Mudavadi chairs a session on MDG with UNDP/CFM
Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi told the session that Kenya has been making steady but remarkable progress on meeting the MDGs targets.
“Life expectancy and literacy rates are firmly on the rise; poverty and child mortality rates are on the decline; and we are on target to achieve Universal Primary Education which has risen from 68 percent in 2000 to 96 percent in 2011,” he said.
The DPM attributed this progress to social and economic policies pursued in the last 10 years and the pursuit of the Vision 2030 blueprint that are geared towards transforming Kenya into a middle-income country.
He said implementation of MDGs has become an obligation under the Constitution and therefore legally binding to government in budgeting processes.
Accompanied to the session by Public Health and Sanitation Minister Beth Mugo, Mudavadi said that basic education has been upgraded to secondary level and made compulsory, and together with gender equality are now constitutionally guaranteed.
“I highly recommend that the safeguard to ensuring MDGs become realised is to secure them in legislation.”
Addressing another session on post-MDG Development Agenda chaired by Liberian President Sirleaf Johnson, Mudavadi called for collective and consistent approach by the international community in achievement of post-MDGs agenda.
Addressing another session on post-MDG Development Agenda chaired by Liberian President Sirleaf Johnson, Mudavadi called for collective and consistent approach by the international community in achievement of post-MDGs agenda.
“We need fresh and practical solutions to address implementation bottlenecks,” he said.
He said the Kenyan government views the MDGs as social, health and economic issues which must be tackled wholesome.
Declining poverty levels are however constrained by high levels of unemployment and food insecurity while progress on maternal health still remains a challenge, he said.
“To confront these challenges, Kenya has applied to the UN system for assistance to accelerate the maternal and neonatal health,” he announced.
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