The Mellimiun Development Goals (MDGs)

In September 2000, 189 countries adopted the Millemium Declaration, whose main objective was to define a common vision of development. The process was initiated in September 2002. MDG-based planning process in Kenya was the officially launched in May 2004 to demonstrate the government's commitment to reach the MDGs by 2015.

a)  MDGs in the Kenya Context

Sessional Paper No.10 of 1965 focused on the elimination of poverty, disease and ignorance. Various development Plans and sectoral plans have also had some focus on MDGs. In recent years the government has also published a number of policy and strategy papers geared towards achieving broad-based sustainable improvement in the welfare of all Kenyan. Some of the policy papers include;

• National Poverty Eradication Plan (NPEP)
• Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP)
• Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS)

The ERS is founded on the Pillars that can be matched to the MDGs

Successful implementation of plans and strategies have been hampered by limitations in capacity, financing and governance problems.

The key Issues in MDGs are an assessment of what needs to be done within resource constraint while scaling up investment to 2015.

b) MDGs Need Assessment Concept Note of May 2004

The Needs Assessment and Costing Report on MDGs shows that Kenya requires US$61 billion between 2005 and 2015 to achieve the MDGs. This in itself cannot be financed through public resources alone but requires support from development partners.

The Eight MDGs identifiedincluded;

Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger. This goal had the subgoals of Strategy for Revitalization of Agriculture (SRA) 2004-2014 aimed at reducing population below poverty line from 56% in 2000 to 28% by 2010; 10% by 2015 and 0% by 2020; National Food Policy; Increase of resources to agriculture from 5.6% of total government expenditure to almost 7% in 2005/06 to 2007/08

Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education. This goal was aimed at ensuring that by 2015, children, boys and girls will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling. This is to be achieved through Free Primary Education

Goal 3: Gender Equality and Women Empowerment: Women remain vastly underrepresented in Parliament and Local Authorities

Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality

Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases      

Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability

Goal 8: Develop Global Partnership For Development

Goals 4, 5 and 6 are to be achieved through increased allocation to health.

Goal 7 and 8 are being achieved through reforms aimed at improving governance through institutional framework and legislation to fight and control corruption.

MDGs Progress Report for Kenya, 2003, indicated that  Kenya was unlikely to achieve most of the goals unless the policy environment was drastically changed.

The status Report for 2005 indicates that the policy  environment has changed due to policies that the NARC Government continuously put in place since it came to power in December 2002.

MDGs  Progress Report (2005) indicates that the country  may make significant improvements on most of the MDGs from 2010 through 2015