The National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) has held a workshop in Meru County, to disseminate the sessional paper No.1 of 2023 on national population policy for sustainable development.
Speaking during the official opening of the workshop, Meru County Commissioner, Jacob Ouma, said population was key to any government as it helps it to plan on development agenda, and therefore Kenyans should take such issues with seriousness they deserve.
He said the government uses the number of people in a given area to distribute its resources and therefore management of population is a vital component in terms of development of a given area.
“Population gives us a picture and to plan and strategies to serve our people. As a result, one cannot separate development from population and therefore this workshop is key to the residents of Meru County and Kenya at large,” said Mr Ouma.
NCPD’s Eastern North Region Coordinator, Victoria Mutiso, said Kenya has taken a significant step in managing its population dynamics and promoting sustainable development with the passing of the Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2023 on the Kenya National Population Policy for Sustainable Development.
Passed by Parliament on October 14, 2023, she added, the policy aims to provide a strategic, harmonized, and comprehensive framework to tackle prevailing and emerging demographic challenges.
She added that the policy document, which was officially launched at the national level on June 6, 2024, outlines Kenya’s commitment to improving the quality of life for its citizens by aligning demographic planning with sustainable development goals.
Following the launch, county-level dissemination forums commenced across all 47 counties.
The sessional paper aims to provide clear policy direction on population management to enhance the well-being of Kenyan citizens.
“This policy was developed through extensive consultations with stakeholders and reflects a collective commitment to improving lives,” she said.
A major strategic focus of the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD), as outlined in the policy, is advocacy and public education.
The Council plans to deepen its partnerships with key stakeholders to strengthen its efforts in population management and sustainable development.
To achieve the desired sustainable development, Ms Mutiso added, NCPD expects its stakeholders to advocate for the full implementation of the paper and other related policies, utilise population data in planning, policy formulation and programming, and advocate for increased domestic health financing to improve quality of health services.
“We are also calling on our stakeholders to mainstream population issues into development planning both at the national and county levels, advocate for integration of population issues into natural resource planning and management, support the implementation of population and development as well as holding the society to account for issues identified by the policy especially on children, elderly and the young people,” said Ms Mutiso.
The ongoing county forums are expected to enhance awareness, encourage policy ownership, and drive localized implementation of the outlined strategies, ensuring no region is left behind in Kenya’s population and development journey.
Key thematic areas covered in the policy include: Population size, growth, and age structure Fertility trends, Morbidity and mortality rates Mobility, migration, and urbanization, Human settlements, environment, and disaster preparedness, Data, research, innovation, and regional demographic variations.
It also establishes specific targets relating to fertility rates, maternal and child health, access to family planning, reproductive health education, and gender equality.
Emphasis has also been laid on alignment with national development frameworks, including Kenya Vision 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to ensure integrated and coherent development efforts.
By Dickson Mwiti
