At the same time, the President has spent much time and thought on ways and means of keeping Kenya strong economically. In 1985 he expressed the enlightened view that the Government needed to take a longer term look at its vision of the future. Economic ideas and realities were changing and five-year plans were helpful but not enough. No 1 of 1986 and entitled Economic Management for Renewed Growth, which signposted the way for our present radical policies of economic transformation. When these are successfully completed, Kenya will be well on the way to generating its own self-sustaining growth.
Cultural independence is meaningless unless the independent culture expresses something.
No visitor to Kenya can fall to be impressed by the cultural strength and vigour of this country. This is not only rooted in the strong traditions of each of our numerous ethnic groups expressed periodically in such vibrant and enjoyable manner at the celebrations of our national days, but is increasingly buttressed by the overall national culture that is slowly emerging out of our common history, our common objectives and our common life together. These are some of the reasons why Kenya's image is today respected and listened to internationally. At independence Kenya had no reservoir of professional foreign service officers. The departing colonial government left behind no institutions relevant to the conduct of foreign relations that the new state could inherit.