Japan donates Sh440m to support farmers

Kenya has received a Sh440 million grant from the Japanese government to support poor farmers.

Under the scheme called Grant Assistance for Underprivileged Farmers, the money is aimed to ensure food security as the country recovers from the January violence.

“Kenya is one of the countries in Africa that is benefiting from this assistance for the second consecutive year. The consideration according to the Japanese embassy was in response of a request for a further assistance in the agricultural sector,” said acting Finance minister John Michuki as he exchanged notes with the Japanese ambassador to Kenya Mr Shigeo Iwatani.

Strong delegation

The signing ceremony was conducted at Treasury and witnessed by Agriculture minister William Ruto and Mr Nobuhide Minorikawa, Japan’s vice minister for Foreign Affairs
President Kibaki requested for the grant during the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development in May in Japan.

He led high-level delegation including ministers and other government to attend the conference.

Earlier in the day, a 40-strong delegation from Japan met the Prime minister Raila Odinga and 10 cabinet ministers for a closed door round table discussions at the Grand Laicos Hotel.

“We are moving from receiving aid to trade and investments discussions,” said Mr Odinga minutes before asking the press to leave the room for an hour-long roundtable discussions on the investment climate in Kenya.

The delegation consisting of government and private sector representatives is in the country to promote trade and investments between Kenya and Japan.