Nairobi,3rd October 2023
Nairobi City County Executive Committee Member for Green Nairobi Mr. Ibrahim Auma today on behalf of Nairobi Governor H.E Sakaja Johnson, hosted a team from World Bank and National Project Coordination Unit on who briefed him on the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project(NAVCDP).
National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project is a five (5) year Government of Kenya and World Bank funded project with an objective to increase market participation and value chain addition for targeted farmers in select value chains in the project areas, in Nairobi City County. The project is occasioned by Governor Sakaja’s vision for adequate and safer food for the Nairobians.
Mr. Auma assured the team that Governor Sakaja’s administration values food and Agriculture Subsector because he knows the value of the department in steering the County to adequate and safe food production.
” We commit to make sure things are done. I am happy to have competent and capable team who are knowledgeable about food and agriculture.” Said Mr. Auma.
The project has five components among them piloting safer urban food systems; a component that will support the rollout of urban food systems pilots in Nairobi and parts of Kiambu, Kajiado and Machakos bordering the city as the peri- urban areas.
It will also support Urban market infrastructure by establishing physical farmer markets in Nairobi County by supporting linkages between rural and peri- urban producers and urban consumers.
Mr. Auma said that the project has come at the right time when H.E Governor Sakaja Johnson is in the process of delivering the markets he had promised to the people of Nairobi and also ensuring increase of safe food production in the city for food security as well as promotion of Agri business activities.
Other components are Building producer capacity for climate resilient stronger value chains, climate smart value chain ecosystem investment, project coordination and management and contingency emergency response.
Ms. Sheila Kanyamori and Dr. Michael Njuguna from the World Bank said that they look forward to working with Nairobi City County in serving the people of Nairobi and for the success of the pilot project, where other Counties will be able to benchmark from.
Dr. Samuel Guto, the NAVCDP National project coordinator said that it is clear that agricultural activities take place in Nairobi. He mentioned that during Covid 19 pandemic, Urban Agriculture sustained many families, hence the need to support the subsector in order to have a meaningful agricultural production to help people.
Present were Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Subsector Directors, representatives from County departments of Trade and Urban Planning.
Ends/..