SOS Sahel UK works closely with national and local government services in every project it implements, helping to increase their capacity to support local communities when we are no longer directly involved in an area. This collaboration puts us in an excellent position to promote changes in policy and the legal framework, and means that successful innovations can be replicated more widely.

In Kenya in particular, we are pleased to be working with the Government of Kenya to supports its new Ministry for Northern Kenya and to help it develop, test and roll out a strategy for nomadic education.

Ministry for Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands

The creation of the Ministry of State for Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands is a landmark in the government’s efforts to reduce inequality. It has been formed in recognition of the fact that the north of Kenya and other arid areas require a more intensive, focused and tailored approach if they are to prosper. The Ministry will face many challenges, but SOS Sahel UK believes that, in the context of pastoral development on the continent, its formation represents a highly progressive move by an African state. It also believes that there is a limited window of opportunity within which to help the Ministry establish itself in government and beyond. SOS Sahel UK therefore responded positively and quickly when the Minister approached it to provide additional technical support to his office.

Activities we are undertaking in support of the new Ministry:

• Providing an advisor to the Minister from our own staff, seconded from June 2008 for a period of two years.
• Carrying out base-line research amongst nomadic communities and education specialists at the request of the Ministry for Education.
• Providing feedback on the draft national policy for nomadic education.

Update

We submitted our feedback on the draft policy in February 2009. A literature review is now underway and community consultations began in March 2009.

Northern Kenya covers 70%
of the country but has no
High Court, no land registry,
no university campus, and
only one district town
connected to the national
electricity grid.