The Civil Society
Organisations (CSOs) have urged Presidents Barack Obama of the US and Uhuru
Kenyatta of Kenya on Thursday to lessen growing inequalities and chronic poverty among
vulnerable and marginalized populations in Kenya which threaten security,
national integration, and sustainable development despite notable gains made
under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reports ITRealms.
The Regional Communications Coordinator,
Henry Neondo, told ITRealms in a press statement that the CSOs urged the two leaders to ensure delivery of the
outcome of their meeting to match the ambition and transformative agenda for
the country.
Speaking at the All Saints Cathedral in
Nairobi, Kenya, the civil societies and citizens will also ask the two leaders
to ensure that no
category of population is left behind as their two countries gear up to the UN
Summit in New York in September to unveil the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
They added that early intervention and investment in people
of all ages, gender and abilities is the surest way to create a more just and
inclusive society. The foundation for
inclusive societies begins with investment in health, social protection, security,
quality of data and its disaggregation by age and gender, and lifelong education
for sustained economic growth and shared prosperity.
Current statistics in Kenya show growing
inequalities. In ability to access quality essential services and chronic poverty
demands that the State invest further in Social protection programs.
The CSOs urged the two leaders to support
calls for effective, efficient and coherent funding modalities for the design,
implementation and extension of social protection programs that meets the needs
of the citizens. Additionally they also call on the two leaders to assure
and promote the rights of women and girls, youth and older persons while
safeguarding the needs of people of all ages.
“What
we need are concrete commitments to implement integrated social protection
systems,” said Dr. Prafulla Mishra, Regional Director, HelpAge International,
East, West, Central Africa.
“Our country needs to
set national and county human development targets within the framework of
universal goals to provide the best opportunity to break out of the cycle of
poverty and ensure that the post-2015 framework reaches all people of all ages
and abilities,” urged the CSOs. They cautioned against optimism towards private
finance to deliver a broad sustainable development agenda saying such
approaches are “misplaced”.
The
CSOs also took issue with the existing regressive tax policies such as indirect
taxes which disproportionately harm people living in poverty such as older
persons, women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and children.
The
CSOs said while International Development Cooperation remain critical for
development financing and fulfilling the 0.7 per cent commitment made more than four
decades ago remains pivotal, Kenya should begin relying more on domestic
resources to finance her development.
“That government must increase domestic
resources, institute effective and progressive taxation systems, facilitate
accountability mechanism and tax justice,” they said adding that an enabling
environment for cross-sector, multi-stakeholder initiatives that deliver on the
goals in the best interest of children, older persons, people with
disabilities, youths and their families and communities is needed.
The
CSOs expressed their gratitude to President Uhuru’s offer of his government to
seek partnerships in order to deliver on sustainable development but urged him
to cast his net wider to include non-state actors.
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