The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) 2022 has been released providing useful data through which the next phase of planning and budgeting can be developed. KDHS provides up to date estimates of the socio-economic health and nutrition indicators that can be used to guide the planning, implementation of projects, monitoring and evaluation of the population health and nutrition programmes that have been operationalized in the country. First, the KDHS shows that the country is making steady progress on some indicators like a reduction in cases of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) cases, which has an implication that more girls are accessing education and hence likely to live better lives than a decade ago when the opposite was true. Secondly, the survey shows increases of vices like cheating hence increased cases of HIV/AIDs, which shows more is needed to stem that wave; in addition, 47 percent of women and 39 percent of women were reported to be positive in the last twelve months, and where only 25 percent of women despite their population being 27.66 million or 50.31 percent, while males were only 49.61 percent as per the Kenya Population and Housing Census. Thirdly, it shows that teen pregnancies are also on the increase, which undermines good education and life outcomes for girls. Fourthly, it shows that 46.7 percent of males owning a house lacking formal education compared to 32.2 percent that have secondary and post-secondary education owning a house, which compares to 10 percent women house owners with no formal education and only 3 percent of women house owners with a formal education point to the possibility of education not being able to spur and hence increases chances of improving one’s life. Fifth, it shows that 18 percent of children have cases of stunted growth because of the inadequate nutrition, including being fed with unhealthy foods like sweets they are exposed to during the early years of life, which are critical in the brain development and hence ability to positively contribute to national development in the future.
Sixth, the KDHS findings should guide the ongoing national and county budgeting process, the ongoing preparation of the third series of County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) and the fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV) under the Kenya Vision 2030 that will cover the period 2023 -2027. Dr. Mutegi Giti, Urban Management, Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Environment specialist, Nairobi, mutegigiti@gmail.com, @danielgiti.
Dr. Daniel Mutegi Giti 