UN agencies endorse Kenya’s development plan

By Fauxile Kibet

NAIROBI: United Nations agencies, International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have said that Kenya’s development plan was poised to make the country an economic powerhouse in the continent.

The institutions said that they would mobilize resources and work together with the Kenyan government in achieving its development goals.

“We are now dealing with our past shortcomings. It will be business unusual from January so that we address almost all the needs that would make Kenya better,” said the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Siddharth Chatterjee said.

Chatterjee who spoke during a UN agency meeting Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto in Nairobi said intensified public-private partnership; innovations and technology would be the main drivers of the renewed efforts.

The agencies included the World Health Organisation, Food and Agricultural Organisation, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Human Rights and the World Food Programme.

UNDP Country Director Amanda Serumaga said for synergy to be created with minimal hiccups, the government should marry governance with the Big Four agenda.

“We laud the Kenyan government for its efforts to boost transparency and the arrest of public resources leakages and misuse. This would ensure that funds are put only in projects that would have value to Kenyans,” Serumaga said.

On his part, FAO representative in Kenya Gabriel Rugalema promised that UN agencies will ensure that the economic pillar of their development plans lead to job creation, increased income and boost food security.

He however stated that most of the UN funding today is project-based, and, therefore, there may be a need for a new funding model to be formulated.

Kenya’s DP William Ruto lauded the agencies for their support, saying the government was committed to cutting on wastage and abuse of public resources

“We would come up with a structure that would ensure that there is a regular monitoring so that we can assess progress,” Mr Ruto said.