The National Council for Population Development will on June 6 unveil its fifth sessional paper, focusing on Kenya’s national population policy for sustainable development.
This policy seeks to achieve the desired population growth and economic development goals, striving for a high quality of life for the citizens who are secure, healthy, broadly educated, trained, and empowered for sustainable development.
It addresses key thematic areas including population size, growth, age and structure, morbidity and mortality, human settlement, environment and disaster management, as well as data research and innovation.
Additionally, it covers fertility, mobility and migration, and urbanization.
It also provides a responsive, harmonized approach to addressing population and development challenges.
The policy emphasizes the integration of population issues into development planning at all levels, ensuring a unified national vision and direction.
This framework places an obligation on the government to meet global, regional, and national commitments on population and development.
Addressing the press during a media breakfast Wednesday, NCPD Director General Mohamed A. Sheikh highlighted Kenya's rapid population growth.
Sheikh said since 1999, there has been approximately one million additional people each year.
Despite falling fertility rates, this growth trend is expected to continue for the next 50-60 years.
“It is projected that the country will have 70.2 million people by 2045,” Sheikh said.
Some of the key objectives include achieving a population age structure that accelerates economic development, promoting initiatives for individuals and couples to make informed choices on family size, and improving health and lifespan across all age groups.
It also addresses challenges and maximizes opportunities from population movement and urban growth, advocating for domestic financing of population policy programs and enhancing the availability and utilization of reliable population data through technology and innovation.
The policy promotes integrated approaches to address population, environmental, and disaster challenges, aiming to accelerate progress towards sustainable development.
This will be achieved through awareness creation, increasing citizen engagement, and strengthening broad-based support and action.
This latest sessional paper follows a history of national population policies, beginning with the focus on family planning in 1967 and evolving through subsequent policies in 1984, 2000, and 2012, each adapting to the country's changing demographic and development needs.