KEPSA is participating in the Fifth Annual National Multi-stakeholder Conference on SDGs in Mombasa from 30th November 2022 to 2nd December 2022, themed "Recovering from Multiple Crises and Accelerating SDGs Implementation in the Decade of Action”.

Dr. Elizabeth Wala, Director - Health, Education and Social Sectors, who is also the Co-Chair of Kenya SDGs Forum for Civil Society Organisations, and Ms. Faith Ngige, Public Private Dialogue (PPD) officer, are representing KEPSA in the forum which brings together stakeholders from national and county governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, community-based organizations, media, and development partners.  

The purpose of the forum is to provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to share good practices and experiences in implementing the 2030 Agenda in the context of interlocking challenges of the pandemic, rising energy costs, and drought, among others.

The State Department for Planning and Economic Planning organizes the annual forum through the SDG's Coordination Directorate in collaboration with SDGs Inter-Agency Technical Working Sub-Committee members. KEPSA is a member of the SDG Inter-Agency Technical Working Committee coordinating private sector implementation and progress reporting of SDGs.

In her opening remarks, the Chief Guest of the Conference, Ms. Katherine Muoki, the Economic Planning Secretary at the State Department of Economic Planning, highlighted that the Conference comes at a time when the World is focusing on strategies to recover and accelerate the implementation of the SDGs a midst the COVID-19 Pandemic, on-going Russia- Ukraine War and the ravaging drought which has adversely affected their implementation. Ms. Muoki also applauded the support of KEPSA through Sustainable Inclusive Business- Kenya SIB-K, UNDP, Kenya SDG's Forum, and UN Population Fund (UNFPA) for supporting the Conference through financial contributions to the Conference.

She highlighted that since adopting the 2030 Agenda, Kenya has recorded progress in several SDG goals. According to the UN Sustainable Development Report 2022, Kenya is on track to implement SDGs 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 13 (Climate Action). There is a moderate improvement in SDGs 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and 14 (Life Below Water). The report also points out that SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 15 (Life on Land) and 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) are not progressing fast enough and are stagnating. At the same time, SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) challenges remained and are decreasing.

Despite the good progress in a number of SDGs, Targets Kenya faces several challenges in implementing SDGs. Some of these include; the resource gap in financing SDGs, inadequate tools to monitor and evaluate SDGs, data gaps in quality, timeliness, and level of disaggregation, and the absence of baseline data for some of the indicators, among others.

There is, therefore, a need to develop a strategy to accelerate the recovery and implementation of SDGs in the Decade of Action. The SDG Inter-agency Technical Committee, therefore, led the development of the National SDG Recovery and Acceleration Strategy (2022 – 2030), which seeks to fast-track SDG priority programs and projects aligned to national priorities and the pursuit of the creation of an enabling environment for job creation through value addition, diversification, and increased trade and manufacturing.

KEPSA, represented by Faith Ngige- Public Private Dialogue Department, highlighted the progress of Private Sector Commitment in the Decade of Action in the last year. In 2018, through the Multistakeholder Partnership, the Private sector made a commitment to accelerate action and delivery of SDGs and Green Recovery. KEPSA has made significant progress in tackling the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and addressing human activities' adverse effects on sustainable development.

Leveraging digital disruption and Innovation for value chain resilience and service delivery, KEPSA and its partners are implementing "The Ajira Digital Program," which is disrupting the traditional job model by focusing on digital skills and the creation of digital job opportunities. KEPSA institutionalized our partnership with UNDP in November 2022 to advance Public Private Dialogue Platforms at National and County Government levels to Operationalize private sector roundtables and economic diplomacy to enhance and foster and promote SDG investment opportunities for a resilient economy.

The Sustainable Inclusive Business Kenya (SIB-K), a knowledge center (KEPSA), was started as a response to the need from the private sector to increase its positive impact on People, the Planet, and the reduction of carbon footprint. KEPSA also played a key role in developing the SDG Recovery and Acceleration Strategy 2022 – 2030 launched at the Conference.

" The Conference is a demonstration of the power of partnerships and the power of coming together in addressing multiple crises and drawing on our strength to recover and accelerate action for sustainable development," said Ms. Ngige.

Other speakers who spoke during the opening of the Conference include; Mr. Julius Chokera – of the UN Resident Coordinator Office; Mr. Ken Olouch- of the Council of Governors; Ms. Judy Oduma, CEO - County Assemblies Forum; Mr. George Awalla, Chairman- of Kenya SDG Forum, Prof. Gituro Wainaina – Academia.