The Wajir County Inter-Ministerial Policy Steering Committee met Thursday, under the guidance of the National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) in a move towards addressing population and development issues.
Moses Auma, the NCPD Regional Population Coordinator for North Eastern, highlighted the recent launch of the National Population Policy Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2023, which will guide population and development efforts for the next decade.
He said that the policy underscores the importance of each county having an inter-ministerial policy steering committee to address pressing population issues and advise county governments accordingly.
“These committees play a critical role in linking the national and county governments on population matters,” said Auma.
“Our role at NCPD is to convene these committees so that members can deliberate, decide, and agree on key priority areas that both state and non-state partners can implement over a given period,” he said.
The meeting in Wajir focused on identifying and prioritizing the key population issues that will be addressed in the upcoming fiscal year 2024/25.
The discussions were thorough, and several critical issues were highlighted, including insecurity, illiteracy, high fertility rates, female genital mutilation (FGM) practices, early marriages, and teenage pregnancies.
Auma emphasized the urgency of tackling these problems, particularly the practices of early marriages and teenage pregnancies.
“These issues jeopardize the quality of our future generations,” he warned. “Young girls who should be in school are instead being married off and becoming mothers. As an organization, we are deeply concerned,” he added.
He also reiterated the sentiments of NCPD’s Director General, Dr. Mohamed Said, on the importance of investing in young girls.
“Empowering a girl is like empowering the whole community,” Auma quoted Dr. Said, adding it is vital that we safeguard the future by investing in these young women.
The inter-ministerial committee’s efforts are expected to foster substantial improvements in the county’s development and population quality, ensuring a better future for the upcoming generations.
By Hamdi Buthul and Sharmake Hajir
