Anne Nyaga, CEC Agriculture for Embu County, Livestock PS Andrew Tuimur, KAAA CEO Lucy Muchoki, and Dr. Matthias Brown of GIZ.
Kenya Agribusiness and Agroindustry Alliance (KAAA) is leading the private sector in the development of the Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS) and National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP).
Mr. Wachira Kaguongo, the National Potato Council of Kenya CEO and Hon. Franklin Bett, the Agricultural Finance Chairman at the breakout sessions during the workshop.
To support this process, KAAA in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MOALF) and the Council of Governors, organized a one day workshop that convened key private sector actors in agriculture on Tuesday 19th December 2017. The workshop was supported by United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Africa Lead. In addition to the KAAA CEO Lucy Muchoki, other chief guests were Livestock PS Andrew Tuimur, Anne Nyaga, CEC Agriculture for Embu County, and Dr. Matthias Brown of GIZ.
The workshop brought together the various categories of the private sector who include: the Inputs (seeds, fertilizer, chemical); Livestock & Fisheries- (both input & output); Finance sector, Insurance companies; Horticulture; Youth innovators& entrepreneurs; agro-processors, SMES, irrigation organizations, and mechanization organizations.
The purpose of the workshop was to provide an opportunity for private sector to:
- Learn and draw lessons on private sector engagement success cases, and have a common understanding of Kenya’s transformative agenda for the next 10 years.
- Make a contribution to the Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS).
- Identify and commit to key priority actions for private sector engagement in Kenya Agricultural sector, including mechanisms for strengthening Public Private Partnerships (PPP).
Deliberations during the workshop recognized that the key drivers for the required transformation in the sector will be derived from private sector investments across the supply and demand side of the agricultural value chains. The private sector is also significant to the sector investment planning process, both at the national and the county levels.
Livestock Permanent Secretary, Andrew Tuimur.
It was agreed that more effort must go into forging long-term partnerships that bring on board the innovation, technical expertise, and investment from private enterprise that will support sustainable development. Kenya has a relatively strong and dynamic private sector that has been able to make significant strides over the years despite significant challenges in the operating environment. This dynamism has resulted in Kenya tea and coffee being recognized globally for its quality and for Kenya horticulture and cut flowers to achieve significant market penetration in Europe and other markets. Engagement with Government and its constituent bodies must continue to be widened and deepened to ensure that there is a conducive business environment for the private sector in agriculture.
