NAIROBI: Kenya is among four countries in the Eastern Africa region that have appealed for an extension of World Bank funded Eastern Africa Agricultural Productivity Project (EAAPP). The four nations appealed to the bank to consider extending the Sh12.6 billion ($120 million) programme designed to enhance agricultural productivity in their respective countries. The five-year EAAPP project that started in 2010 and focuses on research, dairy industry, wheat, rice, and cassava sub-sectors. The EAAPP phase one is ending later this year, and the four countries have already formulated and presented a joint communique to the bank for extension.
The bank’s financing covered developing of infrastructure, training, research and dissemination of various modern technologies and promoting and improving values of the four commodities-- rice, cassava, wheat and dairy products. Livestock Principal Secretary, Fred Segor, yesterday confirmed that the countries have petitioned the World Bank to agree to fund a second phase of the project with a view to ensuring the structures already placed are fully exploited. The EAAPP other partner countries are Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania. “You will all agree that EAAPP deserves a second phase to sustain the gains made in phase one. I wish to request the World Bank to consider the joint communique by the four principal secretaries. I hope there will be a seamless transition so that the investments made realise the intended impact, “said Prof Segor.
He made the remarks during the official opening of the EAAPP regional conference in Thogoto, Kiambu County. Responding to the request World Bank official in charge of agriculture sector in the region Ladisy Shengula confirmed that the bank has received the joint communique and is currently studying the proposal. “Yes we have received the communique. As a matter of procedure, the document is being discussed by the bank management and once an agreement is reached, the same will be communicated to the four countries. However, as a bank we are impressed by the performance of the project across the four countries,” explained Shengula. Segor reckoned that the countries have benefited immensely from the project, especially in the adoption of modern technologies. In the case of Kenya, the country has been able to develop a dairy centre of excellence hosted by the Naivasha-based Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation.
The centre has supported development of appropriate infrastructure along the dairy value chain that are available for use by the region’s stakeholders.