Roundup: Kenya makes progress in promotion of human development

Kenya has made progress in the promotion of human development on well-being and quality of life, outpacing several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to a survey released on Tuesday in Nairobi.

Kenya was ranked 146th out of 188 nations in the Human Development Index (HDI) survey 2016 by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Kenya was followed by Tanzania and Cameroon, which were ranked 151th and 153th respectively.

According to the report, while Kenya has shown progress in improving access to education, health and sanitation, more people rising out of extreme poverty, people living longer, and fewer people being malnourished, there are still imbalances across socioeconomic, ethnic and racial groups, urban and rural areas as well as among women and men.

The report, titled 'Human rights for Everyone', finds that millions of people are not benefiting from progress, with the gap set to widen unless deep-rooted development barriers, including discrimination and unequal political participation, are tackled.

The report also finds that mobile money transfer, such as M-Pesa in Kenya, is a successful technology that helps transform the unbanked sector.

The report said that 12 percent of African adults have a mobile banking facility, with Kenya leading at 58 percent.

"The digital revolution raises the hope of addressing daunting challenges on food security, provision of healthcare, combating climate change and meeting energy needs," says the report.

Speaking during the launch of the report in Nairobi, UNDP Kenya County Director Amanda Serumaga said the survey presents an opportunity for an open and fruitful debate on human development challenges.

Serumaga blamed gender disparities in human development such as long-standing patterns of exclusion from household and community decision making for limiting women's opportunities and choices.

"We will continue to utilize the findings from these reports to inform our development support in partner countries," she said, adding that the findings and recommendations will add value to the on-going debate on the development agenda in Kenya.

Professor Michael Chege, an International Development Consultant said Kenya has made strides largely due to progress in free primary education and infant immunization in health sector.

Chege said that Kenya can do much better since the government has seen commitments over the years.

Between 1990 and 2015, Kenya's life expectancy at birth increased by 3.4 years, mean years of schooling increased by 2.6 years and expected years of schooling increased by 2.0 years.

This, the report says, is the same period that Kenya's HDI value increased from 0.473 to 0.555, an increase of 17.3 percent.

The report finds that each year, 15 million girls in developing countries marry before the age 18, and if there is no reduction in the incidence of early marriage among girls, 18 million girls will be married before age 18 by 2050.

According to the report, Sub-Saharan Africa remains burdened by the world's most uneven distribution of development gains, with women, girls, people living in rural areas, migrants, refugees and those in conflict-affected areas systemically left behind. Gender inequality remains a serious challenge to human development in the region.

"Countries in sub-Saharan Africa can leverage this to build cooperation in the region and beyond to tackle persistent deprivations and inequalities," said Selim Jahan, the report's lead author.

Jahan said that regional and global cooperation will be especially important for reducing the vulnerabilities of marginalized groups to climate change, conflict and economic volatility.

He called on countries to look at the quality of education offered through free primary education and not merely enrolment.

"The countries must begin to empower people to voice issues affecting them to help influence change in their lives," he added.

Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning Mwangi Kiunjuri said the East African nation has established direct cash transfer, free hospital cover and legal aid program for 10,000 elderly people.

"We are in the process of transforming Kenya towards an equitable society through the increase of devolution funding beyond the constitutionally allocated 15 percent," Kiunjuri added. Endit