On Tuesday 18th April 2023 H.E President William Samoe Ruto chaired a meeting of Cabinet. The meeting considered policies and State programmes geared towards enhancing access to and affordability of food, whilst also addressing the adverse effects of climate change as set out in the Administration’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
The Cabinet condoled with the families of the children who lost their lives in a road accident along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway.
The Cabinet expressed concern over the continued increase in road carnage in the country and directed the Ministry of Interior & National Administration jointly with the Ministry of Roads & Transport to take remedial action. The directive reiterated that the traffic code must be enforced in a manner that enhances road safety, especially during this long rains season.
The meeting noted that all parts of the country continue to receive relatively high rainfall. In that regard, and in an effort to support farmers to realize bountiful harvests, the meeting reaffirmed that the Administration shall continue to avail affordable fertilizer across the nation.
Cabinet urged farmers to take advantage of the ongoing Fertilizer Subsidy Programme, where fertilizer is being offered for sale at Ksh. 3,500 down from the market price of Ksh. 6,000 per 50Kgs Bag during the current crop year covering the long rains season (March-May) and the short rains planting season (July-October).
With enhanced agricultural productivity coupled with other consequential policy measures, the nation is expected to graduate into the league of food surplus nations within the decade.
In considering the overall cost of living, the meeting took note of ongoing State interventions to address the cost of maize, rice, wheat and other staple food items; as well as inputs for animal feeds. As a consequence of the seminal interventions by the State, Cabinet noted with satisfaction that the interventions lowered the price of Maize Meal to an average of Ksh. 155 down from a high of Ksh. 230. The trend is expected to continue as maize imports are received in the country.
To harness the contribution of fisheries and aquaculture to food and nutritional security, Cabinet also considered and approved the Fisheries Policy. The policy seeks to provide a framework for the sustainable management and development of inland water and marine fishing resources in Kenya’s Exclusive Economic Zone and territorial waters.
The Policy identified fisheries as a new growth sector by building on the phenomenal development of the sector over the last two decades, where the value of national annual fish production increased from an estimated value of Ksh. 9 Billion in 2008 to Ksh. 30.38 Billion in 2021.
Cabinet Observed that the long rains continue to enthuse hope to millions of farmers across most of the country, with their sweat of the brow rendering a bumper harvest; that some parts of the nation are however still reeling from the effects of the cyclic drought that has ravaged the country over the last four years. Whereas the rains are reducing the severity of drought in the affected counties, Cabinet noted with regret
that the rains have in some instances occasioned flash floods that have resulted in livestock deaths.
Cabinet lauded the ongoing humanitarian support to vulnerable households being undertaken jointly by the National Government, the County Governments, development partners, and Kenyans of goodwill including corporates.
As part of drought mitigation measures and the climate adaptation programme, Cabinet assessed the progress of the ongoing National Tree Growing Campaign that seeks to enhance our national tree cover to 30% through the planting of 15 Billion Trees. Cabinet called on all Kenyans to take advantage of the long rains by planting trees within their neighbourhood and community as part of the ongoing National Tree Growing Campaign.
In steering the nation towards gender parity, Cabinet ratified the resolutions of the 67th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. The domestic formulation of policies and programmes giving effect to those resolutions will further our place of pride within the community of nations and cement Kenya’s status as a trailblazer in achieving gender equity in emerging scientific and technological fields.
To foster greater fraternity within the East Africa Community (EAC), Cabinet als0 adopted the resolutions of the Community’s Council of Ministers that seek to enhance integration across various sectors; including agriculture, services, education, communication and fisheries. The Cabinet noted that the EAC Common Market is now home toa population of 283 million, thus offering our nation greater opportunities for socio- economic development through a wider market for Kenyan goods and services.
The meeting concluded by noting the significant progress being made in laying the building blocks necessary for the full implementation of the Administration’s transformative Plan for the nation as aptly espoused in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which posits socio-economic liberation as the great task of our time. Cabinet further noted that the BETA empowers every Kenyan to be able to make their rightful contribution to national development.
