MDP Roadmap to Sustainable Development Goals Kenya’s Transition Strategy 2016

The millennium declaration in 2000 led to the adoption of the eight time-bound Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and forty eight (48) indicators which were adopted as a representative of a the common vision to address the development challenges facing developing countries at the time. With time, the targets and indicators were later revised to 21 and 60, respectively to be achieved by 2015. Since adoption, these goals have helped to steer development cooperation, increased mutual accountability and mobilized support from all development actors and practitioners. Between 2000 and 2015, the world witnessed the greatest reduction in poverty in modern history, coupled with great promise and opportunity to address human welfare and development in the world.

However, in recognition of the mixed success of the MDGs implementation and the fact that a new development agenda was needed beyond 2015, countries agreed in 2012 at Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, to establish an Open Working Group to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new Goals and targets came into effect on 1st January 2016 and will guide the decisions member states take over the next 15 years.

As part of the implementation process of the post 2015 development agenda, the Ministry of Devolution and Planning in collaboration with other stakeholders has developed this transition strategy from the MDGs to SDGs. It was developed through a consultative process
with inputs from government, both the national and county, civil society organization and development partners including the United Nations. The strategy is meant to identify in advance the actions that require to be undertaken to position the country on the fastest and most reliable trajectory to achieve the SDGs.

This strategy is highly informed by the lessons and experiences in the implementation of the MDGs in Kenya.

The document provides an introduction to the MDGs and the SDGs process with other sections giving key thematic areas and their focus in order to guide effective transition from MDGs to SDGs. The thematic areas include; advocacy and awareness creation, domestication and localizing SDGs, capacity building, stakeholder mapping and engagement, monitoring and reporting, and resource mobilization. It also provides an implementation matrix. The thematic areas outlined in this report are interrelated and must be looked at holistically at the point of implementation.

This strategy is key in the transition agenda and will guide all the actors in the SDGs implementation process. As such, the strategy will be widely disseminated to as many stakeholders as possible. As a nation, we will continue to reaffirm our commitment to the SDGs and their achievement.

Hon. Mwangi Kiunjuri, MGH, EGH
Cabinet Secretary