THE 25TH SESSION OF THE IFAD GOVERNING COUNCIL MEETING ROME, 19TH – 20TH FEBRUARY, 2003

KENYA’S COUNTRY STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT HON. KIPRUTO ARAP KIRWA, MP

MR. CHAIRMAN
THE PRESIDENT OF IFAD

YOUR EXCELLENCIES
HEADS OF DELEGATIONS
DISTINGUISHED DELEGATES
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

ON BEHALF OF MY COUNTRY, KENYA, MY DELEGATION AND ON MY OWN BEHALF I WISH TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF ITALY FOR THE WARM WELCOME ACCORDED TO US SINCE OUR ARRIVAL ON MONDAY. IN ADDITION, I CONGRATULATE IFAD FOR MAKING AVAILABLE TO US EXCELLENT FACILITIES FOR THE CONFERENCE. I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE CONCLUSIONS WE ARRIVE AT DURING THIS COUNCIL SESSION, WILL GO ALONG WAY IN ACHIEVING OUR STATED OBJECTIVE OF ENABLING THE RURAL POOR TO OVERCOME THEIR POVERTY. WE ARE PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH IFAD AS ITS OBJECTIVES ARE IN LINE WITH KENYAS NATIONAL ASPIRATIONS AND GOALS OF REDUCING POVERTY AND ENSURING FOOD SECURITY FOR OUR PEOPLE.

MR. CHAIRMAN,

AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, KENYA IS A COUNTRY THAT IS HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON AGRICULTURE AS IT PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN PROVIDING LIVELIHOOD TO OVER 85% OF THE POPULATION AND CONTRIBUTES OVER 65% OF OUR FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS. IT IS ALSO A MAJOR SOURCE OF RAW MATERIALS FOR OUR INDUSTRIES. GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURE IN KENYA, THE GOVERNMENT HAS SINCE INDEPENDENCE IN 1963, GIVEN TOP PRIORITY TO THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR. HOWEVER, SEVERAL CHALLENGES HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERED IN OUR EFFORTS TO DEVELOP THE SECTOR, WHICH INCLUDE:

EXTREME CLIMATE FLUCTUATIONS IN THE LAST 12 YEARS. KENYA HAS EXPERIENCED FREQUENT AND LONG DROUGHTS SUCH AS THOSE THAT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1991-1993 AND AGAIN FROM 1998 TO 2000.

LESS THAN 20% OF THE COUNTRY IS SUITABLE FOR RAINFED AGRICULTURE; THE REST BEING ARID AND SEMI–ARID.

DUE TO POPULATION PRESSURE, MORE PEOPLE ARE MOVING FROM HIGH POTENTIAL AREAS TO SETTLE IN MORE FRAGILE ENVIRONMENTS WITHOUT CORRESPONDING APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES FOR UTILISING RESOURCES IN SUCH AREAS.

IMPACT OF TRANSITION OF MOVING FROM A STATE CONTROLLED ECONOMY TO A LIBERALIZED ECONOMY.

POORLY DEVELOPED RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT LIMITS PRODUCTION AND ACCESS TO MARKET.

WEAK FARMER ORGANIZATIONS.

LIMITED ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE CREDIT BY FARMERS AND HIGH COST OF PRODUCTION.

TRANS-BOUNDARY PESTS AND DISEASES.

HIGH INCIDENCES OF HIV/AIDS.

MORE THAN 50% OF THE POPULATION NOW LIVING BELOW POVERTY LINE (THAT IS EARNING LESS THAN EQUIVALENT OF ONE DOLLAR PER DAY).

MR. CHAIRMAN,
DESPITE THESE SHORTCOMINGS, KENYA IS ADDRESSING THESE CHALLENGES IN LINE WITH COMMITMENTS OF THE 1996 AND 2002 WORLD FOOD SUMMITS. WE ARE DETERMINED AND COMMITTED TO ACHIEVE THE MILLENNIUM GOAL OF REDUCING BY HALF, THE NUMBER OF MALNOURISHED PEOPLE BY THE YEAR 2015. IT IS A DAUNTING TASK BUT IT CAN BE ACHIEVED. TOWARDS THIS END, WE HAVE INITIATED A PILOT PROJECT PROGRAMME FOR FOOD SECURITY IN ONE OF THE REGIONS WITH HIGH POVERTY LEVELS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE UPSCALED AND THEN REPLICATED IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY.

IN ADDITION, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A NATIONAL CONCEPT PAPER ON SPECIAL PROGRAMME FOR FOOD SECURITY TO COVER OTHER REGIONS STARTING WITH THE ONES WITH HIGHEST POVERTY LEVELS. THE PROGRAMME WILL BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH AN APPROACH THAT BRINGS TOGETHER ALL EXTENSION SERVICE PROVIDERS INCLUDING THE GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE SECTOR, NGOS, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND FARMERS. IMPLEMENTATION WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT FARMER PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED BY THE FARMING COMMUNITY IN EACH AREA. FUNDING OF THE PROGRAMME WILL BE THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT, LOCAL INITIATIVE OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS AND SUPPLEMENTED BY OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS.

OTHER EFFORTS PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE FOOD SECURITY AS PER SUMMIT GOALS INCLUDE:

DEVELOPMENT OF A POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY COVERING ALL SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY INCLUDING AGRICULTURE (1999/2000).

DEVELOPMENT OF A KENYA RURAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY WITH EMPHASIS ON EMPOWERING THOSE AT THE GRASSROOTS TO ENSURE PROJECT/PROGRAMMED SUSTAINABILITY (A 15 YEAR STRATEGY TO DEVELOP RURAL AREAS).

ESTABLISHMENT OF A DISASTER MANAGEMENT UNIT AS DISASTERS HAVE A BEARING ON FOOD SECURITY.

ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN THE REGIONAL TRADING BLOCKS SUCH AS COMESA AND EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY. THIS HAS INCREASED FOOD SECURITY BY ENCOURAGING FLOW OF FOOD FROM SURPLUS TO DEFICIT AREAS. IT WILL ALSO ASSIST IN TACKLING COMMON PROBLEMS SUCH AS TRANS-BOUNDARY PESTS AND DISEASES AND OTHER PHYTOSANITARY ISSUES.

IFAD’S CONTRIBUTION TO DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA IS VERY SIGNIFICANT. THE ASSISTANCE TO-DATE AMOUNTS TO OVER US $108 MILLION IN LOANS AND US $15 MILLION IN GRANTS. A TOTAL OF 14 PROJECTS HAVE BENEFITED FROM THIS ASSISTANCE. CURRENTLY, THE HORTICULTURE AND TRADITIONAL FOOD CROPS PROJECT FOCUSES ON IRRIGATION FOR HORTICULTURAL CROPS FOR LOCAL AND EXPORT MARKET.

THE CENTRAL KENYA DRY AREAS PROJECT AND THE LAKE VICTORIA REGION PROJECT UNDER PREPARATION (SOUTH NYANZA PROJECT) ARE ALL AIMED AT ENHANCING FOOD SECURITY. THE FUND THEREFORE, WILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN OUR MILLENNIUM GOAL OBJECTIVES FOR FOOD SECURITY CONSIDERING THAT MOST OF THE RURAL FARMERS ARE WOMEN WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS ASSISTANCE. KENYA TAKES SERIOUSLY THE ROLE WOMEN PLAY AS AGENTS OF CHANGE IN THE RURAL AREAS AND THEREFORE THE DISCUSSION PAPER OF THEIR OVERALL CONTRIBUTION IS VERY WELCOME.

AS FAR AS MY COUNTRY’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE FUND IS CONCERNED, ALL EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO MEET OUR OBLIGATION. ON THE 6TH REPLENISHMENT FOR THE PERIOD 2003/2004, KENYA WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PLEDGE OF US $60,000.

IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK IFAD FOR THE ROLE IT HAS PLAYED AND CONTINUES TO PLAY IN KENYA IN ITS STATED OBJECTIVE OF ENABLING THE RURAL POOR TO OVERCOME THEIR POVERTY. I AM OPTIMISTIC THAT TOGETHER, WE CAN ENHANCE FOOD SECURITY IN KENYA AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THE POOR.

THANK YOU.