Kenya should mobilise local funding to implement population policies on early marriages, female genital mutilation (FGM), maternal mortality and insecurity, instead of relying solely on international organisations.

Since independence, Kenya’s has focused on population management, developing policies, strategies, and programmes to address population and development issues for socio-economic growth.

Speaking during the official county dissemination of the Sessional Paper No.1 of 2023 on Kenya Population Policy for Sustainable Development in Kisii town, the Deputy Director for National Council for Population and Development Michael Oruru said the country must wean itself from overdependence on international funding.

Oruru noted that international organisations may have changed their priorities from advocating for family planning, abortions and other population issues some of which have raised debate in the international arena, and thus withdrawn support for the same in the country.

He said the goal of the Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2023 was meant to enable the country to attain a high quality of life for the population by ensuring they were secure, healthy, broadly educated, trained and empowered to carry out sustainable development.

On the other hand, the deputy director who deals with advocacy and publications at NCPD noted that the activity was being carried out in the 47 counties to teach stakeholders on its contents and government’s implementation plan.

Besides the current policy paper, Oruru cited others that preceded it, including the pioneering Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965 on African Socialism and its Application to Planning in Kenya, and the 1984 Population Policy Guidelines, which provide strategic direction and framework for the coordination and implementation of population programmes.

He noted that policies keep changing as people’s lives improve or population density increases that call for new targets and rendering previous goals irrelevant. He urged county governments to carry out costed implementation of policies that affect people’s lives directly, including reproductive health, HIV/Aids and maternal care, which he said are areas that relate directly to people’s lives, instead of focusing on infrastructure alone.

The country has achieved 67 per cent costed implementation by counties, but those behind are urged to accelerate the process. The policy was launched on 6th June 2024 by the Cabinet Secretary, National Treasury and Economic Planning.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Jane Naitore