By Debra Rono
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has urged the United Nations (UN) to also consider the boy child in its quest to lift those who are at risk of being left behind.
Rigathi was speaking in a meeting with the representatives of Agencies led by UN Resident Coordinator Stephen Jackson, at his Official Residence in Karen.
The deputy president while highlighting the achievements of the UN in the country pointed out that it had done well in empowering girls and women and those in groups that are at risk of being left behind but also expressed his desire to have the UN focus on the boy child too.
“And I will be urging the UN family too to consider the boy child as well who is in trouble”, Rigathi said.
Gachagua further noted that the UN Corporation for Kenya aligns with the Kenyan administration’s main development priorities for the economy and society while also creating opportunities for the youth, creating jobs, and green transition of economic development.
He also assured the development partners that President William Ruto’s administration will continue engaging them for the socio-economic growth of the country.
The DP also commended the UN for the set of joined programs together with the Kenyan ministries and other stakeholders that prioritize the bottom-up economic transformation agenda (BETA).
“I commend the UN Kenya for the strategic set of joint programs being developed by line ministries and UN entities, together with a wide range of stakeholders,” he said.
“These UN-supported joint programs cover priorities that go hand in glove with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and the recently launched Medium Term Plan (MTP IV),” further added the Deputy President.
Dr. Stephen Jackson, the UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, has once again emphasized that the UN agencies in Kenya are in sync with the government’s key priorities, as stated by the Deputy President.
Dr. Jackson mentioned that the UN agencies plan to keep collaborating and working closely with the government on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework Kenya which he revealed has a four-year framework to 2026.
“BETA for us means leaving no one behind. We are speaking to and committed to the same thing and this is pragmatic alignment. The cooperation framework runs for four years and our vision is to mobilize $2.2 (Ksh290.4 billion) for its implementation. We have mobilized quite a bit,” said Dr Jackson.