The Resident Coordinator System in Kenya is pleased to present the January - March 2005 issue of its’ electronic Newsletter “Coordination Highlights-Kenya”. The objective of the newsletter is to increase information sharing and learning.We hope the dissemination of this newsletter will facilitate an exchange of ideas and experiences among the UN country team, Kenya Government and private sectors, as well as non-governmental and academic institutions that are currently involved, or intending to engage, with the Resident Coordinator Secretariat.

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In this Issue: January - March 2005

Guest of honour FAO Director General, Mr. Jacques Diouf (seated third right), next to him on the right is the Minister for Livestock Development and Fisheries, Honourable Joseph Munyao and some members of the UNCT and guests at a luncheon hosted during the retreat.

FAO Representative Mr. Bruce Isaacson (left) shares a word with the Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Development Hon. Joseph Munyao (centre).

Swedish Ambassador, H. E. Mr. Bo Goransson (left) shares some thought with the FAO Director General Mr. Jacques Diouf.

Some of the participants at the retreat during tea break.

 

 

 

Kenya Coordinating Committee Retreat 16-17 Dec 2004

The Kenya Country Committee held a retreat at the Windsor Golf and Country Club, Nairobi from 16-17 December 2004, to review progress and experiences in key areas during 2004 and identify priorities for 2005. The methodology used was to apply a 5 pronged approach to pin point specific areas where the KCC would be required to review and if necessary revise and implement new support systems; these were broadly review of joint programming, review of Simplification and Harmonization (S&H), further harmonization of the S&H tools, review of the UNDAF and review progress of the thematic groups. As Kenya moves ahead with the UN reform, there is need to continuously and systematically re-examine the design, structure and functions of the frameworks that guide the process to ensure they facilitate and simplify the achievement of the desired results.

It was generally noted that significant progress had been made on UN coordination and in the S&H process and MDG Needs Assessment, both for which Kenya is a pilot country. Throughout the retreat emphasis was critically placed on organic unity, the UN's commitment to the MDGs, participation in national structures and decision making, as well continued focus on enhanced simplification and harmonization and the integration of specialized funds and agencies in the ongoing process.

In preparation for the retreat, a one-day joint programming retreat for all ExCom agencies programme staff was organized. The broad objective of the retreat was to review and document the experiences of Joint programming and collaborative activities from the perspective of the EXCOM agencies charged with the lead on this initiative. The retreat brought together about 50 programme staff. The one-day retreat was made up of presentations on the UNDAF, joint programming and programmes and an example of one of the current successful joint programmes. The Outputs and recommendations were recorded in plenary and then reported back to the KCC annual retreat.

A total of twenty-three participants attended the retreat. These were mainly heads of agencies including the Resident Coordinator of the UN system in Kenya. The Ambassador of Sweden, H.E. Mr. Bo Goransson was invited to make a presentation on the Donor Harmonization and Alignment Coordination Group. A special luncheon was organized in honour of the Director General of FAO Mr. Jacques Diouf, and guests invited included the Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Development, the Honourable Joseph Munyao, the Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, the Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development and some members of the donor community.

Key recommendations from the retreat include:

  • Restructuring of theme groups to better align them to the MDGs and give them clarity and focus. This resulted in a total of six theme groups which are:To view the membership of each group click on Theme groups.
    o Poverty, Hunger and Partnerships (targeting MDG goals 1 and 8)
    o Education (targeting MDG goal 2)
    o Gender Empowerment (targeting MDG goal 3)
    o Health group (targeting MDG goals 4, and 5)
    o HIV/AIDS (targeting MDG goal 6)
    o Sustainability (targeting MDG goal 7)
  • Harmonization of periodicity for Annual Work Plans to take place across all agencies to conform to the government fiscal year of July to June.
  • An annual Joint Strategy meeting to be held in March/April, in the form of a fair using a market stall concept to display activities of the various UN agencies in Kenya. This would basically be the UNDAF review with stakeholders.

For more information contact Inderpal Dhiman, Head of the Resident Coordinator Secretariate a.i. on dhiman.inderpal@undp.org

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Kenya Launches MDGs Global Plan for Action

On Tuesday, 18 January 2005, a day after Proffessor Jeffrey Sachs, the Secretary General's special advisor on MDGs presented his report to the Secretary General; Kenya launched the Global Plan of Action at the KICC grounds. The Vice President, H.E Moody Awori who was the chief guest reiterated Kenya's commitment to achieving the MDGs. He recounted that the NARC government had implemented free education as a way towards achieving the MDGs and were firmly committed to the 3by 5 initiative that would see majority of Kenyans in need of ARVs accessing them.

Speaking at the same function, Kenya's Planning and National Development Minister Honourable Peter Anyang' Nyong'o said that a government survey carried out in 2003 had shown that with the exception of two goals - the attainment of universal primary education and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS - Kenya was unlikely to meet most of the other goals. He said that the government had, in consultation with the UN country team, donors and civil society organizations, prepared a MDG needs assessment report that would guide actions intended to help in the achievement of the goals.

The UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Paul Andre de la Porte, pointed out that the country ought to "allocate and utilise resources in a prudent and well-targeted manner" to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the 2015 deadline. He also stressed that it is necessary to have delivery mechanisms that reach the poor and ensure full compliance with existing disbursement mechanisms, if we are to achieve the MDGs. To read the Resident Coordinators full speech click here.

For more information contact Ojijo Odhiambo, MDGs Advisor on ojijo.odhiambo@undp.org

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The Vice President, H.E. Moody Awori (left), UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Paul Andre de la Porte and the Assistant Minister for Environment and Nobel Peace Laurete, Prof. Wangari Mathai follow proceedings at the launch.

Traditional Dancers entertain guests during the launch of the MDGs Global Plan for Action.

Participants follow proceedings the Kenyatta International Conference Centre during the launch.

 

"Safety Net" Initiative for girls escaping from Female genital Cutting (FGC) and early Marriage

Background information

Tasaru Ntomonok Initiative (TNI) is non-profit making, community-based organization in Narok District. It was started with an aim of providing a "safety net" for girls running away from their homes to escape FGC and early marriages. This was as a result of increase in demand for such services due to awareness creation by other organizations working in Narok in Girl Child Protection and Education programmes.

TNI facilitates the community to design sustainable mechanisms for eliminating Female Genital Circumcision (FGC), provides counseling for those who have undergone FGC and sensitizes and mobilizes religious/ community leaders, teachers, traditional circumcisers to support and advocate for the elimination of FGC and rehabilitation of FGC/forced marriage victims. In addition to this, TNI promotes basic reproductive health services and HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns.

Female Genital Circumcision

FGC is a deep-rooted traditional practice that precedes and was considered a prerequisite for marriage. In spite of sensitization on dangers of FGC, the practice is still continuing. For example the East African Newspaper, of 3rd September 2004, reported about two girls (from the area covered by TNI), who were forcefully circumcised. The two sisters had been reconciled with their parents in 2001 but were in August 2004 forcefully circumcised by neighbours organized by their brother.

In this case the mother was sensitized on the dangers of FGC and had opted out only for the community (with the help of the girls' brother) to forcefully circumcise the two sisters. This shows the extent of the influence of individual family members and the community on the practice.

Another aspect of the practice is the income earned by the circumcisers, either cash or in kind. Efforts instituted to eliminate the practice should therefore include ways of addressing " the loss of income" earned by circumcisers.

UNFPA's support towards efforts to eliminate FGC and early marriage

TNI has a rescue centre- Tasaru Rescue Centre for Girls- built by TNI friends from V-Day in the USA. Since 2003, UNFPA has been providing support to TNI to mount sensitization campaigns. UNFPA also supported construction of a classroom at the centre to be used to tutor girls who have never been to school in preparation for enrollment at the nearby schools. Currently the centre is catering for over 50 girls in primary and secondary schools. In collaboration with the Provincial and District Administrations, other NGOs/CBOs, Children Department-Ministry of Gender and Social Services, and village elders, TNI reconciles the girls with their families and facilitates their re-integration into communities. This is a lengthy and delicate process, which requires a lot of time and commitment from players, thus necessitating the rescue center.

As part of income generating activities, TNI with support from UNFPA procured two tractors to be used in wheat production. The funds generated from the wheat sales have been used to support the girls staying at the center while the reconciliation process is going on. This includes paying for their fees and subsidizing the costs of running the center. In addition, a Maize Grinding Mill was purchased to offer an alternative source of income for a women's group, which includes a few former circumcisers.

FGC is part of a traditional initiation rite from childhood into adulthood. It involves a lot of instruction on how to conduct oneself in womanhood but unfortunately it culminates in FGC. Alternative Rites of Passage have been designed to offer the same instruction without the cut. For example TNI, with support from UNFPA organized in August and December 2004, colorful ceremonies where 110 girls underwent Alternative Rites of Passage (ARP) graduation attended by the Provincial and District Administrative Representatives, District Council Members, local Chiefs, representatives from NGOs/CBOs, community members and UNFPA Representatives.

Due to the fact that the ARP is culturally sensitive and hence acceptable in the community, the leaders especially chiefs who attended the ceremonies requested that the initiative be extended to other areas.

The TNI project is scaling up its activities by networking with other like-minded agencies in the area such as Action Aid, World Vision and Maendeleo ya Wanawake. This year, TNI is hoping to involve boys by training them on FGC for them to accept to marry uncircumcised girls in future and to train the police and the local administration on Children's Act 2001, which has outlawed female circumcision in Kenya. Most of the police and the local administration in Narok are not aware the Children's Act exists.

To share experiences with other communities with similar problems, the project invited selected elders from Samburu and IIchamus in Baringo communities to witness the ARP ceremony in Narok in Dec 2004.

One of the Global UNFPA Good will Ambassadors, Ms Arimori, from Japan, (a renown marathoner and silver and bronze medallist at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens) will visit Kenya on 17-22nd February 2005. Her visit will focus on ICPD+10 and Beijing +10 with specific theme on "our fight to Save the Lives of Women. She will visit Tasaru Rescue Centre where she will officially open classroom buildings constructed with UNFPA support. The classroom will be used to tutor girls who have previously not been to school, in preparation for them to be absorbed into the nearby schools for formal schooling.

A poem composed by the Tasaru Ntomonok Initiative (TNI); uncircumcised young girls rescued by TNI wait to perform songs on their graduation from alternative rite of passage and UNFPA Representative Dr. Kemal Mustafa hands over a tractor to TNI Project Coordinator.

For more information contact Florence Gachanja, Programme Officer-Advocacy on florence.gachanja@undp.org

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Gender and MDGs Dialogue

UNIFEM through a partnership with WAFNET in Nyanza Province and Womankind in North Eastern Province held a total of 5 District level poverty dialogues with women from Kisumu, Rachuonyo, Garissa, and Ijara Districts that were attended by over 800 women. The purpose of the dialogues was to provide space for women's voices on MDGs. During the dialogues, women shared their experiences around issues of goals 1-7. The women also gave suggestions on possible intervention areas, which will be forwarded, to the consultant carrying out the needs assessment on gender for the Ministry of Planning and National Development. The Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) sent journalists to cover the events who in turn reported the events as news as well as features in print and electronic media. The media linkage contributed to the visibility of women's issues in the MDG process. In addition to AMWIK, the UNDP volunteer in Garissa worked closely with Womankind to organize for the dialogues.

In Garissa and Ijara Districts women participants raised the following salient issues:

  • Illiteracy amongst women was cited as a prominent root cause for poverty in the area. As a result if illiteracy women are unable to undertake meaningful business ventures. A visit to the market in Garissa revealed that illiterate business women pay young men to keep their business records and its no doubt that the women are often cheated in the process. The women decried the lack of educational infrastructure in the area. In the whole province there are only four girls' secondary schools. Two of these schools are in Garissa town while the other two are n Wajir and Mandera. Ijara District has no girls' secondary school yet the Islamic doctrine (area is predominantly Islamic) does not allow co education in secondary schools. The women proposed building of schools and staffing with trained teachers as priority interventions for the MDGs.
  • The women identified exclusion as another factor leading to the low development of the Province. The UN classifies Garissa and Ijara Districts as security phase III areas. The women felt that this classification of the province has led to underdevelopment of the area because hardly any organizations want to work in the region. The women proposed that MDGs address {in}security as a prerequisite in meeting the MDGs.
  • Lack of representation of women in Parliament - The women noted that North Eastern Province had no female representative in parliament and proposed that MDGs address the issue of representation.
  • Cultural beliefs vs MDGs. It was noted that that cultural beliefs may inhibit the realization of MDGs. The dialogues heard that most women believe that the death of children (child mortality goal) and death of pregnant mothers (maternal mortality goal) is an act of God that ought not to be discussed. They suggested ongoing sensitization as a key intervention to address such cultural beliefs as well as other practices such as Female Genital Mutilation.

In Kisumu and Rachuonyo Districts women participants raised the following salient issues:

  • The women identified HIV AIDS as the main setback to development by and of women. Women now have more children to feed, educate and clothe as a result of the many HIV AIDS orphans in the area. Widow inheritance a rampant custom in the area was identified as a main cause for the spread of HIV AIDS. Despite the knowledge on how HIV is spread the women shared on their dilemmas on remarriage especially when they are widowed at an early age. The women also spoke of how they unable to control sex related issues in their marriages. The women proposed that MDGs address issues of control of HIV/AIDS, orphans and sensitization of both men and women against traditional practices such as widow inheritance.
  • Increasing poverty and malnutrition as a result of increased export of fish from Lake Victoria was also raised. The women regretted that since fish processing factories were set up in the area, fish is no longer available for household consumption or trade and when available it is unaffordable. As a result of this, the local communities depend on fish skeletons that remain after fish is filleted and packed for exports.


For more information contact Linet Miriti, Gender and MDGs Project Officer on linet.miriti@undp.org

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Prof. Jeffrey Sachs Visits

The Secretary General's special advisor on MDGs, Professor Jeffrey Sachs visited the country twice, in January and February 2005. During his visits he held meetings with the UNCT, donors and government representatives as well as visited the Millennium village in Bar Sauri, Western Kenya. According to Prof. Sachs advocating for health for all is a vision that should be shared by all and an initiative that should be supported by the stakeholder and donor community. The key messages during his visits were:

  • The MDGs in all probability will not be achieved all over the world by 2015, especially in the African Continent. The challenge is to remain on track. This will only be possible, if in the given time limits, dramatic changes and dramatic efforts take place.
  • Progress on many goals will deteriorate unless investments keep up relative to depreciating investments, rapid population growth, natural capital depreciation and environmental degradation, which are growing challenges.
  • There is need for plans for scaling up assistance and making sure the donors live up to their pledges and promises to achieve the MDGs in countries that make conscious efforts to create enabling environments.
  • There is a need for increased total investment of approximately $USD 110 per capita to invest in infrastructure and public health. In Kenya, donor assistance towards the attainment of the MDG's needs to be approximately $USD 70-75 per capita, the provision of which needs to be systematic and targeted towards activities such as slum upgrading, improving roads and infrastructure. In totality and globally, this target does not exhaust the 0.7% of GNP and is in line with commitments to achieve the MDGs as per the Monterrey Consensus.
  • There is need for real and practical approaches if the MDGs are to be achieved, such as provision of bed nets to halt the spread of malaria and nitrogen fertilizers for the soils to increase production.
  • According to Jeffrey Sachs there are five areas where the donors can put in place short term plans that can make significant advances towards the achievement of the MDGs and these are:
    1. Hire nurse who are desperately needed but are not affordable. Support massive training at community level and the training of village helpers and health workers through 6-month training in areas of malaria control and HIV/AIDS counselling.
    2. Support the mass distribution of mosquito malaria bed nets
    3. 3x5 target can be achieved by 2005 through increased access to anti-retroviral.
    4. Support the acquisition of emergency obstetrical equipment, especially for C-sections/obstructive labour
    5. Support the Government to make costed and timed concrete action plans.

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs and the Minister for Health Hon. Charity Ngilu at the MDGs kenya village and a section of the crowd at the Bar Sauri public meeting during Prof. Sachs visit.

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International Women's Day, 8 March 2005

The International Women's Day is celebrated globally on 8 March. This is a day set aside to reflect and take stock of the achievements of women. This year UNIFEM and UNFPA working together with the Women's Bureau supported some weeklong activities held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre culminating in a half-day event on the actual day. The Government of Kenya was represented by the Assistant Minister for Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services, Honourable Alicen Chelaite who gave the keynote address. The UNFPA representative, Mr. Kemal Mustafa, read the Secretary General's speech and together with the UNIFEM Regional Director, Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda, represented the UN family. To read the Secretary Generals speech click here.

Over the years, United Nations action for the advancement of women has taken four clear directions: promotion of legal measures; mobilization of public opinion and international action; training and research, including the compilation of gender desegregated statistics; and direct assistance to disadvantaged groups. Today a central organizing principle of the work of the United Nations is that no enduring solution to society's most threatening social, economic and political problems can be found without the full participation, and the full empowerment, of the world's women.

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Regional Bureau for Africa Cluster Meeting, 1-5 March 2005

The UNDP Country Office hosted the Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA) cluster meeting for Resident Representatives from East and Southern Africa from 1-5 March 2005,. The theme of the meeting was "Challenges and Opportunities toward meeting the MDGs in Africa". The meeting was hosted in UNON Conference Room 3 and a knowledge fair was hosted outside the meeting room featuring experiences on the challenges of achieving the MDGs from 22 countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa sub-region.

The Director of UNDGO, Ms Sally Fegan-Wyles attended the meeting on the last day and briefed the participants on the proposed UN reforms, which, if accepted, will drastically change the way the UN agencies operate at the country level. The idea behind the proposed reform is to strengthen the RC system and the use of resources so that there is "one integrated team, one UN programme and one strong leader".

Ms. Fegan-Wyles said the reforms were required because "we are diluted, we are not working together." She emphasized, however, that the proposed changes, which will be in the interests of the whole system, are still in their conceptual stage.

For more information contact Rubina Haroon on rubina.haroon@undp.org

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Consultative Group Meeting, 11-12 April 2005

The Government of Kenya and the World Bank hosted the second Consultative Group meeting on April 11-12 at the Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi.

The UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Paul Andre de la Porte made a joint statement at the meeting on behalf of the UN System. He retaliated the UN's collective commitment to the realization of the MDGs and as such declare UN's support to the Government's Economic Recovery Strategy which would empower the local communities through its economic recovery programme by addressing lack of accessibility to social services, housing, water, sanitation, employment, income, food security, health and rural electrification. The lack of these amenities provides fertile ground for breeding violence and crime.

According to the Canadian High Commissioner, Mr. Jim Wall, the medium- and long-term legal reforms begun recently to fight corruption were not sufficient to deal with the current levels of graft at the top.

More on the deliberations of the meeting will be in our next newsletter.

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Norwegian Mission on Joint Programming, 7-11 Feb 2005

The United Nations Country Team hosted a Norwegian mission of two researchers undertaking a pilot study on the present situation regarding Joint programming between UN agencies in Kenya. This was during the week of 7-11 February.

The overall objective of the study was to provide an empirically based understanding of the progress within the UN system in terms of alignment, harmonisation and coordination of the UN system's programming efforts. It was also to document, the extent to which, the UN reform in Kenya includes joint programming, and what joint programming actually means to the individual agencies.

The key focus of the present study is cooperation through "joint programming" and issues covered included joint programming in general, pooling of resources, planning, implementation and monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

The office of the Resident Coordinator in collaboration with the Norwegian Embassy was able to arrange a total of 35 meetings for the consultants within the week they were here. This was made possible by the exceptional cooperation of all agencies and partners (government and bilaterals). A report from this study is awaited from the mission.

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Upcoming Events

  • Common Services Workshop (26-28 April)
  • Training for Directors and National Information Officers in Nairobi organised by DPI (June 2005).
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