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Kenya Times Newspaper                                        http://www.kentimes.com/02feb05/editorials/comm1.html




                        News
                        Editorials                      Meeting Millenium Development Goals
                        Sports
                        Business
                                       By Purity Kago
                        School Times
                        Magazine       KENYA is one of four pilot African countries chosen
                        Insight        undertake a comprehensive assessment of the cou
                        Letters        level needs for achieving the Millennium Developme
                        Cartoons       Goals (MDGs) recently launched.
                        Archives
                                       The government hopes to eradicate extreme pover
                                       hunger, achieve universal primary education, prom
                                       gender equality and empower women, reduce child
                                       mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AI
                                       malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental
                                       sustainability and develop a Global partnership for
                                       Development.

                                       The report makes an assessment of Kenya's perfor
                                       in relation to each of the eight MDGs, identifies whe
                                       problems are, analyses what needs to be done to r
                                       the problems and offers concrete proposals actions
                                       accelerate progress towards achieving the goals.

                                       The process further offer an opportunity for govern
                                       consolidate the results of several years of costing o
                                       programme work and also move to new frontiers in
                                       account their associated costs.

                                       Vice-President Moody Awori during the launch note
                                       the road towards achieving the MDGs can only be r
                                       by strengthening the partnerships between the dev
                                       and developing countries adding that a lot of suppo
                                       needed to achieve these goals by year 2015.

                                       The Minister for Planning and Development, Prof An
                                       Nyong'o reiterated that, apart from the education g
                                       possibly HIV/AIDS, and at the current pace of deve
                                       with limited resources, Kenya may not meet most o
                                       goals by 2015 due to inadequate resources

                                       Poverty remains a major impediment to fulfilment o
                                       needs of Kenyans, especially women and children,
                                       has greatly undermined the government's effort to
                                       the pressing needs in such critical sectors as prima
                                       health care, nutrition and basic education.

                                       It is reported that the proportion of Kenyans living
                                       the poverty line is on the increase with the urban
                                       population accounting for the highest proportion of
                                       increment. Poor governance, corruption , and suffic


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Kenya Times Newspaper                                      http://www.kentimes.com/02feb05/editorials/comm1.html


                        of public resources still remain critical barriers to the
                        achievement of the national targets of poverty reduction.

                        The government in realisation of the MDGs should invest in
                        agricultural production and access to food storage facilities
                        improving post-harvest receipt system to encourage
                        agricultural production.

                        The NARC government's policy of free and compulsory
                        primary education will substantially contribute to meeting
                        the MDGs goal of universal access to primary education by
                        the year 2015.

                        However the education sector is faced with many
                        challenges including, finance, lack of adequate teachers,
                        insufficient learning facilities among others that may
                        hinder the government in achieving this goal. Inadequate
                        provision of education to children with disabilities owing to
                        the weak identification and assessment mechanisms also
                        pose a great challenge to the government that need to be
                        addressed if universal education is to benefit all Kenyans.

                        The third MDG goal is to promote gender equality and
                        empowerment of women. But in a country where violation
                        of women rights, domestic violence and sexual violence is
                        rampart, the government has a long way to go in fighting
                        this vice that is deep rooted in our societies.

                        Thus if this is to be achieved, Kenyans need to be
                        sensitized on the importance of educating girls and giving
                        them equal chance with their male counterparts in all area
                        and encouraging the election of women to leadership
                        positions.

                        In the area of health and nutrition, there has been a
                        general decline in the provision of health and services.
                        However the Minister for Health Charity Ngilu said that 56
                        per cent of the population live below the poverty line,
                        meaning they cannot afford basic services including health.

                        The health indicators in Kenya have been declining over
                        the last two decades. The Kenya Demographic and Health
                        Survey further confirm this and unless drastic actions are
                        taken Kenya is unlikely to achieve the MDGs.

                        The achievement on other goals heavily depend on the
                        attainment of health, they are: reduction of child mortality,
                        improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and
                        other diseases.

                        To reduce child mortality, programmes that address the
                        main causes of infant and child mortality should be
                        reinforced with particular emphasis on post- neonatal
                        mortality diseases like diarrhoea, and malaria. There is


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Kenya Times Newspaper                                          http://www.kentimes.com/02feb05/editorials/comm1.html


                        need to improve access and quality of maternal and
                        child-care services and put in place an effective referral
                        system. Training and updates for health workers and
                        Traditional Birth attendants is required to enhance
                        essential obstetric care.

                        Biodiversity and environment have to be adequately
                        addressed. Environmental degradation is also related to
                        rural poverty that leads to over exploitation of natural
                        resources. If the MDG goal number seven is to achieved,
                        the government should protect biological diversity and
                        restore the forest cover.

                        There is urgent need to put in place properly directed
                        pro-poor natural resources conservation program in a
                        manner that ensures sustainability of livelihoods and
                        ecosystem management.

                        Developing a global partnership for development, the
                        government should develop an open rule based
                        predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial
                        system to encourage more investors and donors. This
                        include a commitment to good governance, development,
                        and poverty reduction.

                        Although the government has shown it's commitment in
                        eradicating corruption, mismanagement of national
                        resources among other ills, there is a need for more
                        political will and practical action to root out these vices.

                        It should work together with development partners and
                        stakeholders to create awareness and promote MDGs
                        vision in the country. With determination and commitment
                        of all stakeholders these goals can be achieved.
                        Other Editorials




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