RAY OF HOPE AS THE KENYA NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT BILL EDGES CLOSER TO ENACTMENT

Nairobi 7th November 2024………The Kenya National Council for Population and Development Bill of 2023 undergone the second round of public participation and submissions before being presented to the National Assembly for debate and approval.
Making the announcement at Bunge Towers in Nairobi when he chaired the public and partner’s submissions session, the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning in Parliament, Hon. Kimani Kuria said members of the still have a 7- day window to share their views and opinions for consideration beforethe committee prepares a report to be tabled in parliament.
The principal objective of the bill is to anchor the National Council for Population and Development in law through an Act of Parliament.
NCPD Director General Dr. Mohamed Sheikh, told committee members that the Council as currently constituted is unable to prescribe regulations and standards for effective monitoring and coordination of population programmes because it is established under a legal notice.
“Further to this, other population coordinating bodies across Africa are established though statues due to their international obligations therefore, it’s imperative that the Council be established through an Act of Parliament”, Dr. Mohamed noted.
The Bill provides for the establishment and administration of the Council, its financial provisions, and other provisions relating to the conduct of the business affairs of the Board of Directors.
Once anchored in law, the act will broaden the mandate of the Council which will include but not limited to resource mobilization and monitoring and evaluation of national population programmes.
The National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) was established in 1982 as a department in the then Office of the Vice President and Ministry of Home Affairs to develop and coordinate implementation of population policy and programmes in the Country.
The Department was later moved to the Ministry of Planning and National Development. The Council gained the status of a Semi-Autonomous Government Agency (SAGA) in 2004 and the name changed to National Coordinating Agency for Population & Development (NCAPD), through a Legal Notice No. 120 contained in the Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 68. In 2012, NCAPD reverted to its original name, NCPD,

NCPD Director General Dr. Mohamed Sheikh (4th Left) with Chairman Parliamentary Committee of Finance and Economic planning Hon. Kimani Kuria (3rd Left) and other committee members, senior officials from the National Treasury and Economic Planning during the submission of memoranda on the Kenya National Council for Population and Development Bill 2023 at Bunge Towers in Nairobi.

NCPD Partners during the submission of Memoranda and public hearing of the Kenya National Population and Development Bill in Nairobi