Foreign Delegations Visit Kenya on Social Protection Study Mission

Two foreign governments’ delegations visited Kenya on diverse dates in March this year on Social Protection learning mission as follows:

Delegation of Government of Sudan and Helpage International

A Government delegation from Sudan was in the country on an official Social Protection study visit between 20th and 26th
March 2016.

Visiting delegates from Sudan during presentations on Social Protection and Cash Transfer programmes in Kenya in NSSF Building on 21st March 2016.

The  team  paid  a  courtesy  call  to the MLEAA and was hosted by the Principal  Secretary,  State  Department of Social Services and Security Susan Mochache in her office in NSSF Building on 21st March. The  delegation also interacted with relevant Programme Officers in the Ministry, who made presentations on various aspects of Social Protection touching on the National Safety Net Programme implementation and Social Protection Policy.The five days visit was organized by Helpage International to give the representatives from Sudan an opportunity to learn from Kenya’s Social Protection experiences and success stories, especially on policy and institutional structures.The Delegation also visited Social Development offices in  Murang’a and Turkana and had a chance to interact with beneficiaries as well.

Visit by Bangladesh Delegation

A  delegation  from  Bangladesh visited Kenya from 20th-26th March 2016 under the South-South cooperation component of Child Focused budgeting. This Team also visited MLEAA on 23rd March 2016 and was hosted by the Principal Secretary, Social  Security  and  Services, before settling for presentations and discussions with key Programme Officers from the Department of Social Development, Department of Children’s Services and the Social Protection Secretariat.

Officers from the Department of Social Development, Children’s Services,the Social Protection Secretariat and Administration pose for a group photo with the delegation from Bangladesh in NSSF Building on 23rd March 2016

Of particular interest to the Bangladesh delegation was the achievements made in incorporating the rights of children, including those facing deprivation in the government budget making process and the consequent reduction of inequality in
access to basic social services.

While  appreciating  the  discussions, members  of  the  visiting  delegation noted that the lessons learned were useful to the Bangladesh Ministry of Finance, which they said is currently  implementing a UNICEF funded programme focused on strengthening capacity for child focused budgeting in Bangladesh.
The visit was organized in collaboration with Bangladesh UNICEF.