Nairobi, 6 January 2021: The Russian Government through the Russia-UNDP Trust Fund has contributed One million US Dollars to support Kenya’s efforts towards enhancing the resilience of the health systems and providing socio-economic support to women and youth impacted by the pandemic. The support will specifically target counties in the Lake Victoria Region, focusing on Kisumu County, where the Russian Federation has had historical ties through the support earlier provided to the establishment of the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Referral Hospital, also known as the “Russia Hospital”, as well as the border counties of Busia and Migori.

Speaking at the Local Appraisal Committee, Mr. Dmitry Maksimychev, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Kenya noted, “This support has a strategic meaning for Russia, as it is the first project being funded by the Russia-UNDP trust fund in Kenya. Our contribution will go further in strengthening the coherence and strategic efforts of the Government in addressing the effects of COVID-19 on the healthcare system and communities while addressing multiple SDGs at the same time. We are also very pleased that our current support will enable us to build on our historical association with the Russia Hospital that remains a beacon of healthcare provision in Kisumu more than 50 years since its establishment.”

The funding will support the improved capacity of the healthcare system in response to the pandemic, to function effectively during the crisis period and beyond and the protection of healthcare workers; it will contribute to the reduction of the socio-economic impact of the pandemic on the vulnerable and marginalized communities through recovery of rural livelihoods. It will ensure protection of jobs and the promotion of entrepreneurship by supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and promote quality employment for vulnerable workers, particularly women; and, increase the adoption of innovative technologies for response and mitigation of the impacts of the pandemic, which include the identification, deployment and scale up of digital solutions in key economic sectors.

The UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Walid Badawi, appreciated the contribution from the Government of Russia noting that, the support provided is part of the global trust fund made available to UNDP to support interventions around the world where nine countries, including Kenya, have received funding from the trust fund.

“This is a very welcome and critical contribution that will enhance the efforts of the Government of Kenya to respond to the multiple impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project is very much in line with the UN’s Socio-economic Response Plan to COVID-19 in Kenya as well as the national and county level COVID-19 socio-economic recovery strategies that UNDP has supported over the last several months together with our government and development partners. The support takes on even greater significance especially in light of shrinking global development assistance as countries around the world are impacted by the epidemic”, he added.

The funding is to be managed and deployed by UNDP in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and will directly benefit 12,500 people through the community level socio-economic interventions and 249 health care workers through provision of personal protective equipment and training. In addition to the roll out of the economic recovery strategy and county socio-economic re-engineering and recovery strategy, the support will also benefit 1,000 traders directly through e-commerce and entrepreneurship trainings and indirectly benefit a monthly average of 6,165 patients who visit the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital for various health services.

“We thank the Government of Russia and UNDP for this support. It is directly aligned to the Government of Kenya priorities in the fight against the pandemic. It also comes in to support the Government in areas we have not put significant investment such as addressing the impact of the pandemic from a gender perspective and mainstreaming of gender as part of the response. ” said Ms. Susan Mochache, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Health, Government of Kenya.

Editors Notes:
The UNDP Kenya Country Office will provide overall project management and quality assurance based on the project execution modality agreed upon, and in close collaboration with Ministry of Health, Ministry of Devolution and Planning, Devolution and Planning, Council of Governors and other technical ministries.

At the local level, County Governments will guide, monitor, provide technical guidance and evaluate the implementation of activities to ensure that project activities are fully inline to contribute to national development deliverables.

The project will be managed as part of the UNDP Country Office COVID-19 portfolio response to ensure cost effectiveness and strengthen the portfolio approach to programme management.

The UNDP Country Office will utilize existing programme personnel including the recently recruited International UNV funded by the Russian Federation to manage, support and coordinate field implementation.

The project team will work closely with respective partners and health care workers and will be further supported by the UNDP Country Office which will provide quality assurance, procurement, finance and operations support.

For more information contact:
Ngele Ali - Head of Communications | ngele.ali@undp.org