Kenya’s Agriculture Minister meets ASARECA BoD Vice Chairman and ASARECA Executive Director
They discussed the role of ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers in facilitating ASARECA’s engagement with the One CGIAR, Development Partners and promoting implementation of regional priority projects
NAIROBI, KENYA: ASARECA Board Vice Chairman, Ambassador Dr. Cheluget and ASARECA Executive Director, Dr. Enock Warinda on November 23, 2023 held discussions with the Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary (Minister) of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Hon. Mithika Linturi.
The meeting, which took place at the Cabinet Secretary’s office in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi comes as ASARECA intensifies efforts to mobilise Member States to take full responsibility of the sustainability of the Association.
Minister briefed
The meeting focused on briefing the Minister about ASARECA and the just concluded General Assembly and ASARECA Agriculture Ministerial Conference held in May 2023; the current ASARECA Governance Structure and what it entails; the role of ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers; the role of the Chairman of ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers, and details about the planned ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers’ meeting, including the meeting date and venue.
Engagement with global partners
They also discussed the role of ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers in facilitating ASARECA’s engagement of various global actors, especially the One CGIAR with the National Agricultural Research Systems; the role of ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers in facilitating ASARECA’s engagement with Development Partners; the role of ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers in promoting implementation of regional priority projects; and the role of ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers in enabling ASARECA to recover outstanding membership arrears from Member States.
Earlier meeting with Prime Minister
The meeting comes two weeks after ASARECA Board of Directors Vice Chairman, Ambassador Dr. Kipyego Cheluget and ASARECA Executive Director, Dr. Enock Warinda held discussions with Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary, His Excellency Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi. During the meeting with H.E Mudavadi, who is also the Minister of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, on November 8 in Nairobi, discussions centered around the role of ASARECA, in mobilizing its Member States, in enhancing food security and agricultural transformation in the Eastern and Central African region. They agreed to pursue a comprehensive Food Systems approach in addressing the whole range of challenges and bottlenecks in the food value chains. Similar meetings have in the last three months been held with Agriculture Ministers of Eritrea, Rwanda, and Burundi.
Kenya is key ASARECA Member State
Kenya is one of the original 10 founding Member States of ASARECA alongside Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. They have in the recent past been joined by South Sudan, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon, and Somalia, bringing the total membership to 15.
Since inception, ASARECA has been working mainly with the Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), formerly Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI); and universities (Kenyatta, Egerton, and Nairobi) among others. Over the last 30 years, ASARECA has invested US$ 19.91 million to catalyze agricultural transformation in Kenya through key beneficiary projects.