Ministries fight over proposed Agricultural Transformation Strategy

A row is simmering between ministries over a proposed Agricultural Transformation Strategy that has been placed under the Ministry of Devolution.

The multi-billion shilling programme dubbed Green Agri-Business Initiative, which is to be rolled this financial year, appears to exclude other ministries such as Agriculture and Water.

According to the 2015/16 draft budget policy statement, the State seeks to roll out the programme to provide irrigation kits, fish ponds, water harvesting and tree planning in all secondary schools and at least 5,000 primary schools.

This will be done using the National Youth Service (NYS) which falls under Devolution and Planning Ministry working with the Ministry of Education.

“The Agricultural Transformation Strategy further recognises the important role of youth in sustaining food security and raising productivity throughout the country. As such, a green agri-business initiative involving provision of farmers’ irrigation kit, fish ponds water harvesting and tree planting will be rolled out by the Ministry of Devolution and Planning through the NYS and working with the Ministry of Education in all secondary schools in the FY 2015/16 and expanding it to cover at least 500 primary schools, annually over the medium term,” he policy statement reads in part.

National Treasury says the ambitious project is expected to improve nutrition, provide income generation to schools and develop future agri-business farmers in the country.

Sources in Government yesterday told The Standard on Saturday that ministries of Agriculture and Water headed by Felix Koskei and Judy Wakhungu respectively, were not comfortable with the plan, as it seeks to take away some of their mandates.

“This battle is now headed to Parliament, we cannot be giving one ministry all key infrastructural projects, which are clearly overlapping on other dockets,” a senior State official conversant with goings-on in Government said.

Those opposed to the plan, question the wisdom of excluding the Fisheries and Irrigation ministries and instead place it entirely under the Devolution docket. The matter is said to have been raised in Thursday’s Cabinet meeting chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta. Although no monetary value has been attached to the programme, the budgetary allocation is estimated to be in billions of shillings annually.

If the draft policy statement, is approved by Parliament, it will see the Devolution docket headed by Anne Waiguru (pictured) control yet another ambitious key Jubilee project.

Currently Ms Waiguru through NYS, has rolled out a project to upgrade slums in the country in general and Nairobi in particular.

The draft further states that the State in partnership with financial sector players as well as multi-lateral and bilateral partners, structure instruments (Agri-Business Fund) will support alternative agricultural initiatives amongst small scale farmer, expand agri-business ventures and support crop specific value addition initiatives.

This particular programme has been placed under the Agriculture and Environment ministries, which are expected to initiate a smart and organic agriculture, starting with specific regions, in order to drive and sustain agricultural output and create more employment, especially for the youth in rural areas.

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