Mr. Chairman,

On behalf of my delegation and my country, I take this opportunity to congratulate IFAD for successfully organizing this 32nd session on the Governing Council.  Like many other members of this organization, the Fund has contributed to the development of agriculture in Kenya as it fulfils its mission of enabling rural farmers to overcome poverty. We have at any given time of the life of the Fund, several programs funded by IFAD.

Also like other member countries, such programmes have assisted our people to improve production thus improving their food security, incomes and livelihoods. 

Through these programmes the Fund has helped the government to partner not only with farmers, but with financial institutions, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. 

However Mr. Chairman,

I wish to join other speakers before us to say that we have to come from conferences and from brick walls to farms and within farmers and into real action. We have the same institutions and systems that were designated 40-50 years ago with little reforms to manage a completely changed world in terms of demography, science and technology, economies and social settings.

We continue to make top-down policies to intervene matters that are very complicated and different on the ground, when we have key indication of our success such as number of hungry people, levels of investment in Agriculture, etc, something is not right and the pathway for doing it right is not yet found.

Mr. Chairman,

Kenya has identified agriculture as the key pillars that will contribute to the growth of her economy, in its blue print documents of Vision 2030 and Agricultural Sector development strategy. The mission of the sector is to eradicate food insecurity, reduce poverty and improve welfare of farmers, processors and marketers.

Currently, IFAD is funding five major programmes that will contribute to this mission to the tune of USD 95.4 million.  To respond to rising prices of food and agricultural inputs, IFAD is collaborating with AGRA and the Government of Kenya to implement a USD 50 million facility for innovative financial products for small scale producers and agro-dealers in collaboration with a local commercial bank. As a country, we wish to register our appreciation to the Fund for the support we continue to receive.

Mr. Chairman and fellow delegates,

As you are all aware, our country is currently going through a difficulty period of food shortage which has been occasioned by successive years of crop failure.  This situation was worsened by post-election skirmishes that led to displacement of farming communities, destruction of crops and food stocks, infrastructure, transport and labour provision in the major sub-sectors of tea, sugar and horticulture.

This situation has put several millions of people at risk of severe hunger and destitution. 

We appreciate the support we continue to receive from the international community, and it is our belief that this situation will soon be contained.

Finally, Mr. Chairman,

We wish IFAD all the best as it strives to undertake its very challenging mission of supporting agriculture and ensuring the rural poor have enough food.  

We assure the Fund of the full support of my government as we jointly undertaken to improve the livelihoods of the rural communities.  

Thank you