It has become evident that an important trend in economic and social development is taking place in countries around the world. The private sector is increasingly taking on what had previously been considered inherently governmental functions.
I am pleased to be here today at the start of this important initiative in the history of Kenya’s power sector. I wish to start off by thanking the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum for the great work they have done over the past couple of years in developing the country’s electricity sub-sector.
Let me make one thing very clear, the United States will continue to stand with the people of South Sudan. Our support for them will not waiver. I am pleased to announce today, in some ways but also disappointed, to announce that we we are committing an additional 133 million dollars in humanitarian assistance to support them. That brings us to 1.9 billion dollars.
This event is being sponsored by Power Africa’s Women in African Power network and the African Development Bank. On behalf of Power Africa, Women in African Power and AfDB, I would like to thank you for attending and express my hopes that you will find this event informative and enjoyable.
For over a decade USAID has been partnering with the Government of Kenya to invest in the health workforce. Investing in the health workforce is critical because, even if we strengthen all other aspects of the health system, if there aren’t qualified health workers motivated to care for patients and placed where they are needed, Kenya will not meet its health goals.
The U.S. government, through the U.S.Agency for Internation Development (USAID) has been providing support to Population Services International (PSI) and their local partner, Population Services Khmer (PSK) to support the Royal Government of Cambodia to reduce child mortality due to acute respiratory infection (ARI)/pneumonia and diarrhea.
It is in response to this trans-boundary threat, that USAID is taking decisive action to reduce wildlife crime in the region. USAID is working with national wildlife conservation agencies in expanding existing counter wildlife trafficking interventions using advanced tools like the WILD app for digital monitoring and tracking of wildlife.
As a friend of Cambodia, the U.S. government is committed to supporting work in transitional justice and peace and reconciliation. Through USAID, we provide financial support to TPO and other organizations working in the transitional justice sector. As USAID’s partner for the Truth, Reconciliation and Healing Towards a Shared Future project, TPO works directly with former Khmer Rouge members and with the survivors of the regime. Their extraordinary efforts have helped Cambodian people cope with trauma and learn how to live peacefully together in the same communities regardless if one was a former Khmer Rouge member or a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime. Many of those who suffered under the Khmer Rouge have been able to move forward with their lives.
The Mara-Serengeti ecosystem has significant socio-economic benefits not only for Kenya and Tanzania, but also for the entire East Africa Region. This basin supports the livelihoods of more than one million people by providing critical biodiversity and ecosystem services such as water supply, agriculture, and livestock and fisheries production. The basin is also home to some of the world’s most iconic and magnificent wildlife in the world, an important part of the economy and tourism industry.
I want to begin by appreciating the hard work and commitment that all of you here have undertaken to strengthen Uganda’s institutions of accountability over the past two years. When we look at what was identified in 2014, the last time this joint review with donors took place, as the key challenges in the sector and then examine the progress that has been made, I think there is a lot to be proud of. From the passage of the PFM Act 2015, to the amendment of tax laws and regulations to increase domestic resource mobilization, to efforts to reach out and include civil society and more citizens’ voices, to the imminent installment of a new e-procurement system, much has been accomplished.
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