UNDP-UN Environment Poverty-Environment Initiative
Country Profile: 

Population (thousand) (2015): 46,050.30
Multidimensional Poverty Index Value (2014): 0.19 
Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index, Country Rank (2014): 145
Gross Domestic Product per capita, at Purchasing Price Parity (2015) (US$): 3,082.5

PDF icon Kenya_Country_Factsheet_June_2015.pdf

Background

Ecosystem dependent activities such as agriculture, fisheries, mining, forestry and tourism are the economic backbone of Kenya’s economy. At the same time, the rate of biodiversity loss has increased, water is chronically scarce and the forest cover is diminishing due to high dependence on biomass. Pollution as well as inadequate access to sanitation are further serious environmental and health related hazards.

To support the government in addressing these problems, PEI initiated the Kenya country programme in 2005. The programme focuses on supporting the acceleration of productivity and growth, through the mainstreaming of P-E links into the strategic planning processes and budgets. Thereby the country programme is contributing to the achievement of national development goals and the overall PEI Programme outputs. 

PEI Kenya is implemented by the Ministry of Planning and National Development(MPND) in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources (MENR and  the Ministry of Finance. In addition various sector ministries such as Forestry and Wildlife Local Government, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries as well as the National Environment Management Authority, the MDGs Unit and the Kenyan National Bureau of Statistics are involved in the project implementation. PEI Kenya is also closely collaborating with the UNDP CO and is part of the One-UN processes under the UNRC in Kenya. 

Achievements: 
  • Strengthened understanding of the poverty-environment nexus and capacity in using economic valuation of environmental and natural resources among government ministries and institutions as a result of poverty-environment studies and trainings carried out with PEI support.
  • Kenya’s national environment policy (2013) reflects cross-sector poverty-environment objectives as a result of enhanced collaboration between the environment, finance and planning sector for mainstreaming poverty-environment objectives. PEI, in collaboration with the Danida NRM programme, supported the Ministry of Environment during 2007 and 2008 in the elaboration of the draft national environment policy.  However, owing to changing political priorities at the time it was set aside but reviewed and finalized in 2012 by the new Government and endorsed by Parliament in 2013.
  • Three District Environment Action and Development Plans in 2008 included poverty-environment related objectives and integrated pro-poor environmental sustainability considerations in the Ministry of Planning guidelines for the elaboration of District Development Plans in 2008. Supported the production of 47  county socio-economic and environment profiles in 2013 as resources to inform the elaboration of county integrated development plans.

 

Key Documents

Study visits

Influencing policy processes – National, sector and sub-national levels

Understanding the governmental, political and institutional context

Indicators and data collection

Influencing policy processes at sub-national level

Influencing policy processes at national level – National Poverty Plans and Strategies and Poverty-Environment Mainstreaming Guidelines

Miscellaneous Links: 
Mainstreaming Resources: 
Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA)

An autonomous public institute providing quality public policy advice to the government of Kenya and private sector

http://www.kippra.org/index.asp