Day: April 25, 2024

The National Youth Council (NYC) has launched its 2nd Strategic Plan for the year 2023-2028 which aims to empower and develop the Youths in the country by amplifying their voices.

‘The strategic plan is designed to harness the immense potential of Youth by providing them with the necessary tools, resources and opportunities to thrive in the rapidly changing world through initiative, participation, representation and association,’ said Youth Affairs, Sports and Arts Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ababu Namwamba.

The CS made the remarks in a speech read on his behalf by the State Department for Youth Affairs Principal Secretary (PS) Ismail Madey on Wednesday during the launch of the NYC 2nd strategic plan for the year 2023/2024-2027/2028 themed Amplifying the Youth Voice held at Utalii Hotel in Nairobi.

Namwamba said that the launch marks a significant milestone in the commitment to the empowerment and development of the Youth in the country while adding that it recognizes the critical role that the Youth played in
shaping the future of the nation.

He noted that with over 75 percent of the country’s population being under the age of 35, the youth represent not just the country’s present but also the future leaders, innovators and drivers of progress.

‘It is within this context that the National Youth Council Strategic plan takes on the renewed significance,’ he said.

Namwamba reiterated that the strategic plan aims to create an enabling environment where every youth in the country can thrive and fulfill their potential adding that the plan addresses the strategic issues as well as key result areas that align with the national priorities and aspirations of youths.

Additionally, he said that the plan emphasizes on the importance of addressing the diverse needs of the young people including those from marginalized communities, persons living with disabilities and vulnerable groups.

The CS acknowledge the partners and stakeholders who contributed in shaping the strategic plan and look forward to stronger and deeper coo
peration with the youth and partners to bring the shared vision in to life while he also urges them to embark together towards a whole new dawn of both promise and fulfillment since the youth are both the present and future pillars of the nation.

He noted that the government has transformed the country’s economic model from perennial top- down to empower the youth and harness their potential for the economic revitalization of the country.

‘This revolutionary shift is championed by his Excellency Dr. William Ruto the President of Kenya himself who envisions Kenya and Europe as a fully empowered catalyst for the rapid transformation of our Nation,’ CS Said.

He announced that the launch signifies NYC commitment to harnessing the immense talent, energy and creativity of the youths and outlines a vision for empowering young people to become active participants in National development.

‘Through this plan, we aim to implement a levering environment that fosters your representation, inclusive participation, assoc
iation across all spheres of life,’ he stated.

The CS has urged the people to reaffirm their commitment to the youth and harness creativity Talent Energy and to build a more prosperous equitable society for all and leave lasting legacy empowerment and opportunities for generations to come.

‘To the youths of this Nation, keep believing in your abilities and dreams and break all ceilings of any limitation, connect with one another by strengthening, deepening and broadening networks locally and globally to unleash your full potential,’ CS advised.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kenyan food systems are facing unprecedented challenges that include low productivity and inefficient food markets.

In addition, the food system actors such as the agricultural production system, those involved in food storage, transport and trade systems, food transformation and food retail, are not adequately focusing on delivering nutritious food to consumers.

The remarks were made by Principal Secretary, State Department for Agriculture Dr. Kipronoh Ronoh who added that there is a need to change the availability and affordability of nutritious foods.

Speaking when opening a three day KONGAMANO: Resilient Markets and Food Systems Governance Conference convened by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), the PS noted that traditional fresh food markets are a critical hub for fresh foods and remained a primary source of both staples and nutrient-dense food for a large share of our population.

‘Fresh food are essential to food and nutrition security (FNS) of urban and rural residents. Presently,
many of these markets are set up in a way that makes them structurally and operationally vulnerable to disruptions, such as, weather hazards, fires and power failures,’ he said.

Dr. Ronoh reiterated that the Food and Nutrition Security Policy (FNSP) outlines the range of priority areas and principles for government interventions to ensure all citizens get their right to be free from hunger and all forms of malnutrition as enshrined in the Kenya Constitution, 2010.

‘We are working closely with GAIN to transform food systems while paying specific attention to the wellbeing of vulnerable members of society by supporting their ability to adapt and thrive, access to resources and their rights to sustainable and equitable food systems,’ the PS said.

He added, ‘We must not overlook the imperative of gender responsiveness and inclusivity within our endeavors. Traditional food markets are strongholds of livelihoods for many women and therefore we are obligated to ensure equitable access to resources and opportuniti
es, thus empowering women to assume meaningful roles in market governance’.

GAIN’S Kenya Country Director Ruth Okowa said that urbanisation is negatively influencing Sub-Saharan Africa household diets, evidenced by an increase in consumption of affordable, well marketed highly processed foods across the urban-rural continuum.

‘It is worth noting that more than 70 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa households, especially those most vulnerable to social, economic and environmental shocks and pervasive food insecurity and malnutrition, access food from traditional fresh food markets,’ she added.

She explained that in Kenya, traditional food markets remained a dominant source of both staples and nutrient-dense foods which indeed underpins GAIN’s work in this space.

‘As GAIN, we believe that markets are not merely physical spaces where goods are exchanged; they are the mainstay of our urban environments, serving as hubs for economic activity, cultural exchange, and social cohesion. They are where farmers, vendors,
and consumers converge, fostering connections that are essential for the resilience of our food systems,’ Okowa said.

The Country Director explained that the Keeping Food Markets Working (KFMW) programme in Kenya was implemented in Kiambu and Machakos Counties aiming at keeping fresh food markets open and well governed and related SME businesses operational during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The programme, she added, also provided emergency grants worth over USD 453,000 to about 40 SMEs by covering operating expenses such as rent, salaries, marketing, transport, and raw materials.

‘In collaboration with the National Government and the County Governments of Kiambu and Machakos, we also developed and disseminated over 2,200 Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials to keep COVID-19 out of markets through observing hygiene and social distancing, and dos before going to the market, while at the market and after visiting the market.

Building on the experience and lessons during the implemen
tation of the KFMW, Okowa said that the Resilient Markets Programme was conceived and is currently being implemented in one market in each of the five implementation counties.

‘The markets are in Madaraka in Kiambu, Marikiti in Machakos County, Free Area in Nakuru, Soweto in Nairobi and Kongowea in Mombasa County.

The project goal is to enhance resilience of traditional fresh food markets through effective inclusion, empowerment and mobilization of key food systems actors.

It is projected that six out of every 10 people in the world were expected to reside in urban areas by 2030. Further, it is also projected that over 90 percent of this growth would take place in Africa and Asia continents with unprecedented transitions in our dietary patterns and shifts in our food systems ecosystem.

Source: Kenya News Agency

In a bid to address Kenya’s significant rice production shortfall and enhance farmers’ income, the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) is pushing for the adoption of high yielding hybrid varieties to reduce the government’s annual rice import bill.

AATF, a non-profit African led organisation has partnered with farmers across the country to pilot several hybrid rice varieties to help the country bridge the shortage of the commodity which currently stands at 800, 000 metric tonnes.

Dr Kayode Sanni who heads AATF’s rice initiative said the situation has forced the country to rely heavily on imports from Pakistan, India, Thailand and Indonesia to meet the demand costing the taxpayer Sh 42 billion annually.

Kenya, he said has a huge potential for rice production adding that over ten new hybrid rice varieties have been authorised for planting which if well adopted will see the country join the league of top rice producers on the continent.

The varieties among them AH18007, AH18004, AH18003, Pwan G
old Plus, Komboka, Farm Gold Plus and Arise Gold Plus, he said were high yielding with good grain quality adding that the farmers brought on board during the pilot have registered yields of up to 10 tonnes per hectare.

This compared to inbred local varieties, he said signifies a 30 % increase in production per hectare (20-30 bags) promising farmers more income and stabilised production to enhance food security.

‘This shows that using the same set of inputs farmers planting hybrid rice are able to produce more and earn more. This in the long run is going to reduce the cost of production and make locally produced rice competitive in terms of grain quality,’ he said.

The hybrid varieties, he added, mature in 100-120 days and have demonstrated resilience to climate change shocks with research fields yielding up to 12 tonnes per hectare.

Dr Sanni said the National Rice Development Strategy 2019-2030, through which the government targets to scale up production per hectare to 7 tonnes by the year 2030 could be r
ealised faster if hybrid rice is fully embraced.

‘By using hybrid rice it is possible to achieve this target by the year 2025 if this technology we are championing is fully embraced and supported by the government,’ he said.

The adoption of hybrid rice, he said, holds promise not only for addressing the production deficit but also for enhancing farmers’ resilience to climate change and other environmental challenges.

With higher yields and improved pest and disease resistance, hybrid rice varieties, he said, offer a sustainable solution to the pressing issues facing Kenya’s rice sector.

The seeds, he added, are produced in the country, a move that promises to create job opportunities in seed production companies and rice farms if the uptake of the new technology is scaled up.

‘The parental line of these varieties is developed here in Kenya. Therefore seed companies interested in the venture will have access to it to produce their own hybrid seeds,’ he said.

Even though the uptake is still low, Dr Sanni
disclosed that AATF has partnered with the Alliance for Hybrid Rice in Africa (AHRA) which is a consortium of public and private sector players and the Cereal Growers Association (CGA) to rope in more farmers.

Through the partnership, the agency, he said, was advancing hybrid rice technologies, bringing together expertise and resources to create an enabling environment for the widespread adoption of hybrid rice cultivation practices in the country.

‘The potential impact of this initiative extends far beyond economic gains. By reducing rice imports, Kenya can enhance its food sovereignty, mitigate the risks associated with fluctuating global rice prices, and create new job opportunities,’ he said.

So far, he said over 1,500 farmers have embraced hybrid rice adding that through partnership with the Cereals Growers Association (CGA) which has a membership of over 600,000 farmers the agency plans to enlist 150,000 more farmers as the push to adopt the technology gains momentum.

CGA Project Manager Oswald Miri
ti attributed the low uptake for hybrid rice to farmer behaviour expressing optimism that more farmers will come on board by the end of this year.

‘Farmers take time to adopt new technology. We have introduced these varieties in Mwea but farmers still insist on growing basmati pishori. However, now that they are seeing the output of these new varieties and the reduced cost of production we are seeing a steady increase in the uptake,’ he said.

Grace Taka, a hybrid rice farmer at Khuluano in Bunyala North, Busia County confirmed that the varieties were high yielding promising farmers high returns as compared to local varieties.

‘I planted 0.4 hectare during the pilot and managed to get 26 bags valued at Sh150, 000. This means if I had planted a big area I would have earned more. During this time we had a problem with water but this did not affect the production much,’ she said.

Former Alego Usonga Member of Parliament (MP) Sammy Weya said hybrid rice was the way to go to empower farmers economically and loc
al production to satisfy the demand.

However, the farmers, he added, must pool together and pursue the venture on a large scale to reap maximum benefits.

Cultivating the crop on a small scale, he said, was too costly given the high costs involved in land preparation.

With the government opening up 250, 000 acres for irrigation in Nzoia, Weya said this presents a good opportunity for farmers in western Kenya to explore commercial hybrid rice farming to feed into the national basket and for export.

Source: Kenya News Agency