The government has been urged to seek local funding to implement its Population Policy on early marriages, female genital mutilation (FGM), maternal mortality, and insecurity, instead of relying solely on international organizations.
Since independence, Kenya’s government has focused on population management, developing policies, strategies, and programs to address population and development issues for socio-economic growth.
Speaking during the official county dissemination of the Sessional Paper No.1 of 2023 on Kenya Population Policy for Sustainable Development in Kisii town, the Deputy Director for National Council for Population and Development Mr. Michael Oruru said the country must desist from overdependence on international funding.
Oruru noted that international organization’s may have changed their priorities from advocating for Family Planning, abortions and other population issues some of which have raised debate in the international arena, and thus withdrawn support for the same in the country.
He said the goal of the Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2023 was meant to enable the country attain a high quality of life for the population, ensuring they were secure, healthy, broadly educated, trained and empowered to carry out sustainable development.
On the other hand, the Deputy Director who deals with advocacy and publications at NCPD noted that the activity was being carried in the 47 counties to teach stakeholders on its contents and government’s implementation plan.
Besides the current Policy paper, Oruru cited others that preceded including the pioneering Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965 on African Socialism and its Application to Planning in Kenya, and the 1984 Population Policy Guidelines policies which provide strategic direction and framework for the coordination and implementation of population programmes.
He noted that policies keep changing as people’s lives improve or population density increase, calling for new targets and rendering previous goals irrelevant.
He urged county governments to carry out costed implementation of policies that affect people’s lives directly including reproductive health, HIV/Aids and maternal care which are areas relating directly to people’s lives, instead of focusing on infrastructure alone.
The country has achieved 67 percent costed implementation by counties, but those behind are urged to accelerate the process.
The policy was launched on 6th June 2024 by the Cabinet Secretary, National Treasury and Economic Planning.
By Jane Naitore
