To realise Vision 2030, we must first embrace MDGs

By Adhyambo Odera

I was watching the two latest entrants into the overpopulated presidential campaigns Charity Ngilu and Cyrus Jirongo with a redefined interest.

Like all forward-looking Kenyans I am conversant with the very noble document Vision 2030. I am also a happy owner of a pocket size Constitution of Kenya, which allows me to be updated with our laws and rights at, will. While enjoying the now famous political analyst’s take on the two presidential hopefuls. It dawned on me that Cyrus and Ngilu may actually have a grasp of how to achieve the almost utopian Vision 2030 than most candidates. Here is why.

In the Bill of Rights section 43 is a complete summary of what this land and its people should live like. It is the section that breaks down the millennium development goals as we know them and as agreed upon by President Kibaki in 2003, three years after the globe prioritised MDGs.

The same basic goodies being lavishly promised by the 2030 document are outlined clearly in the eight areas to be tackled by 2015.

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were endorsed by 189 countries, including Kenya and include eight goals that promote poverty reduction, increase access to education, improve maternal health, promote gender equality, and aim at combating child mortality, Aids and other diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and cancer.

With only three years left to the 2015 deadline, significant progress has been made, but it has been realised that there is need for urgent and increased efforts by all stakeholders in order to meet the Goals. Here is where the politicians come in, can someone point us in the direction where Raila Odinga, Uhuru Kenyatta, Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi, Eugene Wamalwa and the entire pack point at the MDGs?

Fighting ignorance

Aside from being surprisingly articulate while launching her presidential bid, Ngilu also captured MDGs and by extension Vision 2030 in five key areas. She plans to empower Women, make sure every household has water and food, prioritise health and education and create wealth. On his part the renegade Lugari MP while not stating too much simply wants to create wealth.

He wants to make sure everyone has money in their pocket meaning they can afford and access all basic needs, yes, the goodies in most manifestos and the MDGs and hopefully sprint towards Vision 2030.

It is not rocket science that if the MDGs are to be achieved by 2015, not only must the level of financial investment be increased but also innovative programs and policies aimed at overall development and economic and social transformation must be rapidly scaled up and replicated.

MDGs are achievable, but there is urgent need to address challenges, acknowledge failures and come together to overcome the obstacles to their achievement. This will require embrace of pioneering ideas and political will on the part of governments and their development partners.

Which begs the question, if the current aspirants are not prioritising MDG, who will? How can they purport to support and plan to fasttrack Vision 2030 if the MDGs closer home are yet to catch on?

Since Independence in 1963 the same agenda has been the point of focus. It is simply an issue of different script different cast and in this case, different fancy names! At Independence the focus was on three major vices, fight ignorance, disease and poverty. When the first president died and Moi took office he continued with the same song and still, there was little or no change.

Enter Kibaki and some semblance of urgency in addressing the same vices was seen. Suited in MDGs and currently as Vision 2030, Kenyans need to be aware that their basic rights is what is at stake and if no one is being accountable for the many years wasted making promises, then they must demand that they do.

Granted, there has been some progress in implementing the Millennium Development Goals in Kenya, but their overall success is still far from assured. Of the eight MDGs, Kenya has only made good strides in goals related to Education, Maternal Health, and prevention of HIV/Aids; progress on the rest of the goals has fallen behind. The proportion of childbirths that have been attended by trained personnel and those that took place in health facilities in the rural areas have both declined.

 Basic rights

Agriculture productivity is declining due to inadequate supply of farming inputs, insufficient manpower and overreliance to rain feed agriculture thus the proportion of people under threat from hunger is on the rise. Little headway has also been made in improving access to clean water while malaria, tuberculosis and cancer are rife in both the poorest rural and urban settlements.

Every election year many politicians make promises, elections come and go and basic rights remain violated. Let us cast our vote with those who not only promise to realise the well written documents but also those who stand with the world in making our lives more dignified.

The writer is a media consultant and comments on social and political issues.

adhyambodera@yahoo.com