Italy, through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), has contributed to the UNDP-UNICEF-UN Women Joint Devolution Programme designed to support devolution in Kenya. The Italian contribution was approved in December 2018 and disbursed after signature of the funding commitment in December 2019 .
Given the extraordinary situation, the Programme has been redesigned to support counties, the Council of Governors, and national institutions to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. It is a six-month short-term quick response to immediate needs in Kenya centred on four critical themes:
- Communications: developing and communicating messages to all Kenyan citizens on the virus and how to deal with it;
- Health: provision of, and support to, health workers, including Personal Protective Equipment and protecting the health of the most vulnerable in urban areas through cash transfers;
- Gender: addressing the serious gender dimensions of this crisis, including Gender Based Violence issue;
- Human Resources: supporting a surge capacity in human resources to help address the crisis and strengthen coordination and responsive systems.
The response will also assist the Ministry of Devolution and ASALs to respond to COVID-19 and prepare for managing future situations.