Vision 2030 key pillars on track, says Kibati

Kenya has registered significant gains in health, education and other social indicators under the Vision 2030 despite a tough economic environment in the last three years.

According to the Director General of the Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat, Mr Mugo Kibati, various flagship projects under the social pillar in the first phase of implementation of the Vision are either complete or at advanced stages. Among these are medical facilities, schools and water projects in various parts of the country.

Significant gains have also been achieved on the formulation of key policies to provide a strong foundation for the implementation of major reform programmes in the education, medical and political fronts.

“Overall, there have been good achievements in the social pillar flagship projects. Despite Kenya’s economy being affected by multiple adverse domestic and external shocks, significant progress has been made in implementing the Medium Term Plan for 2008-2012,” said Kibati.

He added that the social pillar projects had direct and immediate impact on the lives of Kenyans and therefore the government had decided to fast track many of them.

“We have made strides in education reforms, housing, gender mainstreaming among other gains,” he said.

Kibati was speaking when he flagged off the Wakilisha Caravan, a national road show organised by the Secretariat to educate the public on progress made in implementing the Vision 2030.

The VDS caravan will tour various parts of the country sensitising and interacting with the public on efforts being made to ensure a sustained implementation of Vision 2030.

The Vision 2030, the national development roadmap, seeks to transform Kenyan into a competitive, industrial economy in two decades.

To realise the goal, the country has to develop a globally competitive human resource by providing quality education.

To this end, the Cabinet has approved key legislation geared to fast-tracking reforms in the education sector had been enacted.

These include key reforms touching on the education sector such as; The Education Bill, Kenya National Examination Council Bill, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Bill, Technical and Vocational Education and Training Bill, Universities Bill, Kenya Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Bill and Kenya Qualification Framework Bill.

The new laws, once enacted by Parliament, will help to align Kenya’s education system to the new Constitution and help spur education development countrywide.

On health, a total of 33 health facilities were completed in the 2011/12 financial year alone while 14 are under rehabilitation.

On housing, a Bill to facilitate provision of decent and affordable housing to all Kenyans, has been drafted and forwarded to parliament for approval.

The Vision 2030 social pillar also seeks to alleviate the plight of children and vulnerable groups in society.

“Over 170,000 poor vulnerable households are benefiting from the cash transfer programme while over 480,000 women have benefited from the Women Enterprise Fund since inception in 2007,” said Kibati.

On its part, the Youth Enterprise Fund has benefited over 160,000 youth enterprises that have so far received Sh6.5 billion in loans.

Kibati, further disclosed that a Social Protection Policy has been approved by Cabinet and a Bill is being drafted.

This would pave way for the government to put in place mechanisms to cushion poor and vulnerable groups from economic hardships.

The government in 2008 launched the Vision 2030, which is being implemented in phases; the first of which is the Medium Term Plan 2008-12.

However, since it was launched, Kenya’s economy has experienced severe shocks ranging from drought to high fuel prices.

These have seen the cost of living rise thus affecting the social well-being of millions of Kenyans.

However, the government has been keen on cushioning the poor and other vulnerable groups from the adverse impact of such shocks by accelerating interventions under the social pillar of the Vision 2030.