NAIROBI, Kenya, June 11 – The National Treasury has set aside Sh 60 billion to support programs that will enhance food security in the country including the construction of a fish processing plant in Lamu county that will cost Sh 1 billion.
While delivering the 2021/22 budget Wednesday, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani said that Sh 7 billion will be channeled to national agricultural and rural inclusivity projects, Sh 1.8 billion for emergency locust response, and Sh 2.7 billion for Kenya cereal enhancement program.
“Sh 1.5 billion has been set aside for the National Value Chain Support Programme; Ksh 1.5 billion for the Agricultural Sector Development Support Programme II; Ksh 1.5 billion for the Small Scale Irrigation and Value Addition Project; and Ksh 620 million for Food Security and Crop Diversification Project,” Yattani proposed.
Another sh 3 billion will be channeled to free disease holding ground in Lamu, Sh 488.1 million for regional pastoral livestock resilience and another Sh 455 million for Kenya livestock commercialization program.
“To enhance animal diseases control, I have set aside Ksh 180.0 million for Sustainable Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Free Areas in Kenya; Ksh 131.4 million for the Disease-Free Zones Program; and Ksh 60.0 million for modernization of the Foot and Mouth Disease Laboratory and related activities,” Yattani added.
In addition, the Treasury set aside Sh3.2 billion for aquaculture business development project, Sh3.4 billion for Kenya marine fisheries and socio-economic development project and Sh 290 million for coastal fisheries infrastructure development
To enhance the legitimacy of land ownership, the Treasury set aside Sh 1.5 billion for processing and registration of title deeds, Sh 600 million for digitization of land registries, and Sh 105 million for construction of land registries.
Yatani also channeled Sh 8.9 billion for climate-smart agricultural productivity project and Sh 1 billion to enhance drought resilience and sustainable livelihood
“I have proposed an allocation of Sh529.5 million for the Livestock and Crop Insurance Scheme to reduce the vulnerabilities of Kenyan farmers to diseases and natural disasters,” he added.
S326.6 million was set aside for the rehabilitation of Fish Landing Sites in Lake Victoria; Sh150.0 million for Aquaculture Technology Development and Innovation Transfers; and Sh 195.3 million for Development of Blue Economy Initiatives.