Poverty eradication a priority for the Grand Coalition Govt

from the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation

President Mwai Kibaki at his Harambee House Office met and updated Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, the Special Advisor to UN Secretary General, on the steps the Grand Coalition Government was taking to attain the millennium development goals.

President Kibaki said despite the heavy investments required, the Government was giving priority to Health and Education sectors which were key to poverty reduction in the country.

The President Thursday outlined achievements in the five-year-old free primary education programme and the progress so far made in implementing phase one of the free secondary education that was introduced in January this year.

The Head of State outlined the measures being taken to boost food production including resettling the internally displaced persons back to their farms.

"The Government fully appreciates the challenges posed by the rising international food and oil prices which may seriously compromise food sufficiency goals," President Kibaki said.

He thanked Prof. Sachs for rolling out the millennium villages round the world including Kenya and urged him to consider inaugurating more villages around the country.

In response, Prof. Sachs commended President Kibaki for his decision to form a Grand coalition Government with Prime Minister Raila Odinga noting that the unity of purpose among the coalition partners would assist the country in overcoming some of the challenges hindering attainment of the millennium development goals.