Marginalized Groups get funding of 65.6M for agriculture in Kisumu

Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang Nyong'o hands over a cheque to one of the Groups that have benefitted from a World Bank Funded project known as the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project{KCSAP}.A total of shs 65.6Million have been disbursed in the second phase of the project-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo 

By Dickson Odhiambo

July 21, 2021

Marginalized Groups get funding of 65.6M for agriculture in Kisumu

Some Vulnerable and marginalized groups in Kisumu County practicing modern agriculture have received funding of over shillings 65 Million from the County Government of Kisumu through the support of World Bank.

The funding has benefitted 191 more groups targeting the value chains and Food Security in Kisumu County through the project known as the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project {KCSAP} which is a World Bank funded project being implemented by County Government of Kisumu.

Addressing the beneficiaries today during the second disbursement of the funding, Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang Nyong’o said the funding is aimed at doing projects gearing towards ensuring food security and tackling agribusiness by the identified groups within the selected wards in the county.

Nyong’o says under the project’s first phase, the County Government issued cheques worth shs 51.6 million for micro projects in May 2020 to community Common Interest Groups (CIGs) and Vulnerable Marginalized Groups (VMGs) in the six project wards targeting value chains for Indigenous chicken, Cassava and Sorghum.

 “Through KCSAP, Kisumu county targets 22,000 direct project beneficiaries who will be reached through; Common Interest Groups (CIGs) and Vulnerable Marginalized Groups (VMGs) for Micro projects, Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) investments (County Sub projects) and Producer Organizations (POs) including Public Private Partnerships (PPP),” Nyong’o says.

Nyong’o says it is worth noting that improved varieties of these traditional food crops and chicken are now available in Kenya Agricultural Livestock Research Organization (KALRO).

 He urges farmers to expand production of these drought tolerant crop and livestock enterprises, since they are more nutritious and widely adopted to this environment.

He says the KCSA project is all about mitigating against the scary Climate change whose effects are already jolting the Mother Nature.

“I am therefore pleased to note that this project is about the “Triple wins” i.e. sustainably increasing productivity, building resilience to climate risks (adaptation) and reducing/removing Greenhouse Gas Emissions. 6 Ladies and Gentlemen, Access to markets is crucial in unlocking value chains and towards this end, the KCSAP has disbursed Ksh. 4.79 million to 6 Producer Organizations (POs) in June 2021,” he adds.

 He says this was meant to mobilize farmers to access niche markets, hinting that three Producer organizations, will be funded with Enterprise Development Plan Grants (EDPs) of up to sh 10 million per successful Producer Organization.

“In addition, thirteen (13) sub Projects worth sh 366 million were approved for funding and implementation under KCSAP in addition to the micro projects and Producer Organizations,” Nyong’o further says.

He further says the Sub-projects are infrastructural works aimed at benefiting more than 500 beneficiaries including irrigation schemes, water pans, aqua-parks, and poultry incubation centres among others.

He says the three of the projects are complete while the rest are at various stages of implementation, adding that KCSAP will also contribute to the Food and Nutrition Security Pillar through, enhance food security and ensure creation of new jobs, income and new investments.

 “I urge you to make good use of the funds. We will follow up on you to ensure your practice improves production. I wish to urge all farmers and especially the youth who have benefited from the grant to use this opportunity to adopt the new technologies and utilize them for enhancing production and productivity in this region and beyond,” he adds.

The six wards that have benefitted from the second disbursement funding include Awasi/Onjiko receiving 13,672,543, Central Nyakach getting shs 12,166,346, East Kano/Wawidhi shs 8,452,607.

Other wards include Kolwa East shs 7,893,974, North Nyakach shs 12,508,134 and West Nyakach 10,931,858.