•Some of the areas sought for collaborations include funding of various primary health care initiatives at the county level.
•Waiguru also sought support in advocacy programs on Reproductive Health in a bid to reduce adolescent and teenage pregnancy.
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Council of Governors Chair Anne Waiguru on Thursday held a meeting with billionaire Bill Gates.
The meets sought to establish areas of partnership between Kenya's devolved units and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
Speaking during a roundtable meeting, Waiguru said that the collaboration will aid the strides made so far by the government in devolution.
"Even though County Governments have made significant strides towards realizing the devolution dream, they require collaborations in many areas," Waiguru said.
The meeting co-chaired by Waiguru and Gates was also attended by the foundation’s Global Director, Benjamin Piper, the Africa Director, Cheikh Oumar Seydi and the East African Regional Representative, Samburu Wa-Shiko.
Some of the areas sought for collaborations include funding of various primary health care initiatives at the county level.
This is with a view of cascading key interventions aimed at the attainment of Universal Health Coverage in the country.
Waiguru also sought support in advocacy programs on Reproductive Health in a bid to reduce adolescent and teenage pregnancy.
Additionally, to support the establishment of child day-care homes where young mothers can leave their children as they seek education.
"By taking health service closer to the people through devolution, there have been key achievements in the health sector including the reduction of maternal mortality rate from 364/100,000 live births in 2013 to 355/100,000 live births in 2021," Waiguru said
The Kirinyaga governor added that neonatal mortality has also reduced from 23 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013 to 20 deaths in 2021.
"Scaling up of Service Delivery Redesign program should be done to cover all counties in order to further reduce child mortality rates," She urged
She added that there has also been an increase in immunisation of children from 74% in 2014 to 82.8% in 2021 due to improved healthcare systems across the county.
The COG Chair further sought partnership in strengthening primary healthcare through interventions such as capacity building of community health volunteers, traditional birth attendants and through technology such as point of care ultrasound and the use of artificial intelligence.
Previously, COG and the BMGF partnered in health matters.
Waiguru has assured the foundation of CoG’s support in ensuring sustainable and optimal gain from the foundation’s investment.
The meeting also discussed partnership in technology to support an open governance system to enhance transparency and effective service delivery.
This will be achieved through the automation of government services across devolved sectors such as health, revenue collection, agriculture extension services, waste management and urban planning and development.
On Agriculture, Waiguru pointed out that counties are investing 35 billion in agriculture.
She called for collaboration to strengthen value addition in the different agricultural value chains.
"Counties have invested in the provision of agricultural inputs to farmers, reduction cost of mechanization and increased market and value addition," Waiguru noted
The governor affirmed the CoG’s commitment to the full implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, noting that counties have put in place SDG units to track and report the progress of implementation.
Additionally, CoG also sought a partnership to strengthen the capacities of county governments in climate change and responsive delivery mechanisms.
“The CoG cannot turn a blind eye to the impacts of climate change and that lasting solution can only be achieved through joint locally-led climate actions at the lowest level,” she said.
The chair said that the CoG is committed to partnering in the strengthening of climate change adaptation initiatives such as adoption of smart agriculture through improved drought-resistant seeds and improved dairy breeds for increased milk production.
She pointed out the need to build the resilience of the communities by investing in dams for irrigation water which will ensure there is food security.
"Women suffer disproportionately from impacts of climate change since they already face existing gender inequalities that pose unique threats to their livelihoods, health and safety," Waiguru noted.
She added that women are critical in the implementation of climate change actions in the counties.
Waiguru noted that her county, Kirinyaga, has been at the forefront in designing and implementing programs that are geared towards environmental conservation, climate change adaptation and resilience.
That her administration has been supporting women to diversify agricultural production through Wezesha Kirinyaga economic empowerment program.
Through Wezesha, farmers are funded to undertake poultry, dairy, pigs, avocado, macadamia and dairy farming as well as beekeeping.
Avocado and Macadamia farming provides farmers with an income and helps in increasing the county’s tree cover.
The COG Chair reaffirmed the commitment of the county governments in championing devolution and urged partners like BMGF to work closely with the devolved units since they have a robust funds flow mechanism.