NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 16 – Attaining food security by boosting agricultural production will be one of the cornerstones of the new constitutional dispensation in Kenya, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has said.
He called for strengthening of partnership between Kenya and Britain in the agricultural sector through increased joint investments in irrigated agriculture as one way of actualising the vision.
Speaking in his office when he received a delegation of British Members of Parliament who are in Kenya, Mr Musyoka said for the country to develop it must first be in a position to adequately feed its citizens.
The UK MPs who were led by Lord Cameron of Dillington had visited Korogocho slums and Kisumu and were on Thursday headed to Mwingi North constituency after meeting with the VP.
Noting that the Kenya had a young population which was growing at a relatively high rate, the VP said job and wealth creation were the major challenges facing the country currently.
"We have made the fight against poverty our number one priority and any support from our development partners is welcome", he said.
Expressing optimism that his country will continue to support Kenya particularly in the area of new agricultural technology, Lord Cameron however asked Kenya to intensify agricultural extension services in order to reach the grassroots subsistence farmer.
"We are here to assess food preparedness and we have discovered that adequate extension services to farmers is lacking. This is one area the nation\’s agricultural policy and budgetary allocation needs to focus on" Lord Cameron said.
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