KENYANS GEAR UP FOR THE NEW SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Hundreds of citizens have participated in a peaceful demonstration in Nairobi dubbed ' Light The Way' as a way to sending a message to the leaders that the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs should be achieved by 2030.

The Civil Society in Kenya has taken leaders to task to involve its citizens in order to achieve the yet to be unveiled SDGs.

Led by Action 2015 a consortium of NGOs and Government Agencies, Co-ordinating Chair Stephen Cheboi has insisted that the Millennium Development Goals MDGs were not achieved in 2015 as stipulated because of alienating citizens  during development projects.

'Leaders did not give priority to MDGs Goals. May be the citizens also did not take these targets seriously also.Poverty and social injustices are still a problem in the community.So leaders need to embrace more action and less talk,' continues Cheboi.

Head of Policy from HelpAge International Jamillah Mwanjisi has blamed thee leaders for contributing in the failures to reaching the MDGs targets.

'They lacked political commitment. They did not evaluate much the strategies to be taken to achieve the set targets. I urge the leaders tostep up and not let us down in this SDGs journey,' she advises.

Senior citizens also do not want to be left out in this post 2015 Development Agenda.

"Not much emphasis is not given to older persons. Stakeholders should remember that we are still alive and we are still pushing the wheel of life. We are the ones who gave birth to the youth of this country.We are the ones who teach our children life skills. Leaders should set aside funds for us to take our children to school,' says 69 year old Mary Wanjiru.

In 2000, the Millennium Summit of the United Nations adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration requiring all United Nations member states and partner organizations to implement the global Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Today, progress towards the goals remains uneven. Some countries achieved many goals, while others are not on track to realize any. Dr Prafulla Mishra, HelpAge International Regional Director, East, West and Central Africa said subsequent reviews of the progress resulted in the adoption of a global plan to achieve the eight MDG’s by their target date. 

According to the United Nations On September 25th, countries will have the opportunity to adopt a set of global goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all as part of anew sustainable agenda.

KENYAN EDUCATION CS CALLS FOR STAKEHOLDER UNITY TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY IN AFRICA

The Minister for Education Science and Technology Prof. Jacob Kaimenyi has called for local, regional and international players to unite in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In his speech read by Elymarta Khaoya Senior Deputy Secretary Ministry of Education the CS has pronounced the importance using science and technology to achieve the SDGs targets.

‘Sustainable development is probably the most intimidating challenge that we face and achieving it requires  that fundamental issues be addressed immediately at local, international and global levels. Science is important to resolve economic, social and environmental problems,’ says Kaimenyi.

The SDGs are a UN backed 15 year strategic plan that sets to ensure social and economic inclusivity to promote growth in different sectors of the global economy by 2030.

Kenya’s National Commission of Science and Technology NACOSTI is among the selected councils that will participate in a new initiative to strengthen national science systems to conduct research that contributes to national and regional development .

‘This is an initiative that will help in moulding the future of Sub Saharan states,’ says NACOSTI CEO Moses Rugut.

Lisa Philips Head of Department for International Development says that effective investments in science, technology and innovation by African governments would help to address the continent’s development challenge and support long term prosperity.

‘This new initiative identifies a set of inter related challenges facing organsations that are central to funding and catalyzing research and innovation across Africa, adds Ms. Phillips who was speaking on behalf of the United Kingdom’s Department for Development DFID.

‘We recognize the important role granting councils play in ensuring that government investment in Science is directed towards solving problems and promoting economic growth, ‘ reiterates Stephen McGurk Vice President for Programs and Partnership in the International Development Research Centre .

This was at the First Forum of the Science Granting Council in Sub Saharan Africa Initiative that took place in Nairobi.

Kenya was among the 12 countries to benefit from this new initiative to strengthen science, technology and innovation in Africa.

UN takes a historic step forward as conservationists accuse Hong Kong of propelling Illegal Trade in Ivory.

The United Nations Friday adopted a historical resolution on wildlife trafficking.

The UN General Assembly resolution calls on countries to harmonize national legislation and transnational cooperation on the illegal trafficking of wildlife.

It also recognizes the links between wildlife crime, international organized crime and the plight of local communities, whose livelihoods are impacted by the illicit trade.

Enforcing laws and regulations that protect wildlife both nationally and across borders is a moral obligation, a legal imperative and an economic necessity.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner termed the resolution as a historic step forward in the war against poaching.

“This General Assembly resolution is an historic step forward, and one I believe will spark the firm and concerted international action needed to combat poaching and those who profit from it” Achim said

Dr Achim added that ” In calling for wildlife crime to be treated as a serious crime, both nationally and across borders, the resolution sends a clear signal to organized criminal networks involved in this illicit trafficking that their time will soon be up”.

The UN resolution comes as conservationists accuse Hong Kong and other countries from parts of eastern China of indirectly promoting illegal poaching of endangered wildlife species such as elephants and Rhinoceros.

Elephants’ killings have reportedly spiraled out of control in Africa especially Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique despite many efforts in eradicating illegal poaching.

Reports have revealed that a big chunk of illegal ivory ends up in the Asian markets especially parts of eastern China where they are used for trinkets, souvenirs and also in traditional medicines.

The conservationists squarely blame Hong Kong for hindering international efforts to eradicate illegal ivory trade as a way of preserving wildlife and biodiversity as stipulated in the Millennium Development Goals MDG set to be replaced by another universal agenda.

December 2015, is the deadline set for the UN member states to ensure Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are successfully achieved.

MDG number 7 seeks to reduce loss of biodiversity in order to sustain environmental resources which should be used for sustainable development in Africa, an effort being undermined by illegal Poaching.

‘It is difficult to reach the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number 7 with the rate at which the elephant population is dwindling. This illegal trade is undermining the African environmental resources which should be used for sustainable development. It is not sustainable if you wipe out the elephant population out ‘says Iain Douglas-Hamilton, an Ivory trade expert.

A new survey shows Hong Kong as the main market for illegal ivory trade, with more pieces of Ivory on sale than anywhere else in the world.

In the report, other Ivory trade experts and conservationists  Lucy Vigne, Esmond Martin and Chryssee Martin say a  survey in Hong Kong’s retail outlets in late 2014 – early 2015 found 30, 856 pieces of ivory for sale.

‘This is a serious crisis. African elephants are in danger. 100,000 elephants have been killed in between 2010 -2012 for their tusks. Ivory trade should be halted in Hong Kong or these elephants’ survival will be threatened,’ says Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Founder of Save the Elephants.

However, Hong Kong authorities have made several seizures of Ivories in transit to China mainland.

‘In 2012, over 2000 kg of Ivories from Kenya were seized. In the same year 1000kg of ivory from Tanzania was intercepted. In 2013, another consignment that was 1300kg was seized. In the same year 2200kg of the commodity from Togo was captured. This is ironic as the country has almost no elephant population. The country has less than 100 jumbos. Massive corruption in this West African state has brought forth this situation” explains Esmond Martin the author of the new report.

Chinese Embassy in Kenya however, denied allegations involving Beijing with illegal ivory trade.

 In a statement the embassy says all efforts are being done to save elephants in Kenya.

‘The Chinese government also fully supports Kenya’s conservation and anti-smuggling efforts and has conducted bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Kenya and other African countries to tackle this menace,’ the statement continues.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and President Xi Jinping met in Beijing, China in August 2013 where the Chinese president emphasized the need to work together on issues of common concern.

The two countries signed a deal worth $5 billion for various projects that included wildlife protection in Kenya.

Meanwhile the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set to be launched in New York in August this year is expected to push for more concerted efforts in ending illegal poaching and ivory trade in Africa in a bid to promote the continent’s environmental sustainability.

The UN backed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are expected to push for the post 2015 Millennium development agenda in order to promote sustainable developments in different sectors of the economies across the globe.

Conservationists say they expect SDGs to push for an end to destruction of biodiversity.

‘It is sad that we see young men destroying their own environmental resources before they have even had a chance to utilize these resources and also let future generation enjoy nature,’ Lain Douglas-Hamilton concluded.