Nairobi, 17^th November 2021 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kenya and the European Union (EU) have today signed a cooperation agreement through which the UNDP will receive approximately USD 5.5 million or KES 606,786,685 from the EU to support the ‘Consolidating Democratic Dividends for Sustainable Transformation in Kenya’ project. The joint project will support state action - primarily led by the elected bodies and Constitutional Committees - and citizens' engagement towards achieving improved democratic governance, accountability, respect for the rule of law, access to justice, human rights, participation of youth, and gender equality.

The project was agreed and signed between the Government of Kenya and UNDP in June 2021. It was officially launched in July 2021 and is being implemented from 2021-2023. Resourced through a multi-donor basket fund, it allows for the participation of multiple development partners and has confirmed contributions from the European Union, the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations. Its implementation will benefit from extensive coordination with Kenyan partners and the ‘UN Delivering as One’ approach through the UNDP, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

“The signing of this agreement is timely since national democratic governance institutions are continuing to work hard to deepen the democratic gains made in the last decade under the Constitution of Kenya (2010), amongst others through institutional strengthening and capacity building, to foster a peaceful environment in a sustained manner,” noted the United Nations Resident Coordinator Dr. Stephen Jackson.

The European Union’s Ambassador to Kenya, Henriette Geiger said: “This support is important because democracy is one of the foundational principles under the Constitution of Kenya (2010). It is also a strategic objective under the political pillar of Kenya Vision 2030, aimed at creating a cohesive, equitable and just society.”

“This project will contribute to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 (Gender equality); SDG Goal 10 (Reduced inequalities); and SDG Goal 16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions) in line with strategies identified in the Common Chapter, government development priorities outlined in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2018—2022. UNDAF envisages that, by 2022, people in Kenya should enjoy improved governance, access to justice, respect for the rule of law, human rights and gender quality,” said UNDP Kenya’s Resident Representative Mr Walid Badawi during the signing ceremony.

Strategic partnerships with key national institutions including civil society and the Ministry of Devolution, the main government implementing partner, will be fostered to promote a strong degree of national ownership, alignment with national priorities, and sustainability of the project. With these additional resources, the project will support national institutions in the democratic governance space.

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Note to editors

About the Consolidating Democratic Dividends for Sustainable Transformation in Kenya’ Project

The project is aligned to “Strategic Priority I - Transformative Governance” of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2018-2022 for Kenya; AND (b) SDG Agenda with direct contributions to SDG Goal 5 on Gender Equality, SDG Goal 10 on reducing Inequality and SDG Goal 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; and (c) the principle of "Leaving No One Behind". The project gives particular attention to supporting dialogue spaces, regular consultation with stakeholders to enable meaningful engagement and coordination among different institutions for better results. To enhance civic space, and citizen engagement in deepening democracy, project strategies and interventions will engage civil society, women, youth, and marginalized groups to enhance their participation in governance and democratic processes.

It aligns with Kenya’s national and international commitments to ensure that the culture of constitutionalism is strengthened in Kenya, underpinned by improved governance, respect for human rights, and justice and rule of law system that is inclusive, accountable, and empowering especially to vulnerable groups. The project integrates a human rights-based and people-centred approach to support the engagement of communities and marginalized groups in governance. Project interventions, which will be undertaken in a phased approach which will focus on good governance and capacity development, and strengthening the capacity of governance institutions to enhance public accountability, gender equality, social inclusion, institutional coordination and stakeholder engagement through the following outputs: (1) Enhanced institutional capacity for inclusion, transparency, and accountability; (2) Dispute resolution by strategic governance institutions strengthened; (3) Strategic engagement on legal and institutional frameworks and stakeholder coordination for democratic consolidation; (4) Increased civic and media engagement and participation in governance processes for accountable service delivery; (5) Strengthened and coordinated human rights monitoring; (6) Enhanced capacity on security, risk management, and coordination; (7) Strengthened civic engagement women and youth participation in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

About UNDP Kenya

UNDP is the leading United Nations organisation fighting to end injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with a broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. UNDP has been operating in Kenya since 1966 and supports programmes under three priority areas towards national development priorities:

·        Governance, peace, and security

·        Inclusive growth and structural transformation

·        Environmental sustainability, climate change and resilience

For more information about UNDP Kenya’s activities and current updates follow our social media platforms:

Twitter: @UNDPKenya

Facebook: UNDP Kenya

Linkedin:  UNDP KENYA

Website: https://www.ke.undp.org/content/kenya

About the European Union Delegation to Kenya:

The European Union Delegation has been present in Kenya since 1976. The EU development programmes through grants have had a tremendous impact in improving the lives of people in many parts of the world. The EU supports the Kenyan government’s own efforts towards good governance, democracy, and the rule of law, including anti-corruption policies, a dialogue on human rights, and better planning and mobilisation of domestic resources. The EU's cooperation with Kenya amounts to €435 million for the period 2014-2020. The country is also supported by the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa; with over €58.3 million for 2015-2019.

For more information about the EU in Kenya, follow our social media platforms:

Twitter: @EUinKenya; @EUAmbKenya

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euinkenya/

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/euinkenya

Website:  https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/kenya_en

For media enquiries please contact:

UNDP Kenya

Martin Namasaka

Head of Communications, UNDP Kenya

Email: communication.ke@undp.org

Sheila Kimani

Communications Associate, UNDP Kenya

Email: communication.ke@undp.org

The European Union

Barbra Alot

Beatrice Hongo

delegation-kenya-press@eeas.europa.eu