Population
The National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) has launched the Sessional Paper no 1 of 2023 on the Kenya National Population Policy for Sustainable Development.
National Treasury and Economic Planning Cabinet Secretary (CS) Njuguna Ndung’u said that the aim of the policy is to maximise investment in people through appropriate quality education, health care, nutrition, job creation and skills development.
Speaking at a Nairobi hotel on Thursday during the launch, Prof Ndung’u said that population growth has become a very critical issue since the population is growing faster than the economy and added this will become a problem if left unattended.
“Our economic growth does not match the population growth, and this will lead to problems in the future where demand for government services, amenities and infrastructure like roads, schools and hospitals will be very high,” said Prof Ndung’u
The Treasury CS said that population growth is a dynamic issue which requires critical analysis and management for there to be adequate development and good quality of life. “Population growth comes with various dynamics like infrastructure, migration, changes in mortality rates among others and if these fundamental factors are not addressed, they might lead to a slowdown in development,” Prof. Ndung’u advised.
“When we look at the young population, we look at how we can serve them and how to facilitate their diverse demands especially on their own career paths and this requires investing capital in various interventions like education to shape their future development in a structured manner,” he said adding that over the years Kenya has been implementing population policies that have witnessed amazing results especially targeted at reduced poverty.
Ndung’u reiterated that having a youthful country, there are opportunities for economic growth that will accelerate the increase in incomes per capita adding that for Kenya to achieve the demographic dividend, there must be a development plan addressing the challenges in health, education, entrepreneurship and education sectors.
The CS called for partnership by the government, non-governmental organizations, and stakeholders to work together towards implementing the policy for a better and sustainable development.
NCPD Director General Dr Mohammed Sheikh said the aim of the sessional paper No.1 of 2023 on Kenya national population policy for sustainable development is to provide policy directions on the management of population and development in the country to improve the quality of lives and wellbeing of citizens.
He said the policy was developed through extensive consultation with stakeholders.
The policy document highlights that one of the key strategic focus for NCPD is advocacy and public education on population and development where the council continues to build its partnership with key stakeholders in efforts to realize its mandate.