| Government officials from Somaliland and puntland learn from their peers in Kenya |
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23/06/2009 Kenya recently played host to government officials from Somaliland and Puntland on a study tour - organized by UNDP Somalia - to acquaint them with policy and technical issues in Kenya’s Ministry of Planning, National Development and Vision 2030.The tour focused on familiarizing the dignitaries with development planning and the running of statistics offices. During the visit, which took place from 8 to 12 June 2009, the officials toured the Sectoral Planning Directorate, the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis, the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and the National Coordination Agency for Population Development. They visited the New Partnership for Development (NEPAD), the Poverty Eradication Commission, the Rural Planning Directorate, the Macro Planning Directorate and the Millennium Development Goals Project Implementation Unit. They also paid a courtesy call on the Minister for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030, Hon. Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya.During the session on the Millennium Development Goals, the Kenyan team sensitized the dignitaries on the goals, enlightening them on the steps to be taken to incorporate the goals into planning at the national and district levels. At the debriefing session with the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Edward Sambili, the government officials from Somaliland and Puntland expressed optimism about utilizing the knowledge acquired on the tour. “You have offered us more than what we expected. We will apply this knowledge in our ministries, and I hope one day you will come to us to get some knowledge from us,” said Mr. Ali Isse Mohamed, Director General of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Puntland. These sentiments were echoed by Hon. Seinab Ugas Yasin, the Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Puntland: “What we have learned from here is something we will take back and use at home.” Dr. Sambili reiterated Kenya’s commitment to working closely with her neighbours in strengthening their governments, noting, “We are one people, even though we are separated by a border as a boundary…. We hope you have been able to have a feel of what the Government of Kenya does in the area of planning.” The officials were grateful to the Ministry of Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 for its hospitality. “We have been very impressed by the goodwill and dedication of representatives of your ministry. We cannot thank the Government of Kenya and UNDP enough for this opportunity,” said Mr. Mohamoud Hussein Musa (Oday), a ministry director from Somaliland. |