Page 523 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

492 Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

economic growth and reduce poverty through linking public actions, donor
support, and the outcomes of the UN’s MDGs (UN KY, 2012).
During the first ever United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development in 1992, Kenya adopted Agenda 21, an outline for sustainable
development, as well as most of the treaties, international agreements, and
protocols associated with this first conference. Furthermore, as a demonstra-
tion of its commitment to sustainable development and addressing climate
change, Kenya hosted the second meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol
as well as the 12th session of the parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change in 2006. Ratifying both Agenda 21 and the
various other international agreements required Kenya to actively set up in-
stitutions and actions to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and
desertification (UN KY, 2012).
In 2003, the government switched gears and began to focus more on
Kenya’s economic revival than the NPEP and PRSP, which were subsequently
abandoned. A national economic recovery strategy (ERS) was a 5-year plan
launched to combat poverty through wealth creation and employment. Agri-
culture, at the time, was the leading productive sector in Kenya, so the ERS
focused on revival of the agricultural institutions as well as investment in
agricultural research. Four pillars were created, from which policy would be
created to spur economic recovery: (1) macroeconomic stability, (2)
strengthening institutional governance, (3) rehabilitation and expansion of
physical infrastructure, and (4) investment in human capital, especially the
poor. After noticeable success, the ERS expired in 2007, and in 2008, Kenya
launched Vision 2030 for sustainable development (UN KY, 2012).
Kenya’s vision 2030 was launched with the goal of transforming the
country into a globally competitive and prosperous nation with a high quality
of life. The Vision took over where the ERS had left off in its first 5-year
medium-term plan from 2008 to 2012. Kenya’s Vision is based on three pillars:

The Economic Pillar Improve prosperity of all regions of the country and all
Kenyans by:
l Achieving 10% GDP growth rate by 2012
l Expanding the six priority sectors that make up w57% of
Kenya’s GDP and 50% of the country’s formal employment:
Tourism, Agriculture, Wholesale and Retail Trade,
Manufacturing, IT-Enabled Services/Business Process Off-
shoring, and Financial Services
The Social Pillar Investing in the people of Kenya to improve quality of life
through human and social welfare projects and programs
with a specific focus on:
l Education and training
l Health
l Housing and urbanization
l Environment
l Gender
l Children and social development
l Youth and sports