The long-awaited KIPPRA Day finally happened on 12th March 2021 at the Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi. The colouful day began with a musical procession from the Kenya Wildlife Service headquarters along Langáta Road to the venue, lead by the Kenya Prisons Band. Board and staff, clad in their beautiful KIPPRA-branded Ankara shirts and blouses, accompanied by a few guests, took the three-kilometer walk in zest. Those who did not manage to join the procession waited at the venue where the event kicked off immediately afterwards.
The day was organized to enable KIPPRA showcase its products and services and engage with stakeholders with a view of obtaining feedback to improve. Another important activity on KIPPRA Day was the launch of the KIPPRA Public Policy Repository, an online platform where the public can access all national and county government policy documents as well as KIPPRA research output.
The event was graced by the Chief Administrative Secretary, The National Treasury and Planning Hon. Eric Wafukho, KIPPRA board members led by Board Chairperson Dr Linda Musumba, KIPPRA Executive Director Dr Rose Ngugi, Micro and Small Enterprises Authority CEO Mr Henry Rithaa, African Economic Research Consortium Executive Director Prof Njuguna Ndung’u and Kenya Investment Authority General Manager, Investment Promotion Mr Pius Rotich. The event also brought together other stakeholders from diverse fields.
The highlight of the day was the launch of the repository, which saw Ms Winnie Nguyu, Head of Library Services, take the guests through the online platform, highlighting some of the national and county governments policy documents as well as KIPPRA research outputs found in the repository. The public policy repository seeks to make government policy documents more visible on the web, reaching a wider readership via free online access; complement the traditional government publishing channels and provide a permanent record of policy documents since independence.
The Cabinet Secretary, The National Treasury and Planning Hon. Amb. Ukur Yatani was represented by the Hon. Wafukho who delivered his speech, which highlighted the importance of the Institute’s work in the delivery of the Government’s development agenda. KIPPRA Board Chairperson Dr Linda Musumba, in her address, thanked the Government for supporting the Institute to deliver its mandate. KIPPRA Executive Director Dr Rose Ngugi thanked all those who attended the event and reiterated the Institute’s commitment to undertake evidence-based public policy research and analysis.
The event also included presentations from the alumni of the KIPPRA Mentorship Programme for Universities (KMPUs) who had been invited. They included poems, spoken word and policy debates on the Big Four agenda.
The event concluded with the awarding of former a KIPPRA staff member, Ms Everlyne Onyango, who recently retired.
