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MS-Kenya Policy Paper 2002-2006

Preface

This paper charts the course that the MS Kenya programme aims to take during the period 2002-2006. Its purpose is to provide a policy framework, which will govern the activities undertaken during this period. The translation of policy into practice will be reflected in the action plans of MS Kenya and her partners and will take into account the specific environment and challenges, which the respective partner organisations face.

MS Kenya is one of nine MS country programmes implemented in Africa, Asia and Central America. All MS country programmes hold as their point of departure a Policy Paper. The policy is revised and adjusted every five years and is meant to provide a sense of direction to all stakeholders in a programme.

MS Kenya’s Policy Advisory Board (PAB) is responsible for the making of this Policy Paper. The PAB consists of four independent professional: four members representing MS Kenya partner organisations and four members representing the body of Development Workers (DWs) posted within the MS Kenya Partnership Programme.

In creating the framework for MS Kenya’s work during the period 2002-2006, the PAB has considered three overall factors, which form the cornerstones of any MS country programme policy paper, namely:

The burning issues of the country (Kenya) at this time and in the foreseeable future

The two main objectives of MS: Poverty eradication and intercultural co-operation

How best to merge Kenya’s needs with MS’ capacities, ensuring that the most effective contribution is made towards reducing poverty in the country.

This policy paper reflects the outcome of many PAB debates on the above-mentioned issues, as well as consultations with the body of partners and DWs in MS Kenya. It paints a picture of Kenya today, outlines the challenges, dangers and potentials identified and describes where and how MS Kenya has a role to play in contributing towards positive development in the country.

It is the PAB’s hope that the policy laid out here will provide a useful tool for those who are to put it into practice, namely the MS Kenya Country Office, the partner organisations, the people and communities that they work with and the Development Workers (DWs).

The Policy Advisory Board of MS Kenya, July 2001

Summary

With 52 percent of the population living under the poverty datum line (USD 1 per person per day), Kenya ranks amongst the 25 poorest countries in the world. The Government of Kenya (GoK) estimates that a person needs a minimum of Kshs 1239 (USD 15) per month in rural areas and Kshs 2648 (USD 34) in urban areas to meet basic subsistence needs. Over half of the population lives on less than this, and with an economy persistently on the brink of collapse, poverty in Kenya is increasing.

In addition to material poverty, Kenyans experience:

An environment marked by unequal distribution of power  
A situation where they are the victims of corruption, as well as of socio-cultural inequalities, which lead to marginalisation of the majority, including women and several ethnic groups
A situation of vulnerability to environmental degradation and natural disasters
Violation of their civil, political and socio-economic rights.

Poverty in Kenya is the outcome of economic, political and social processes that interact and frequently reinforce each other. A reversal of fortune for the majority in Kenya requires more than loans from international monetary institutions and massive investments. It requires Kenyans to actively participate in the development of their country and to acknowledge that not only do they have a stake in this process; they are the rightful owners of it.

A cross-section of Kenyan society is increasingly pointing towards the need for empowerment of the general population. As long as the poor are not aware that they as citizens have rights and responsibilities, as long as they are not able to participate in or influence the decision-making process within the various governance structures in the country, it is very unlikely that the present poverty trend can be reversed.

MS Kenya acknowledges that the country is presently at a crossroads. During the timeframe for this policy paper, a review of the national constitution will seek to pave the way for political reform in Kenya. The country’s third multi-party elections will furthermore take place. These events are destined to happen against the backdrop of a national economy that is in a continuous state of emergency. Poverty in Kenya is increasing, budding democratic structures and practices are threatened by widespread corruption, and environmental degradation threatens the country’s natural resources. In the face of this massive hardship, Kenyans are reacting with both apathy and anger.

Some political analysts predict that Kenya is headed for disaster. Others of a more optimistic persuasion maintain that with the right interventions, Kenya can still choose a path, which leads to positive political and economic reform. MS Kenya has continued faith in the last mentioned scenario, but acknowledges that it is not enough to address the visible results of poverty. If positive and sustainable development is to take root, the underlying structural causes of poverty must also be confronted.

Recognising that a hungry person cannot reasonably be asked to postpone the condition while its causes are being examined, MS Kenya will in the years 2002-2006 continue to contribute towards the reduction of poverty in Kenya by supporting communities that tackle its visible socio-economic effects. At the same time, MS Kenya will emphasise the need for communities to identify and address structural causes of the poverty, which they experience.

MS Kenya thus supports the GoK when it states "that it is for Kenyans themselves to decide the future of Kenya." In order to facilitate the participation, which this vision necessitates, MS Kenya and her partners aim to support communities in building the capacity, which enables them to make their rightful contribution to the process of self-determination. The facilitation of formalised links between national organisations specialised in specific areas and community- based groups engaged in practical development activities will be an important tool in this regard. Wherever possible and relevant, MS Kenya will furthermore continue to encourage her partners to make use of local resources, including those available in local government structures, when planning and implementing development activities.

During the period 2002-2006, MS Kenya will exercise the approaches outlined above through implementation of strategies within three chosen themes of focus, namely:

Theme 1: Human Rights, Good Governance, and Democratisation

Strategies:

Promote accountability and transparency in the management of public resources at local and national levels
Promote respect for human rights and citizens’ responsibilities
Promote peace and reconciliation initiatives  
Promote gender equity

Theme 2: Empowerment of Communities to meet their Basic Needs

Strategies:

Strengthen community capacity to identify causes of poverty and ways of addressing them 
Support innovative approaches towards combating HIV/AIDS

Theme 3: Environmental Protection and Conservation

Strategies:

Promote forest and water conservation
Improve farm/rangeland management
Support lobby and advocacy for favourable environmental legislation and its enforcement

Download the full policypaper as Word document here (387 kb)