KEY NOTE ADDRESS BY THE PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, MR. TOROME SAITOTI, CBS, PRINCIPAL SECRETARY STATE DEPARTMENT FOR PLANNING ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF GLOBAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT HELD ON 17TH DECEMBER, 2019 AT UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

IT IS A GREAT HONOR FOR ME  TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION TO LAUNCH THIS YEARS’ GLOBAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT WHOSE THEME IS  ‘BEYOND INCOME, BEYOND AVERAGES, AND BEYOND TODAY: INEQUALITIES IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY’. SINCE 1999, KENYA HAS CONSISTENTLY PRODUCED ITS NATIONAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORTS. SINCE THEN, EIGHT SUCCESSIVE KENYA NATIONAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORTS (KNHDRS) HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED (IN 2001, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, AND 2016; EACH FOCUSING ON A SPECIFIC THEMES TOUCHING ON VARIOUS DIMENSION OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. THESE REPORTS HAVE BEEN USED TO INFORM BOTH PUBLIC POLICY FORMULATION AND DEBATE AND INFLUENCED THE DOMESTIC LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. 

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

SINCE INDEPENDENCE KENYA HAS BEEN PROGRESSING TOWARDS THE REALIZATION OF ITS HUMAN DEVELOPMENT GOALS. THE NATIONAL ECONOMY HAS  GRADUALLY EXPANDED, AND SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN REDUCING GENDER BASED INEQUALITIES, SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOST VULNERABLE SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION, IMPROVING ACCESS TO HEALTH AND SANITATION SERVICES, PROMOTING A MORE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO RESOURCES, PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS, AND ENHANCING INCLUSIVENESS 

KENYA’S HAS REALIZED CONSIDERABLE GAINS IN REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY, IMPROVING EDUCATION ATTAINMENT BY WOMEN,  OPENING UP THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL, THESE EFFORTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THIS YEARS’ THEME OF ‘BEYOND INCOME, BEYOND AVERAGES, AND BEYOND TODAY: INEQUALITIES IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY’  WHICH ARE AIMED AT LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE CURRENT GLOBAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT IS ON EXISTING INEQUALITIES IN THE 21ST CENTURY AND HOW THEY WEAKEN SOCIAL COHESION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH PROSPECTS.  IT PRESENTS ANALYSIS, AND POLICY OPTIONS TO TACKLE INEQUALITY’S DRIVERS, RECOGNIZING THAT MANY INEQUALITIES ARE THE SYMPTOM OF AN UNFAIR SYSTEM RATHER THAN THE CAUSE. REVERSING INEQUALITY REQUIRES INTERVENTIONS FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD TO OLD AGE AND NEW THINKING – PARTICULARLY IN THE FACE OF SWEEPING TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS. 

KENYA IS ACTIVELY IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMMES, STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS TO RESPOND TO CURRENT AND PROJECTED IMPACTS OF INEQUALITIES. AS MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, THE GOVERNMENT IS IMPLEMENTING THE “BIG FOUR AGENDA” WHOSE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION WILL REDUCE INEQUALITIES IN THE COUNTRY AND IMPROVE ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES, AFFORDABLE DECENT HOUSING, AS WELL AS GUARANTEE FOOD SECURITY FOR ALL.

THIS YEARS’ GLOBAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT, WILL OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY TO START NATIONAL DEBATE ON THE NEXT JOURNEY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT KENYA HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

IN CONCLUSION IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT INEQUALITIES IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY’ AND ITS IMPACTS ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA CANNOT BE STOPPED BY SINGLE INSTITUTIONAL MANDATES. IN ORDER TO AFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THESE RISKS AND EXPLORE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES, COLLABORATION AMONG ALL RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS IS THEREFORE NEEDED. FINALLY LET ME THANK UNDP FOR ORGANIZING THIS FORUM AND THEIR CONTINUOUS SUPPORT IN PROVIDING TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT IN ASSISTING IN THE PREPARATION OF COUNTRY SPECIFIC REPORTS OVER TIME. WITH THOSE FEW REMARKS I NOW DECLARE THE 2019 GLOBAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED.

THANK YOU.