 360 km Isiolo-Moyale highway, which has opened the trade corridor with Ethiopia.

According to Otieno, Kenyatta also worked to expand specialized medical services including dialysis, and to double the coverage of the National Hospital Insurance Fund to 6 million people. Among his other records are improved digital education and enlarged population with access to electric power.

Kenyatta was also applauded for high-level exchanges with leaders of China, the United States, Europe and the Middle East, trade deals, concessional loan agreements, and more international meetings Kenya hosts.

Foreign Minister Amina Mohammed said Kenyatta greatly helps Kenya in its efforts to entrench its leadership as a regional economic power as well as to achieve global competitiveness.

"Diplomacy is conducted through face-to-face engagements and meetings. Kenya is a very important country in the southern hemisphere, being the only capital in the developing world to host a United Nations office," Mohammed said.

"These efforts and foreign trips by Kenyatta, have borne positive results," she said, noting that foreign direct investment inflows into Kenya have risen up and "the investments have resulted in the creation of jobs and wealth."

Meanwhile, the country was quiet on Sunday after postelection violence left 24 people dead.

There have been repeated calls on the defeated opposition to calm their supporters.

Xinhua - Ap