Welcome SDSN Kenya!

On Thursday, 24th September, 2020, the official launch of SDSN Kenya was held virtually in the presence of Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Prof. Miriam Were, and several high-ranking representatives of the government and Kenyan academia sector.

SDSN Kenya is hosted by two institutions: the Center for Public Sector Reforms (CPSR) at Moi University and the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies at the University of Nairobi, both based in Kenya. It fosters global SDSN activities within Kenya by developing and promoting solutions, policies, and public education. Its vision is to realize the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Kenya with the rallying call, “Leaving no one behind”.

The event was structured in two parts – an academic morning session and the official launch ceremony in the afternoon. In the morning session, researchers associated to SDSN Kenya presented ten academic papers on different aspects of the SDGs in Kenya.

The launch ceremony was then kicked off by welcoming remarks by the two Co-Chairs as well as keynote speeches from the Vice Chancellors of the hosting universities. Both emphasized the role of universities in the implementation of the SDGs as well as the relevance of the SDGs for policy-making in Kenya. The government representatives welcomed the newly founded network as a crucial stakeholder for SDG engagement in Kenya and encouraged the network to reach out to them, stating that their doors would always be open. They also invited the network to join a technical inter-agency working group.

In his speech, Prof. Sachs called on the universities to play their rightful role in research, training, and community outreach. He emphasized the six transformational areas necessary for change towards sustainable development in Kenya (education, health, renewable energy, sustainable land use, sustainable cities, and digital economy) highlighting in particular the relevance of education in Kenya as well as the potential of Kenya as a global leader in digital transformation.

During the Q&A session, speakers and participants discussed potential focal areas of the network, the need for good and timely data, as well as the mission of the network. All agreed that the success of the network should be measured by the change it brings to the daily life of Kenyans.

To find out more about the network, follow SDSN Kenya on Twitter or Facebook , visit their website or reach out via: kenya@unsdsn.org