A Preliminary study on sustainable economic development in Kenya was launched at Sarova Panafric Hotel, Nairobi, on Wednesday, November 15th , 2017. The baseline study was developed under the partnership between Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) and the Institute for Research and Policy Alternatives.
The report which is the first of its nature in Kenya highlights the international debate on sustainable economic development with the special focus on sustainable economy in the Kenyan context. The new Government of Kenya (GoK) is asked to work on the realization of the country’s vision 2030, also in regard to the Sustainable Development. Is that feasible?The study is envisaged as a tool that will stimulate debate and discussions on sustainable economy as the country faces growing problems (as for example soil erosion, deforestation, water pollution and desertification). Furthermore, the document is identifying challenges and gaps from the survey’s respondents on advancing the conversation and it makes some recommendations targeting all stakeholders.The African Drylands Institute for Sustainability (ADIS) adis.uonbi.ac.ke has been considered as a key stakeholder in helping to foster this debate on environmental sustainability which is an increasingly important issue in development, as citizens living below the poverty line directly rely on water and land resources surrounding their communities. With only eight percent of arable land and seventy five percent of Kenya's workforce engaged in agriculture, Kenyan farmers face growing problems as consequences of climate change.
Since the adoption of the SDGs, the government of Kenya and its non-state actors and development partners have committed to the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the SDGs agenda.
- Firstly, the country developed an elaborate implementation plan, referred to as ''Road Map'' in 2016 to guide the implementation of the SDGs goals for all development stakeholders over the following three years. This road map expressed commitment that ''no one will be left behind'' in the economic and social prosperity of the country.
- Secondly the government finalized its MDGs End Term Report as a way to provide a transition mechanism from MDGs to the SDGs. This was further to enable the county to carry over the lessons learnt and best practices and also build on the gains of the MDGs period.
- Thirdly, the country held a national official launch of the SDGs where all development actors came together to begin the process of domesticating the SDGs agenda. In addition to the launch, the country also mapped out all SDGs targets and selected indicators, and assigned to the responsible development actors.
- Fourthly, all government ministries, departments and agencies were directed to mainstream the SDGs into policy, planning, budgeting as well as monitoring and evaluation systems and processes.
- To help achieve the SDGs, the government also developed a Green Economy Strategy and implementation plan (GESIP) to support development efforts towards addressing key challenges such as poverty, unemployment, inequality , environmental degradation, climate change and variability, infrastructure gaps and food security among others.
Ultimately, Kenya can move from the 'business as usual' trajectory to the sustainable development trajectory, if it so desires. Champions must be mobilized in all sectors of the economy and the society to actively steer the sustainable development agenda and ensure sustained commitment by all stakeholders especially the national government and the 47 county governments.
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