Posted 16 April 1998
Country Thematic Groups

Kenya: Thematic Group on Rural development and Food Security

Context

The establishment of the Thematic Group in Kenya has occurred simultaneous with the development of two other important initiatives: the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the Agricultural Sector Investment Programme (ASIP). It is hoped that the Thematic Group will provide complementary support to both these initiatives. For instance, it is anticipated that the inter-agency strategy paper, entitled 'Thematic Group for the ACC Network on Rural Development and Food Security in Kenya', which has been prepared by the Group will provide the basis for the relevant sections of the UNDAF document.

Membership

The Group includes an impressive participation of UN Agencies: UNEP, ICAO, UNIC, WHO, UNSO, UNIFEM, IPC, IMF, World Bank, UNCHS, UNHCR, UNDCP, UNOPS, UNIDO, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNFPA, WFP, UNDP, Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN)/DHA. There are plans to expand the membership to include bilateral donors under the umbrella of the ASIP. The best way to include the participation of representatives of civil society is currently being considered.

Priority sub-themes

Five main themes reflecting Kenya's development objectives and donors' priorities were selected to focus the work of the Group and roles have been assigned to the participating UN Agencies. In addition, a system to monitor progress in the implementation and follow-up of the Network (including reporting) is under discussion.

The themes and sub-themes include:

• Rural policy, infrastructure and institutional development
• rural policy
• rural physical and social infrastructure
• rural institutions
• Natural resources and sustainable household food security
• Human development and rural income
• human development
• rural income
• Agriculture sector development and technical co-operation
• agriculture sector development
• technical co-operation
• Development of the non-farm sector

Future activities

Within the above priority thematic areas, a number of activities have been identified for the future, including:

1. co-ordination of the rural development and food security strategy with the Government, donors and NGOs as part of the preparation, implementation and review process (hopefully within the ASIP framework);
2. provision of updated information on the current involvement of bilateral donors and the private sector in rural development and food security;
3. assistance to the Government to develop and/or strengthen decentralised and participatory activities and approaches to rural development;
4. monitoring of all relevant policy areas pertaining to rural development and food security and establishment of synergy between the Group's work and the Special Programme on Food Security (SPFS); and
5. identification of trends in aggregate food supply, dietary energy supply (DES), prices and distribution, including implications for food security at the local level and preparation of a national-level vulnerability map.