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In this brief I would like to tie up two major programmes under the Ministry of Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 that are intended to strengthen good governance and to lay the foundations for long-term growth and poverty elimination.These are the African Peer Review Mechanism and the Vision 2030. How are the two related, and how can they reinforce each other?
I have always found it useful when addressing the press about African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to begin by reminding them that African Head of States and Governments agreed to review each others governments in 2002 after it had become obvious that improving national governance through donor conditionalities throughout the 1990s had not succeeded.Rather the most enduring governance reforms were those initiated from within Africa by Africans with a great sense of ownership. This is why the African Union (AU) adopted the APRM and placed it under the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) as a specialized body of the AU.
.The APRM process therefore aims at aims at fostering the adoption of policies and practices that will lead to good governance, political stability, high economic growth with poverty reduction, sustainable development, and accelerated regional and continental economic growth and integration.Acceding to peer review is a voluntary process with 4 stages: 1) internal self-evaluation involving all the main stakeholders in a country; 2) Validation of the findings by an external “Country Review Team†which then makes its recommendations to the APRM Eminent Persons Group; 3) Engagement over reforms between Eminent Persons Group and the National Government; 4) Presentation of findings to the APRM Forum (i.e., all heads of states and governments that have acceded to peer review). Governments are expected to provide follow-up with periodic reports on progress made in enacting recommended reforms.African countries are expected to learn from the best practices from each other, not just the failures.
Kenya acceded to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in March, 2003. The APRM process culminated in a participatory national self-review, and the preparation external APRM Country Review Report (under the guidance of Dr Gracia Machel as the lead Eminent Person), and a National Programme of Action covering four thematic areas of the review, namely Democracy and Political Governance, Economic Governance and Management, Corporate Governance and Socio-Economic Development.
If you are familiar with the Kenya Vision 2030, you will recall that is constitutes of the following pillars i) the economic which aims at an average of 10%GDP growth rate; ii) the social which aims at “investing in the people of Kenyaâ€, and iii) political which aims at “moving together as one nationâ€.Each section contains many flagship projects and other projects. However please note that we have no overlap: the APRM looks at our achievements in the past, and asks what we can learn from them. The Vision 2030 looks to the future, but it will definitely gain by taking on board the lessons of APRM. This is the official position of the Ministry and the Government of Kenya
Achievements of the APRM: 2005-08
After accessing to the APRM in 2003, the Ministry of State for Planning, National Development (as it was then) instituted the process of nation-wide stakeholder sensitization which culminated in the formation of an independent National Governing Council comprising of civil society, professional organizations, state and non-state actors to steer the process. The Council guided the internal review exercise which lasted for three years culminating in the production of the Country Review Report for Kenya.
The Eminent Persons Group presented the Country Review report to the APRM Forum at the AU Summit in Banjul in June 2006. It commended Kenya’s achievements in many areas, e.g., primary school enrolment, widening scope of democratic rights, and public service reforms, and improved health services. But it also recommended reforms to manage ethnic diversity better, to deal with land rights, and inequalities in personal incomes, regions and gender. The summit congratulated Kenya for financing 95% of its own budget and asked other African countries to emulate this best practice.
Then H.E. the President of Kenya presented Kenya’s response to the APRM Country Review Report in Banjul, in which he outlined policies the Government was implementing to deal with the challenges cited by the Country Review Report including constitutional changes, devolution of funds through CDF, LATF and other devolved funds, affirmative gender policy in public service employment, and more spending of the arid and semi-arid districts.
I would like to note that some of the policy recommendations coming out of that document can be now be found in very concrete terms in the Vision 2030. Examples are: (i) meat and leather-processing industries in the pastoral districts; ii) a new transport corridor from Lamu’s new port, to the new resort city in Isiolo and then Lake Turkana; iii) new tourism circuits covering districts that have not previously benefited from that industry, iv) value addition in agriculture and fisheries; v) evenly-distributed access to health, water, and education, etc. It is also worth noting that while APRM country review had praised Kenya for following a stable macro-economic path and recommended land reforms, the Vision 2030 has adopted land reform macro-economic stability as “cross-cutting†foundations of national transformation, among others like ICT, security and rule of law.
Finally, it worth remarking that the Kenya internal APRM review was praised by the APRM Forum for its high technical and professional presentation, but above for being candied about our problems and challenges. It set the benchmark for subsequent country reports that has not been surpassed. Kenyan APRM process is widely acknowledged and said to have set standards of best practice, transparency and wide consultations.
Progress Made in Addressing the Overarching Issues Raised by the APRM Country Review Report
The following are the key overarching issues and the major Government intervention measures instituted to deal with them.
Poverty and wealth distribution
The Government is implementing the Vision 2030 which envisages attaining approximately 10% economic growth annually which will reduce poverty, create wealth, increase equity and fairness in sharing resources. It aims at reducing national poverty levels from 46% in 2006 to under 9percent by 2030.
The Vision’s implementation is now on course with the establishment of the VDS Secretariat although the post election violence, on going drought, global economic recession has affected implementation.
B. Land Reforms
The Government finalized the National Land Policy, which has received Cabinet approval and is now awaiting Parliamentary debate and adoption.
This will go a long way in instituting the land reforms advocated for in the APRM Country Report.
C. Gender inequality
The Government has enacted a number of policy initiatives and actions to ensure that the issue of gender equality is appropriately tackled.
Examples:
Establishment of Women Enterprise Development Fund,
Enactment of the Sexual Offences Bill into Law (July 2006),
Presidential directive that 30% of all newly recruited public servants be women
D. Youth unemployment
Youth Affairs Ministry established, Establishment of the Youth Enterprise Fund, with the requirement that CDF, and LATF funds provide additional support to youth organizations in business. The Kazi kwa Vijana programme among other initiatives
Technical Industrial Vocational and Entrepreneurial Training Programme (TIVET) and SME’s to give youth more entrepreneurialtraining opportunities
E. Corruption
Enactment of legislative framework and establishment of institutional structures for dealing with corruption and other economic crimes.
Kenya Anti- Corruption Commission, National Anti-Corruption Steering Committee District Oversight Committees
There is need to deal with perceptions within Kenya on the effectiveness of these institutions to deal with graft
F. Implementation gaps
A number of Acts have been enacted to address the issue of implementation gaps. In fact, the number of Bills being passed by Parliament has increased remarkably.
Improved ease of procurement processes which resulted from the enactment of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act which came into effect in January 2007. It has enhanced infrastructural development in the country.
G. Transformative leadership
Public sector reforms to improve efficiency and effectiveness are being undertaken e.g. Public Service Reforms, Results Based Management in service delivery developed e.g. adoption and application of Rapid Results Initiatives in Government Ministries, Service charters, Performance contracting. These efforts are all aimed at creating a transformative and responsive leadership within Government.
Concluding Statements
Kenya has remained committed to the vision and ideals of NEPAD and the APRM programme. In line with the requirements of the APRM guidelines, Kenya has presented three APRM progress Reports to Summit of the Committee of Participating Heads of State and Government Forums.
The Ministry of State for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 also gazetted the APRM National Governing Council in June 2009 to continue spearheading the implementation of the APRM programme in Kenya.
In conclusion, I wish to most sincerely express our appreciation to the media for continuing to support this immensely important process. With these very few remarks, I wish to officially declare this training workshop open and wish you fruitful deliberations.
-THANK YOU-
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