Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2013-2014: Bungoma County (Kenya)

Abstract

The Bungoma County Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS5) was conducted in collaboration with the Population Studies and Research Institute (PSRI) of the University of Nairobi, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics implemented (MICS5) in 2013-2014 in the three counties of Bungoma, Kakamega and Turkana as part of Global MICS round five.

The global MICS program was developed by UNICEF in the 1990s as an international household survey program to support countries in the collection of internationally comparable data on a wide range of indicators on the situation of children and women. MICS surveys measure key indicators that allow countries to generate data for use in policies and programs and to monitor progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other internationally agreed upon commitments. Technical and financial support were provided by the United Nations Children's Fund.

The results of this survey provided requisite baseline information that can be used to facilitate evidence-based planning, budgeting and programming by policymakers and stakeholders at the county levels. The survey will go a long way in encouraging increased demand for use of statistics by policy makers at devolved levels and will ensure that resources at both county and national levels are used most effectively through well-planned projects/programs that will benefit especially the women and children of the three counties. The MICS5 results were critical in gauging milestones achieved in the field of education, nutrition, child development, health for women and children in the three counties and in evaluating the various health based policies that the government has formulated over the years towards achieving the national welfare objectives.

The 2013-14 MICS5 data was critical in informing the future planning for the three counties, especially in view of the new constitutional dispensation and Vision 2030. It was anticipated that MICS5 would supplement the data collected during the 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS). In addition the information collected would inform strategic communication for social and behavior change interventions by government and partners including UNICEF. Furthermore the data contributed to the improvement of data and monitoring systems in the three counties. The primary objectives of the Bungoma County survey are:
1. To provide up-to-date information for assessing the situation of children and women in Bungoma County.
2. To generate data for the critical assessment of the progress made in various areas, and to put additional efforts in those areas that require more attention.
3. To furnish data needed for monitoring progress toward goals established in the Millennium Declaration, and other internationally agreed upon goals, as a basis for future action.
4. To collect disaggregated data for the identification of disparities, to allow for evidence based policy-making aimed at social inclusion of the most vulnerable.
5. To contribute to the generation of baseline data for the post-2015 agenda.
6. To validate data from other sources and the results of focused interventions.
7. To contribute to the improvement of data and monitoring systems in Kenya and to strengthen technical expertise in the design, implementation, and analysis of such systems.