ASARECA ED, top management meet Kenya’s Agriculture Cabinet Secretary and Council of Patron Ministers’ Chair

BY BEN MOSES ILAKUT

NAIROBI, KENYA: ASARECA Acting Board of Directors Chairman, Ambassador Dr. Kipyego Cheluget together with the Interim Executive Director, Dr. Sylvester Dickson Baguma and the Director General, Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) have held a meeting with Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary (Minister) for Agriculture and Livestock Development Hon. Mutahi Kagwe EHG.

Hon. Mutahi Kagwe is the current rotational Chairperson of the ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers (CPM), a Constitutional responsibility that Kenya assumed in February 2024, following the maturity of the rotational arrangements. The rotational Chair (responsibility) was previously held by Uganda, which handed over to Kenya in February. Kenya will hold the mantle for two years before rotating to another Member State in February 2026.

The Dr. Kipyego, Dr. Baguma and Dr. Kireger jointly briefed the minster on a priority issues including: Regular meetings and consultations among the ministers within  the Council of Patron Ministers; regular communication between the Secretariat, the Board, and the Ministers; financial and technical contributions to ASARECA Secretariat; financing and implementation of regional priority programmes; and support by the Governments to ASARECA in its current bid to get accredited to the Green Climate Fund.

On his part, Hon. Mutahi Kagwe expressed his commitment to undertake the duties of the CPM Chair and ensure ASARECA Member States benefit from complementarities from a coordinated Ministers body.

The function of the CPM Chairperson is to chair all the Sessions of the Council of Patron Ministers at least once every two years and as need arises; chair any consultative sessions at the request of any three Patron Ministers as and when need arises; lead Ministers in advocacy, resource mobilization, and partnerships to help realize ASARECA’s mandate; lead the Ministers in providing guidance to the Board of Directors on strategic matters to address Agricultural Research for Development issues commensurate with the Mission of ASARECA, and preside over selection of next CPM chair when the rotation matures (after very two years).

The CPM sitting in Entebbe in May 2023 resolved to increase Membership contributions from USD15, 000 to USD 100,000 effective 2024. They again reiterated their commitment to clear all outstanding fees in their meeting in Nairobi in February 2024. However, to date most Member States are still in arrears.

Hon. Mutahi Kagwe promised to directly reach out to his colleagues, the Ministers, to honour their obligations.