President William Ruto is stepping up his pledge to guarantee food production by setting aside more than 11,700 hectares for climate-smart farming.
In a statement on Tuesday, the United Kingdom Government indicated that an agreement was reached between the Kenyan Development Corporation and UK-funded investor United Green.
Ruto and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ratified the agreement to produce foodstuff during a meeting on the sidelines of the COP28 conference.
Without divulging the fine details of the agreement or the location of the project, the statement indicated that the land utilised would be bigger than Nairobi National Park. The park measures 11,700 hectares.
The project is expected to boost food production, protect the environment and save the country Ksh30 billion every year.
"A Ksh31 billion agreement has also been reached with the Kenyan Development Corporation and UK-funded investor United Green to establish an area bigger than Nairobi National Park for climate-smart farming – this will save Kenya $200m (Ksh30.6 billion) annually on food imports and help reduce Kenya’s trade deficit," read the statement in part.
The two countries also signed a Ksh12.5 billion Menengai Geothermal project expected to generate 35MW of electricity, providing approximately 750,000 Kenyans with affordable and clean energy.
200 Kenyans are also expected to secure jobs during its construction.
The British International Investment also pledged Ksh1 billion ($7.1 million) for two projects in Kenya, as part of a wider package of investment in Africa.
The first Ksh321 million will be used to provide solar-powered and water-efficient irrigation systems to 9,000 farmers.
It is expected to help to increase farmers' income as well as build their resilience and adapt to the impact of climate change.
An additional Ksh765 million will be channeled towards the manufacturing of 100 electric buses as part of Ruto's plan to transform the motor sector.
"It is a sign of the strength of the UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership that these three projects have reached new milestones by COP28. The UK and Kenya are going far and going together," stated the British High Commissioner to Kenya, Neil Wigan.
"We are proud to support the President’s AGII. Combined with these investments from British International Investment, the UK and Kenya will deliver what Kenya’s people want - growth, jobs and trade - in a way that is sustainable and protects our planet."
