UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights questions Kenya and the United Kingdom on the impact of privatisation and commercialisation of healthcare and education services following concerns raised by GI-ESCR and partners. 

 The Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) has included some of the issues and questions raised jointly by GI-ESCR and partners regarding the rights to health and education in the list of issues that Kenya and the United Kingdom (UK) should address for their upcoming review.  

In Kenya, GI-ESCR and partners submitted a report to CESCR highlighting significant gaps in the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of education and healthcare services caused by the privatisation and commercialisation of these services. The Committee captured these concerns in the List of Issues to Kenya and requested the State to provide more information on the growth of private actors in the provision of health services, measures taken to implement health policies and the measures taken to regulate and monitor informal for private schools. You can access further information on the CESCR List of Issues to Kenya here. 

For the UK, GI-ESCR and partners also made a joint submission to the committee raising concerns on the consequences of funding provided by the UK, directly and indirectly, to support education services by commercial and for-profit schools abroad. The Committee acknowledged these concerns and asked the State to provide information on social and human rights impact assessments conducted in the implementation of these services and measures taken to monitor their impact on free public education in the receiving countries. You can access further information on CESCR List of Issues to UK here. 

Both States have until March 29, 2024, to respond to the questions raised and provide all the requested information. Afterwards, civil society organisations can submit parallel reports before CESCR issues its concluding observations and recommendations to the States. For more information on CESCR and state reporting guidelines, you can access the information here.