Japan Gives Kenya Yen 34.5 Billion Grant

Raila Odinga - Kenya's Prime Minister

Japan has extended Sh288 million grant assistance to underprivileged farmers in Kenya in  support of government’s initiatives to increase food security through procurement of essential inputs including fertilizer, agricultural chemicals and machinery. Within the framework of TICAD IV, Kenya has benefited from many projects including expansion of teacher training in Mathematics and Science through the Strengthening of Mathematics and Science (SMASE) programme.

The Grant is as a result of  the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) held in 2008, Japan doubled  her assistance to African countries to boost economic growth, consolidate peace and good governance and address climate change. This announcement was made by  Crown Prince of Japan, his Imperial Highness Naruhito  who also extended grants totalling Sh30 billion to Kenya for development of geothermal power and other renewable energy sources and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

During the talks, with Prince Naruhito President Kibaki expressed appreciation to the government of Japan for the continued financial and technical support extended to Kenya and other developing countries to combat climate change among other programmes. President Kibaki noted with gratitude that Japan considered Kenya as a model of her development cooperation saying the country is now the leading recipient of Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The President reaffirmed the government’s commitment to forge closer partnerships and cooperation between Kenya and Japan for the mutual benefit of the two countries. The Head of State further said the government was keenly interested in gaining from Japan’s technical assistance in the latest technologies on environment conservation to help ameliorate the adverse climatic conditions affecting large parts of the country.

Expressing his gratitude to the Crown Prince for the audience accorded to Prime Minister Raila Odinga during his recent official visit to Japan, President Kibaki lauded the fruitful discussions between them touching on Climate Change and Energy among other issues. His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Japan arrived in the country late Wednesday for a three day state visit. While in Kenya, the Crown Prince will tour several Districts in the Mount Kenya region.

Prince Naruhito visited the Republic of Ghana from 7 March to 10 March and during his four-day visit to Ghana, the Crown Prince met  President Mills.visited  Nkrumah Mausoleum, Mary Star of the Sea International School, Dr. Hideyo Noguchi’s Memorial Laboratory in Korle-Bu Hospital and Akosombo, in the Eastern Region. The Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Laboratory was founded after   Dr. Hideyo

Noguchi, a Japanese Doctor died in Accra in 1928 after sacrificing himself for his research on the Yellow Fever.

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