Monday, July 14, 2008

SPEECHES


Launch of Road Safety Action Plan and Chunga Life Campaign
04/04/2006

Hon. Amb. Chirau Ali Mwakwere, EGH,. MP
Minister for Transport
Stakeholders in the Transport Industry
Members of the Press;
Ladies and Gentlemen

I am sure that for all of us gathered here, today is taken to be a very important day as we gather to witness the launch of the National Road Safety Action plan. We are all aware that thousands of Kenyans have been killed, maimed for life or seriously injured by accidents, almost all of which could have been prevented. This means that there is a percentage of our productive generation that has been lost due to road accidents.
We at Shell and BP Kenya, pride ourselves in that all our drivers have achieved and observe very high standard of safety on the road. Shell, as a global organization has invested resources in major internal safety initiatives such as Hearts and Minds, which are designed to change the culture of safety in the Company and also ensure that our business remains safe. One such programme includes our world-class internal road safety program named 'Drive to Live'. We believe that as a responsible corporate citizen we have to continuously push the safety envelope and drive for higher standards both internally and also in the external environment in which we operate.

We at Shell and BP are alive to the fact that the driving environment and culture in Kenya is wanting. A good percentage of both private and commercial drivers in Kenya drive very irresponsibly and without courtesy, thus creating a potentially disastrous situation on our roads. That is why we have partnered with the Ministry of Transport and other key stakeholders in the launch of the National Road Safety Action plan. By doing this we believe that we can help ensure that:

there is a vibrant and relevant communication plan
our roads become a safer place to operate from.
we prevent death and damage from road accidents.

To be able to achieve this sustainable will require a concerted effort from all of us.
The learning's from our Drive to Live and other road safety programmes have been utilized to develop the Chunga Life campaign program that is to be launched today. We have identified three main areas, which require further and urgent attention for the effective reduction of road carnage.These include:

Safer Vehicles
The government needs to carefully address policy in regard to regulating the type of vehicles allowed on our roads. The ability to enforce such a policy is also extremely important, especially a crack down on vehicles that are not road worthy. Advanced technology that is available today such as air bags, seat belts and anti locking braking systems are no longer a luxury but contribute greatly to road safety. As drivers and owners, we can now make a conscious choice on the safety standards that are acceptable in the vehicles that we own or operate.

Road safety awareness programs
We have a great opportunity to minimize the risk of road accidents if we educate the public on defensive driving skills, correct attitudes and proactive behaviour on the roads. This is the core of the Chunga Life communication project, which is being launched today.

Safer Roads
Excellent Roads that are well built to the correct technical standards, properly maintained, properly marked and sign posts are also a key element in road safety. Without this the desired change in driving culture will be difficult to inculcate. The recognition and removal of black spots will also ensure that fewer accidents happen. At Shell we have a black spots handbook that is used by our truck drivers that can be availed to the public.

Ladies and Gentlemen; Moving forward, we are happy that the launch of the National Road Safety Action plan is finally here. The bigger task lies ahead in its implementation. We believe that the best way to sustain the momentum created is for other corporate organizations to join with us in the creation of a business alliance on Road Safety, so that we pool together resources that will ensure its implementation. All stakeholders, including the long haul transporters and the public services association representatives should be included in this alliance to ensure the success of the Chunga Life campaign.

I would also like to request the government to provide the support required to ensure that the actions prescribed in the National Road Safety Action Plan are carried through. This includes funding and resource management and enforcement.
I would also like to point out that our individual effort is only successful in that it ensures that our operations are safe and free from accidents. It is up to you and me to take up the challenge to not only continue our individual programmes and responsibility but to join hands and make this national change happen!

Ladies and Gentlemen;
As I come to the close of my speech, I would like to take the opportunity of the Minister's presence to touch on other issues relating to transport. The first that is key to the future stability in our industry is to request for a faster privatization of the Kenya Railways. An efficient railway system has a number of benefits not only to the industry but to the Nation as well. In addition to providing an alternative method for bulk haulage of goods and thus helping in maintaining competitive transport rates, it would directly result in the reduction of the number of heavy goods vehicles and trucks on our roads. This would help in reducing accidents and also lead to less harmful emissions to the environment.

It would be unfair for me to conclude my speech without recognizing the earlier efforts taken jointly by the Ministry of Transport, Traffic Department and the Transport Licensing Board, which have resulted in the reduction of fatalities on our roads since the enforcement of Legal Notice 161 in February 2004. Soon after the start of the programme several milestones were achieved which warrant mention:

Restoration of order especially in the matatu industry.
Reduction in the accident rate. In fact within the first two months of implementation of these rules, the road accidents had been reduced by 73%.

Ladies and Gentlemen;
We would all like to congratulate the Ministry of Transport for having been bold enough to start that programme.
___________________________
STATEMENT BY
HON. NOAH KATANA NGALA, E.G.H., M.P.
MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS, HERITAGE AND SPORTS
HEAD OF KENYA DELEGATION
TO THE
SPECIAL SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL
ASSEMBLY ON "WOMEN 2000: GENDER EQUALITY,
DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY"
NEW YORK 5 - 9 JUNE 2000

Mr. president,
Secretary General of the United Nations,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

At the outset, Mr. president, allow me to express my delegation's satisfaction in seeing you preside over this important session. I am confident that under your able leadership and wise guidance the session will have a successful outcome. 1 would like to assure you, sir, of my delegation's full support and co-operation during the session.

Mr. president,

Since the second world conference on women in Nairobi in 1985, the Kenya government has in recognition of the existing gender inequalities at all levels of society, initiated various interventions, strategies and created a conducive environment aimed at correcting these imbalances. The government's commitment has been further demonstrated by the endeavor to honor its obligations to the various international conventions and declarations to which it is party and particularly, the Nairobi forward looking strategies, the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, the Vienna declaration of human rights and the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action.

My statement seeks to highlight the efforts that the government and civil society has made towards the implementation of the platform for action with special emphasis on new developments, which have taken place and the proposed initiatives, and actions on the way forward.

Mr. president,

Today I am pleased to report that the National Policy on Gender and Development has been approved by the Cabinet. The policy proposes the establishment of a gender commission to restructure and strengthen the existing national machinery, in order to enhance gender responsive programming and planning. The policy, together with the national plan of action will provide a regulatory framework for the advancement of gender equity in the country. The government, in conformity with the recommendations of the Africa and Beijing Platforms for Action, hosted a national stakeholders forum on 10th-11th may 2000, which strengthened the existing partnerships with Non-Governmental Organizations (Ngos), development partners, and created a national forum to debate on advancing the goals of gender equality and development.

Mr. president,

With about 43 per cent of the population living in absolute poverty, it has become a challenge for Kenya to achieve and sustain rapid economic development with the full participation of the poor. The situation has largely been due to increasing inequality in the distribution of resources, economic recession, adverse weather conditions, rapid population growth and globalization. All these have negatively impacted on Kenya's GDP growth rate which has declined from 4.8% in 1995 to 1.4% last year. The government has responded to this situation by among other initiatives, formulating national poverty eradication plan (1999 -2015), which aims to reduce the population which is affected by absolute poverty to less than 30°/a by the year 2010. The plan is targeted to reach the most vulnerable groups in society, in particular, women, youth and children.
Mr. president,
Positive achievements made in health sector since independence have been eroded following the introduction of Structural Adjustment Programmes (Saps), an overall decline in food availability and an increase incidence of HIV/aids which has drastically increased the morality rate in both children and adults and further intensified poverty, particularly among women and children. In this regard, the government has declared HIV/aids a national disaster and has set up national aids control council, through which HIV/aids control units have been established. The government also proposes to publish a draft bill on laws affecting situations related to the aids scourge. The bill seeks to examine the family succession laws so as to protect women and children.

In the area of adolescent health, special clinics for the youth have been set up to cater for their health and reproductive needs and further developed a national plan of action on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
It is also significant to note that the government has reaffirmed its commitment of improving the health and social well being of women and children by strengthening maternal and health strategies through decentralization of health care service delivery to the district and community level.

Mr. president,

The government has continued to give high priority to education which absorbs about 30% of the fiscal budget. Concerted efforts are being made on improvement in the quality and reach of services and achieving gender parity as a way of meeting the goal of universal primary education by the year 2010. Already, gender parity in enrolment has been achieved at primary school level (49.3 per cent for girls and 50.3 per cent for boys). However, education costs, early marriages and pregnancies have had an adverse effect on girls' education thereby female enrolment at the tertiary level continues to be lower than 30 per cent. Among the positive interventions in place is the review of the curricula, education materials, teacher attitudes and classroom interactions together with massive gender awareness at all levels to eliminate negative cultural attitudes towards girls, More significant is the establishment of bursary schemes by government and ngos to address the education needs of needy boys and girls. At the university level the government has introduced affirmative action by lowering girls cut off points by a mark, and thus increasing enrolment of girls in state universities by 200. Gender training programmes are being conducted at institutes and centers established in public universities, some of which are already offering undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in gender and development.

Mr. president,

Although women in Kenya constitute more than half of the population (51.0 per cent), they continue to have inadequate access to ownership of assets, social and economic services and' participation in making decisions affecting their lives. It is estimated that less than 5 per cent of Kenyan women own land, which is stated as the most critical factor causing poverty among female headed households. In an effort to improve this situation, the government in collaboration with ngos is currently reviewing relevant laws pertaining to ownership, access to productive resources as a way of strengthening the role of women in ensuring household food security, access to land and other essential resources including farm inputs,

Kenya condemns and perceives violence against women and girls as the most pervasive violation of universal human rights principles. In this regard sustained efforts and campaigns have been undertaken, with the media taking the leading role, in highlighting incidents of domestic violence and advocating for rape laws to be reviewed with a view to meting out stiffer penalties for sexual offenders. A draft bill on sexual offences has been presented to the attorney general for action. Among other notable initiatives is the establishment of women-friendly police desks, to be replicated countrywide as one way of dealing with cases of domestic violence. It has also been found necessary to train and sensitize members of the police force on domestic and other forms of gender violence. The process of establishing a family court is also at an-advanced stage. It is anticipated that the domestic violence legislation (family protection), once passed, will go a long way in changing the course of domestic violence in Kenya. Currently, Kenya is exploring the modalities of establishing a model legislation on domestic violence. This is jointly being undertaken by the Commonwealth, the Government, Ngos and Development partners.

Mr. president,

As mentioned earlier, women in Kenya make up 52 per cent of voters. However, they have not been adequately represented in political decision-making positions, for instance, in parliament, women make up only 4 per cent, in local authorities only 8 per cent, in senior administrative positions 23 per cent, heads of diplomatic missions only 15.2 per cent and in judiciary only 30 per cent. As a result of this situation, the government and ngos have embarked on civil awareness campaigns, lobbying and advocacy countrywide.
At the political level, I am pleased to report that parliament recently passed the affirmative action motion, which seeks 30 per cent women representation in national assembly and local authorities. Already a draft bill is being developed jointly by the government and ngos. It is anticipated that once the bill is enacted, the empowerment of women will begin to gain acceptance by the society as a whole and pave the way for a more balanced representation in key decision-making bodies in the country. Another key development is the drafting of the equality bill, which has-been submitted to the attorney general. The bill seeks to promote the welfare of all Kenyans, outlaws discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, citizenship, creed, marital status, handicap, family status, sex, age or color. Kenya has also prepared the third and fourth comprehensive national reports on implementation status of the Convention of Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Mr. president,

I would like to conclude by stating that the national machinery in collaboration with the civil society is currently developing a comprehensive evaluation and monitoring framework with indicators as measurement tools. The framework which is based on the Beijing platform for action will form the basis for assessing progress made towards gender equity. The Kenya government has also taken a central role in forging stronger relations with development partners as one sure way of translating the Beijing Platform for Action into reality. This collaboration is expected to enhance mobilization of the decreasing resources and create a more focused approach in bringing about equitable and sustainable development in Kenya. Stronger networks will also be forged with partners at regional and international levels with the objective of seeking new and more effective ways of advancing the status of women.
THANK YOU.

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