Kenya and South Korea ink deal to fight poverty

Kenya: Kenya has signed an agreement with South Korea for a grant to reduce poverty and establish sustainable economic and social development. National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Henry Rotich and Vice Minister of the ministry of Foreign Affairs in South Korea, Lee Kyung-Soo, signed the agreement on July 8, 2014, in Nairobi.

Under the framework agreement, the Korean Government will consolidate its grant aid programmes in Kenya through Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

The framework will facilitate KOICA’s development co-operation programmes in Kenya such as invitational training for government officials and professionals in Korea and dispatch of experts for consultation and in-country training programs, a press release seen by The Standard, reads in part.

Others are dispatch of volunteers to support government offices in various fields; provision of equipment, machinery and materials to Kenya and construction of facilities necessary for implementing the grant aid programs for the economic and social development of Kenya.

South Korea would co-ordinate with concerned authorities to implement projects and programs and provision of other forms of grant aid as may be mutually agreed upon by the two countries.

KOICA is presently supporting Kenya in water development and sanitation, education, health, and other government sectors.

In addition, it focuses on improving the administrative capacity of Kenya and also supports the improvement of public systems through capacity building.

Since 1991, more than 500 government officials have received professional training and master degrees from different specialised Korean institutions and universities under KOICA’s training programs.