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Center for International Development Hosts Kenyan Government Delegation

Members of the Kenyan delegation visit with UAlbany President Robert Jones (center) and representatives from SUNY/CID and the Center for Technology in Government. (Photo Mark Schmidt)

UAlbany’s Center for International Development (SUNY/CID) Kenya Parliamentary Strengthening Program is hosting a delegation of senior officials from the government of Kenya, to assist them in implementing a new devolved form of government under the county’s new 2010 Constitution.

On March 4, 2013, Kenya held elections for 47 new county governments. This occasion brings with it historic opportunities and challenges as county assemblies and governors prepare to fulfil their new mandates. The visit to the University allows key players in the devolution process the opportunity to plan for intergovernmental coordination through e-government, build county-level economic development strategies, and apply innovative training methods to build human resource capacity.

UAlbany President Robert Jones greets a delegation from Kenya
UAlbany President Jones greets the Kenyan delegation as part of their Capital Region tour. (Photo Mark Schmidt)

Members of the delegation represent several of the key national government institutions responsible for devolution including the Transition Authority, a ministerial-level body charged with overseeing the overall implementation of devolution; the Public Service Commission, charged with developing human resource systems for county staff; the Center for Devolution Studies of the Kenya School of Government; and the Center for Parliamentary Studies and Training, charged with training members and staff of county assemblies.

To leverage the University at Albany’s breadth of technical resources for this visit, SUNY/CID partnered with the Center for Technology in Government and the Professional Development Program to deliver cutting edge expertise in e-government implementation and innovative curriculum design and training techniques. The delegation also visited with University at Albany President Robert J. Jones as part of their tour.

For 25 years, SUNY/CID, housed at Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, has been working to enhance the capacity of government institutions with development projects on five continents in over 40 countries. CID’s ongoing Kenya Parliamentary Strengthening Program is jointly funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the British Department for International Development (DfID). The program is working to build Parliament’s capacity to govern in a more democratic, effective and transparent manner.

The Kenyan delegation is visiting through June 29th.

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