Speeches Shim
This is a listing of our current activities in Kenya. You can navigate to the fact sheet section below using the following links:
- Agriculture and Food Security
- Democracy, Governance and Conflict
- Economic Growth
- Education and Youth
- Environment
- Global Health
- Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
- Related Topics
Agriculture and Food Security
The Feed the Future Kenya Country Plan, under the United States Government’s (USG’s) Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS), serves as an overarching framework for integrated food security and nutrition programming in Kenya. This plan describes the key drivers of food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty. These drivers stem from a complex set of underlying conditions at the individual, household, community and system levels. At the design and procurement stages, the targeting, results framework and program components will require further refinement to operationalize integrated and holistic approaches.
Overview: Agriculture and Food Security
More than 75 percent of Kenyans make some part of their living in agriculture, and the sector accounts for more than a fourth of Kenya’s gross domestic product. However, agricultural productivity has gradually stagnated in recent years, despite continuous population growth. The majority of farmers work without basic agricultural inputs or updated technology and lack adequate financial or extension services. Additionally, recurrent crises such as drought in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid areas have exacerbated the vulnerability of basic livelihoods. USAID is implementing activities that are focused on increasing agricultural productivity and incomes for smallholder farmers; building more resilient communities; improving access to clean water and energy; and increasing access to affordable financing for farmers, entrepreneurs and businesses.
Accelerated Value Chain Development
The Feed the Future Accelerated Value Chain Development (AVCD) activity is helping farmers and agricultural businesses and organizations apply technologies and innovations in agriculture and livestock value chains in order to competitively and sustainably increase productivity; promote inclusive, economic growth; and improve nutrition and food security, particularly among women and children in 21 counties in the country.
Improving Smallholder Productivity and Profitability
The Improving Smallholder Productivity and Profitability (ISPP) project is building smallholder farmers’ skills in agricultural production, water management and in farming as a business in five semi-arid counties. The program is increasing household food security and nutrition through improved access and efficient management of water and the use of climate-resilient agricultural practices and agribusiness promotion. It will help improve productivity for 80,000 farming households.
Kenya Agriculture Regulatory Capacity Building Program
Feed the Future Kenya Agriculture Regulatory Capacity Building Program (FOODSCAP) is a three-year program implemented by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service. It is funded as part of Feed the Future, the US government’s global hunger and food security initiative that helps to increase agricultural production and reduce poverty and malnutrition. The program was developed to address challenges like the shortage of improved crop varieties and plant protection options for orphan crops or open pollinated varieties as majority of the breeders give little or no attention to these crops.
Kenya Crops and Dairy Market Systems
The Kenya Crops and Dairy Market Systems Development (KCDMSD) activity supports competitive, inclusive and sustainable agricultural market systems, with a focus on dairy, fodder/feeds, and horticulture crops including mango, passion fruit, avocado, banana, pineapple and sweet potato.
Kenya Investment Mechanism
KIM provides a comprehensive and integrated approach to financing actors and increasing competitiveness through the mobilization of capital into the horticulture, dairy, livestock, and clean energy value chains. Through financial incentives, training, and technical assistance, KIM builds the capacity of Financial Institutions and Business Advisory Services providers to facilitate private finance and investment to thousands of small, medium including large enterprises in the target value chains.
Kenya Livestock Market Systems
The aim of Feed the Future Kenya Livestock Market Systems Activity, which operates in Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Turkana, and Wajir counties, is to strengthen people’s resilience to shocks and stresses and reduce the prevalence and depth of poverty, household hunger, and chronic undernutrition. This is done by taking collective action on economic opportunities, and by strengthening institutions, market systems, governance, and human capital.
Kenya Resilient Arid Lands Partnership for Integrated Development
The Kenya Resilient Arid Lands Partnership for Integrated Development (Kenya RAPID) program brings together public and private institutions and communities with the goals of increasing access to water and sanitation for people and water for livestock, and rebuilding a healthy rangeland-management ecosystem. Kenya RAPID supports the Ending Drought Emergencies Common Program Framework launched by the Government of Kenya in November 2015, recognizing that “sustainable management of rangelands, water, crops, and increasing the contribution of livestock to the pastoral economy are critical to resilient livelihoods in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands.”
Partnership for Resilience and Economic Growth
The Partnership for Resilience and Economic Growth (PREG) in Kenya brings together humanitarian and development partners to build resilience in these vulnerable pastoralist communities in northern Kenya. USAID defines resilience as “the ability of people, households, communities, countries, and systems to mitigate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates inclusive growth.”
Democracy, Governance and Conflict
Overview: Democracy, Governance and Conflict
From the inclusive reform process that birthed a new Constitution in 2010 and credible and legitimate elections in 2013 until today, Kenya has achieved many democratic milestones. Among them was the creation of 47 new county governments, effectively creating a new devolved system of political power. USAID’s development strategy is centered on the implementation of devolution, a long and challenging process at the core of Kenya’s constitutional reform agenda. If done right, devolution can put the country on a path toward more inclusive, transparent and accountable governance.
Agile Harmonized Assistance for Devolved Institutions
Agile Harmonized Assistance for Devolved Insitutitions (AHADI) supports Kenya’s devolution agenda by partnering with Kenyan institutions to promote transparent, accountable, effective service delivery and responsive governance systems. The activity works with other stakeholders to address cross-sectoral governance processes and capacity challenges that impact service delivery and effective implementation of devolution.
Kenya Niwajibu WetuKenya Niwajibu Wetu
Kenya Niwajibu Wetu (NIWETU) improves the capabilities of communities and government to address violent extremism (VE) in Kenya. Kenya NiWajibu Wetu is a Kiswahili phrase that translates to “Kenya, its Our Responsibility”. NIWETU’s technical approach is grounded in Kenya’s National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism and finds inspiration in the Kenya National Anthem and Constitution of Kenya (2010) Bill of Rights, which encourages action and partnership between communities and government in the pursuit of national security.
Safeguarding Democratic Space in Kenya
Safeguarding Democratic Space in Kenya (SADES-K) aims to support government institutions and civil society organizations (CSOs) to strengthen Kenya’s governance reform agenda and secure democratic gains enshrined in the 2010 Constitution. The project seeks to enhance Kenya’s national dialogue and governance architecture. SADES-K has three main objectives: To strengthen social and ethnic cohesion; to protect civic and democratic space; and to conduct regular monitoring of the Building Bridges to Unity Initiative’s national dialogue implementation process and outcomes, as well as facilitate data collection and tracking of citizen’s views through public opinion polling.
YETU Initiative
Yetu means “Ours” in Swahili and is a local philanthropy initiative that strengthens the capacity of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to catalyze Kenyan support for Kenyan development needs. The Yetu Initiative works to increase linkages and trust between CSOs and like-minded Kenyan organizations, businesses, foundations, government structures, and individual citizens. We focus on building organizational sustainability by empowering CSOs to innovate around local fundraising and community engagement. Yetu is guided by the ethos that “these are our problems, these are our solutions, these are our contributions”. Our goal is to help build the assets, capacity, and credibility for CSOs, thereby rooting them in the communities they serve.
Economic Growth
Overview: Economic Growth
USAID is working with the Government and people of Kenya to lay the foundation for inclusive, market-driven economic growth, in line with Kenya’s Vision 2030, the country’s long-term development plan. Our activities are increasing agricultural productivity and incomes for smallholder farmers, building more resilient communities, improving access to clean water and energy, increasing access to affordable financing for farmers, entrepreneurs and businesses, and improving the overall business environment to attract private investment.
Education and Youth
Overview: Education and Youth
As the responsibility for leadership passes to the next generation, Africa’s future and its global competitiveness will be driven by academically gifted and entrepreneurial young people empowered to lead. USAID is providing state of the art education to millions of Kenyan children, expanding educational and employment opportunities for young adults, and preparing a new generation of young African leaders with the skills and mindset to transform the region and the continent.
Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-Free, Mentored and Safe
DREAMS is an ambitious partnership to reduce HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women in Kenya and address the challenges that they face every day. The goal of DREAMS is to help girls lead Determined, Resilient,Empowered AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe lives. Through DREAMS, at-risk adolescent girls and young women aged 10-24 years can live determined, resilient, empowered, AIDS-free, mentored and safe lives in the toughest of environments.
Generation Kenya
Generation Kenya is impacting a generation of young people in Kenya through an innovative employment training model that closes the gap between young people who are out of work and employers who are short of skilled employees.
Global Give Back Circle
The Global Give Back Circle is an innovative education, empowerment, and employment transition program for disadvantaged girls in Kenya. The three core goals are to transition each girl to become empowered, selfless and capable.
Kenya Youth Employment and Skills Program (K-YES)
The Kenya Youth Employment and Skills Program (K-YES) will give motivated but disenfranchised youth the skills and support they need to compete and succeed in the workplace. Skills and vocational training that are designed in coordination with local industry and the private sector will create pathways to employment.
Tusome Early Grade Reading Activity
The Tusome (“Let’s Read” in Kiswahili) Early Grade Reading activity is a flagship partnership launched in 2015 between USAID and Kenya's Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology. Tusome, now being implemented through Ministry systems in every primary school in the country, will improve the reading skills of 5.4 million pupils.
Environment
Overview: Environment and Natural Resources
USAID is advancing Kenya’s sustainable growth by supporting community-based natural resource management, improving ecosystem resilience, and building capacity to implement a low emissions and climate resilient development strategy.
Community Conservancy Policy Support and Implementation Program
USAID working with the The Nature Conservancy and Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association are implementing the Community Policy Support and Implementation Program which facilitates communities and landowners’ participation in policy review processes and better access to policy information and incentives. The program seeks to address policy barriers inhibiting development of conservancies by promoting a supportive legal environment that encourages sustainable and beneficial conservation.
Community Conservancies Seed Grant Program in Maasai Mara
USAID is supporting enhanced biodiversity conservation in both community and privately owned conservancies adjacent to the protected Maasai Mara National Reserve. This will increase employment opportunities for the land owners and income diversification amongst the local community whose main livelihoods are anchored on a healthy ecosystem that supports pastoralism and tourism. A healthy ecosystem will guarantee biodiversity and wildlife conservation and the prosperity of the Maasai population as well as promoting recreation for locals and visitors and revenue generation through the tourism industry in Kenya.
Countering Wildlife Crime
As demand for products like elephant ivory and rhino horn continues to rise and poaching methods become increasingly sophisticated, wildlife crime threatens the security, economy and biodiversity of East Africa. International networks for poaching, transit and sale of illegal wildlife products target wildlife populations across borders, creating a complex problem that transcends national boundaries. Kenya is currently the number one transit country for illegal wildlife products from Africa. In line with the U.S. National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking, USAID is taking urgent action to enhance wildlife management and the enforcement and prosecution of wildlife crime in East Africa.
Local Communities - First Line of Defense Against Illegal Wildlife Trade
The Local Communities - First Line of Defence against Illegal Wildlife Trade (FLoD) initiative seeks to develop a clear framework to guide, monitor, and assess the engagement of rural communities that neighbour or live with wildlife as key partners in tackling wildlife crime.
SERVIR Eastern Africa
SERVIR is a joint initiative of USAID and NASA. It is working in partnership with leading regional organizations around the globe. SERVIR connects space to village by making geospatial information, including earth observation data from satellites, geographic information systems (GIS) and predictive models useful for evidence based planning and decision making in developing countries. The data, products, tools and information derived from SERVIR’s work is making a difference in agriculture and food security, water and water related disasters, land cover land use change and ecosystems, and weather and climate.
USAID and Department of Interior Inter-agency Agreement to Support Wildlife Conservation and Combat Wildlife Crime
East Africa has emerged as a global hub for illegal wildlife trafficking and environmental crime in a black market that generates up to $213 billion each year. To address this complex problem, USAID established the first U.S. interagency agreement in the world to combat wildlife trafficking – the Partnership to End Wildlife Trafficking in East Africa. This agreement with the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is a comprehensive program to enhance wildlife management and protection in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Resilient Community Conservancies Program
The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) partners with local communities to build peace and improve livelihoods through conservation. Formed in 2004 by the Lewa Conservancy with support from USAID, NRT brings together local pastoralist communities with land owners and the Government of Kenya to promote the long-term conservation of wildlife in Kenya’s northern rangelands. At present, NRT oversees 33 community-owned and managed conservancies covering nearly 44,000 square kilometers. NRT works to improve the lives and livelihoods of more than 480,000 residents from 15 different ethnic groups spread over eleven counties in one of Kenya’s major wildlife migration corridors.
Water Tower Climate Change Resilience Program
Kenya’s five major forest “water towers” – Aberdares, Cherangani Hills, Mau Complex, Mt. Elgon and Mt. Kenya – provide invaluable services to Kenya’s people, economy, and wildlife. Approximately 75 percent of the country’s renewable water resources come from these vital national assets which are threatened by irregular and poorly planned settlements, overgrazing, illegal forest resource extraction, and the conversion of forests into farms. This degradation, along with fluctuating rainy seasons and extreme weather events, are contributing to a growing water crisis. The Kenya Water Tower Climate Change Resilience program works with the Government of Kenya to strengthen the protection, rehabilitation, and conservation of these watersheds for future generations of Kenyans.
Global Health
Overview: Global Health
USAID supports the health sector with high-impact, evidence-based interventions. Due to the devolution of health sector management and service delivery to 47 counties, our interventions focus at the county level with targeted support at the national level. We work with the Government of Kenya, civil society, faith-based organizations and the private sector on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care; family planning and reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health; nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene; malaria prevention and treatment; and tuberculosis control and treatment. Interventions include technical assistance to support health service delivery; training of healthcare professionals; procurement and management of health commodities; health communication and marketing; human resources for health; health financing; and health information management.
Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare
Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare is a partnership between Moi University School of Medicine, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, and a consortium of U.S. medical schools led by Indiana University. It was established in 2001 as a successful model of HIV/AIDS control that uses a system-based approach to the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and closely links clinical care, research, and training. It is currently Kenya’s largest and most comprehensive HIV/AIDS care program. It has enrolled over 160,000 HIV patients throughout Western region of Kenya.
APHIA (AIDS, Population, and Health Integrated Assistance Program) Plus Imarisha
AIDS, Population and Health Integrated Assistance Plus IMARISHA (Integrated Marginal Arid Regions Innovative Socialized Health Approach) is a five-year activity designed to sustainably improve the health of communities in the Northern Arid Lands of Kenya by delivering integrated health services and household and community economic strengthening interventions. The activity works to strengthen Government of Kenya systems and engage local communities through local implementing partners and cultural leaders to spearhead the adoption of healthy behaviors and the dismantling of retrogressive cultural practices.
Nilende Orphans and Vulnerable Children
The purpose of Nilinde project is to improve welfare and protection of children affected by HIV/AIDS. Activities will include building capacity of households to provide for children under their care; strengthen social systems and structures to improve support to Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). Nilinde will support creative and innovative evidence-based approaches that strengthen the capacity of caregivers and communities to increase their ability to provide for children’s basic needs.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Unsafe or inadequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene has a profound effect on public health around the world. Diarrhea alone kills nearly 2 million people each year, 1.5 million of them children. Nearly 90 percent of diarrhea is attributed to unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene. WASH-related diseases are the number-one cause of hospitalization and mortality for children under five. More than 50 percent of all hospital visits in Kenya result from illnesses related to water, sanitation and hygiene.
Kenya Integrated Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Project (KIWASH)
KIWASH will combine nutrition programming with improved access to water, sanitation, and hygiene. KIWASH aims to enable more than one million Kenyans across nine counties to gain access to improved WASH services and increase access to irrigation and nutrition services.
Related Topics
East and Central Africa Food Assistance Fact Sheet
The Regional Office of Food for Peace (FFP) supports or directly manages food assistance operations in 14 countries in East and Central Africa. Humanitarian needs - specifically food insecurity - in this region have been rising at an unprecedented rate due to cyclical drought, political insecurity, prolonged conflicts, environmental degradation and disease outbreaks. Currently, the number of people facing crisis- and emergency-levels of food insecurity in the region has nearly doubled from 12 million to 24 million and the number of refugees in the region had risen to 4 million.
Comment
Make a general inquiry or suggest an improvement.