Post: NCPD urges stakeholders to consider population issues when planning

State and Non-state actors in Kiambu County have been urged to incorporate population concerns into development planning, to improve quality of life of the residents.Speaking during the Kiambu County dissemination of the Sessional Paper No.1 of 2023 on Kenya Population Policy for Sustainable Development, Jane Wanjage, who is a Director at the National Council for Population Development (NCPD), said the Policy is a comprehensive roadmap designed to guide towards a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable future.'We are happy to announce today's dissemination exercise in Kiambu marks the last day of our Phase One which included 22 counties, the second Phase for the remaining 25 counties will begin next month as the exercise has been planned to take place across all the 47 counties' Wanjage said.The Population Policy which was launched by the Cabinet Secretary, National Treasury and Economic Planning on 6th June 2024, seeks to realize a high quality of life for citizens who are secure, healthy, broadly educated, trained and empowered for sustainable development.It addresses key thematic areas, including population size, growth, age and structure, morbidity and mortality, human settlement, environment and disaster management, as well as data research and innovationIt also covers fertility, teenage pregnancies, mobility and migration, and also urbanization.During the exercise that brought together all stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society and the private sector in Kiambu County, the stakeholder taught the importance of recognizing that population, management is key in the realization of sustained socio-economic development'Population policies play a critical role in shaping the future of our nation, it reflects our collective vision, our shared values, and our unwavering determination to create an environment, where every individual can thrive' cited WanjageAccording to John Anampiu who also works for NCPD and one of the speakers at the event who highlighted Kenya's rapid popula tion growth saying there are approximately one million additional people each year.He added that despite falling fertility rates, this growth trend is expected to continue for the next 50-60 years.It is projected that the country will have 70.2 million people by 2045,' Anampiu said.He otherwise added that fertility rates have since declined citing that Children ever born declines sharply from an average of 7 children per woman in 1989 to 3 in 2022'Counties with highest the fertility rates like Mandera which is estimated at 7 children per woman also have the lowest population due to high mortality rates due to factors like poor or lack of health care services, poor sanitation and nutrition and generally poor living conditions hence the need to incorporate population policies in such areas,' he said.The Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2023 on Kenya Population Policy for Sustainable Development, which is the fourth population paper developed for the country since independent distinctiveness from the rest, is its emphasis on full integration of population concerns into development planning.It also aims to achieve Kenya's Vision 2030 and other national development aspirations through a multisectoral approach, which includes prioritizing education through investment in education and skills development; healthcare and wellbeing; climate change and disaster preparedness; data for evidence-based decision-making and good governance among others.Source: Kenya News Agency