APRM • SECOND COUNTRY REVIEW REPORT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA FOREWORD to name just a few. As a country, we are indeed happy for the recognition of these best practices and stand ready to share them in the framework of peer sharing and learning. It is my great pleasure to present the second APRM Country Review Report and the National Programme of Action of the Republic of Kenya. Kenya, thus becomes the first APRM member to pioneer the second cycle review, and this under my leadership as the Chair of the APRM Forum of Heads of State and Government. Kenya acceded to the APRM at its inception in 2003 and was the third country to be peer reviewed by the APR Forum at its meeting held in Banjul, The Gambia, in June 2006. Since then, Kenya has undertaken major restructuring of its governance system and tremendous progress has been registered in all the four areas of APRM assessment. The Constitution of 2010, hailed as one of the best things to happen to our country, has brought a stronger legal and institutional basis for democracy and good governance, with emphasis on an entrenched and extensive Bill of Rights, rule of law and due process, independent commissions, separation of powers with attendant checks and balances, and a system of devolution of powers which has created 47 County Governments at the local level, bringing government closer to the people with extensive provision for public participation in the governmental process. As elaborated in the Country Review Report, Kenya has similarly achieved commendable progress in the sphere of economic governance and management. The adoption of the Kenya Vision 2030 in 2008 as the long-term development strategy has strengthened the economic policy framework, and facilitated the achievement of a number of milestones in terms of macroeconomic performance. Economic growth has averaged 5.5 percent during 2011-2015 and a continued strong growth is projected for 2017. Fiscal deficit has been reduced to single digit (4 percent of GDP) and although public debt has increased, it still remains within manageable levels. Notwithstanding this progress, there are challenges. The Panel notes among other things, corruption, politically mobilised ethnicity and historical patterns of marginalization which devolution is progressively dismantling. The government has adopted a multiinstitutional and multi-dimensional approach to deal with the issue of corruption. The Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC), the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Public Investment Committee (PIC), the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Attorney General (AG), amongst others, are institutions working to end this vice. Indeed translating the high economic growth into a broad-based, pro-poor and inclusive development remains a challenge against which we are determined to address. Therefore, besides accelerating economic growth, the task ahead must include massive reduction of poverty while addressing inequality and youth unemployment. The Kenya National Plan of Action provides details of programmes and activities for implementing the various recommendations of the Panel. I reiterate my government’s commitment to implement this plan of action and urge all the social actors and development partners to contribute to its successful implementation. I would like to thank all the countries participating in the APRM, and particularly my Peers in the APR Forum, for their commitment and support to the implementation of the APRM. I thank the APR Panel of Eminent Persons for its leadership in the preparation of the Country Review Report of Kenya. I extend the same gratitude to the APRM Secretariat, the Strategic Partners of the APRM as well as my officers for their contribution to the success of Kenya’s review process. H.E. Uhuru KENYATTA PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA, AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE APR FORUM The Report commends a number of best practices including Huduma Centres, devolution, mobile banking through the M-Pesa platform, the high revenue generation and an active corporate social responsibility, |2|