President Kibaki has urged the developed countries to honour their pledged donor support to hasten realisation of the Millennium Development Goals.
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Speaking during a High-Level Event on MDGs at the United Nations, President Kibaki said critical issues affecting developing nations cannot materialise unless the developed countries play their part.
“I appeal to the developed countries to fulfill their pledges on Official Development Assistance particularly with regard to the MDG commitments.”
President Kibaki told the forum that the inconclusive Doha negotiations to facilitate the creation of a new global trade and investment system remained a critical hindrance to eradication of poverty in the developing countries.
Giving a report card of the Kenyan situation, the Head of State named several sectors the government had good progress while taking into account challenges that hinder realisation of the MDGs.
“At this halfway point, Kenya has made substantial progress on three goals namely; MDG number 2 on education, MDG number 4 on child mortality, and MDG number 5 on maternal health.”
He said Kenya’s Free Primary Education programme had enabled thousands of school-age children enroll in schools while subsidised secondary school fees had improved the transition rate at the two levels of education.
With regard to health, he told the international forum that immunisation coverage in the country had risen from 57 per cent to 72 per cent while 68 percent of children aged five years and below sleep under mosquito nets distributed by the government in public health facilities.
“These measures, combined with investments the Government has made in providing greater access to clean water, have progressively reduced child mortality,” said the President.
He also told the delegates that provision of free maternity services as well as free pre-natal and ante-natal care had seen a 30 per cent reduction in maternal mortality while HIV and Aids prevalence had dropped from 13 per cent to 6 per cent in the past 8 years.
“As a result of these efforts, the proportion of births attended by skilled health staff has grown to 57 per cent presently, compared to 42 per cent five years ago.”
Appealing for donor support in the attainment of the goals, the President said MDGs had been integrated in the national policy blueprint of the Vision 2030. In the meantime, the government continues to mobilise local resources to fund MDG-related expenditure.
Meanwhile, Kenya and Guatemala have signed a mutual agreement to open foreign missions in both countries. The signing was conducted by Foreign Affairs ministers from both countries, Hon Moses Wetang’ula of Kenya and Hon Haroldo Rodas of Guatemala.
The ministers said the signing was guided by the shared willingness to develop and strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries leading to establishing diplomatic relations.
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