NCPD READY TO BE ANCHORED UNDER AN ACT OF PARLIAMENT, NCPD BOARD CHAIR

NCPD READY TO BE ANCHORED UNDER AN ACT OF PARLIAMENT, NCPD BOARD CHAIR

By Stephen Ingabo

The National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) Board Chairman Hon. David Ngugi has called for the anchoring of the council’s mandate in an Act of Parliament to allow for strong, effective coordination and implementation of population and development issues in the country.

Speaking during a parliamentary meeting to discuss the Draft Population Policy and the proposed NCPD Bill at a Nairobi hotel, Hon. Ngugi noted that the council faced various challenges in the implementation of population policy and programmes because of a weak legal mandate and inadequate resources among others.

He urged members of parliament to support the law in the house to strengthen the council’s mandate.

“Our desire and hope is that its mandate is anchored under an Act of Parliament to strongly affirm our responsibility of coordinating and implementing population and development issues,” he said adding that the intention was to enable NCPD to work as a one stop shop on all population matters and spearhead integration of population issues in Development planning in Kenya.

Hon. Ngugi noted that since inception NCPD had provided leadership in developing a multi sectoral population policy whose implementation has seen improvements in the overall national development indicators.

The meeting was attended by Hon. Jimmy Angwenyi MP Kitutu Chache North, Hon. Joseph Manje MP Kajiado North and Member of the Budget committee, Hon. Oku Kaunya MP Teso North, Hon. Dr. Christine Ombaka Woman Representative, Siaya County and member of Finance and development committee and Hon. Shakeel Shabbir Ahmed MP for Kisumu East and Member of Finance and Special funds committee.

The legislators pledged fast tracking of the bill before the expiry of the current parliament to grant a strong legal muscle to the council for effective management of its mandate.