Kenya has secured a major boost for its farmers.The National Treasury confirmed a Ksh270 million grant, about US$2.08 million, from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help the country build climate resilience in agriculture.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi signed the deal on Thursday in Nairobi with IFAD Country Director Matteo Marchisio.
The agreement, known as the Climate Smart Agribusiness Partnerships for Resilience (CSAPR), will not go directly to government ministries.
It will be channelled through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a long-term partner in Kenya’s agricultural transformation.
The money is meant to protect smallholder farmers who are hardest hit by droughts, floods and unpredictable rains.
It will integrate real-time climate information systems into agricultural value chains, helping farmers plan better and reduce losses.
It will also complement the existing Integrated Natural Resources Management Programme (INReMP), which focuses on sustainable land use and rural livelihoods.This is not the first Gates Foundation investment in Kenya.
In January, KEMRI received Ksh516 million for women’s health research. The foundation continues to support health, agriculture, sanitation and gender equality.
