9th KIPPRA Conference: Shaping stronger value chains for Kenya

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]Hello there, and good afternoon. Thank you for staying with Newsdesk, and now let's cross over to Mombasa where the Kenya Institute for public policy research and analysis, KIPPRA, is holding its ninth annual regional conference that is being held in Mombasa County, of course, under the theme strengthening value chains for exclusive, rather inclusive, growth in Kenya. Now, let's cross over and listen in.

[00:00:24]for deliberate action to enhance productivity, create jobs, increase competitiveness, and foster prosperity across sectors and regions in line with our national aspirations.

[00:00:44]Our government's bottom-up economic transformation agenda is firmly anchored on strengthening value chains across key sectors, such as agriculture, manufacturing, the digital economy, the blue economy, and creative industry.

[00:01:08]We are determined to unlock Kenya's full productive potential by adding value to what we produce and ensuring that wealth is equitably shared.

[00:01:26]Ladies and gentlemen, value chain transformation is not just an economic agenda.

[00:01:33]It is the foundation for Kenyans' journey towards becoming a globally competitive, industrial, and prosperous nation, as envisioned in our Vision 2030 and also aligned with Africa's Agenda 2063, which states that the Africa we want.

[00:01:59]As a nation, our vision extends beyond 2030.

[00:02:07]Our vision in Kenya by 2063, we aspire to be a first-class world economy as His Excellency the President has stated.

[00:02:19]A country which is defined by excellence in governance, a country of innovation, productivity, and human development.

[00:02:32]This journey requires that we nurture our people, we protect our planet, and power our progress through sustainable value creation.

[00:02:49]The transformation of value chains from minerals to maritime, from manufacturing to agriculture, will be the foundation of Kenya's global competitiveness.

[00:03:04]It will empower our youth.

[00:03:06]It will elevate our industries and secure our place among the world's leading economies.

[00:03:17]In terms of industrialization industrialization and manufacturing, industrialization remains central to transforming our country into a first-class world.

[00:03:31]Our government, through targeted investments in agro-processing, light manufacturing, through targeted investments in through targeted investments in textiles, leather, automotive, and pharmaceuticals is building strong linkages between production and markets.

[00:03:57]Therefore, our goal is to ensure that local industries absorb agricultural output, create quality jobs, and drive exports.

[00:04:10]The establishment of county aggregation and industrial parks across all the 47 counties will ensure that value addition happens close to the source of our production.

[00:04:24]These parks will provide shared infrastructure for processing, packaging, and logistics, enabling micro, small, and medium enterprises to participate meaningfully in national and regional value chains.

[00:04:44]And across the country, these county aggregation parks are already under development.

[00:04:51]Our vision is to have manufacturing sector that will contribute to the GDP from the current 7.8% to 20% by 2030.

[00:05:07]This position This will position Kenya as a regional manufacturing hub, attracting investments, boosting exports, and reducing the import bill.

[00:05:23]In terms of agriculture and food systems, agriculture remains the backbone of our economy.

[00:05:30]Our focus is to make farming profitable through aggregation, mechanization, irrigation, and access to markets.

[00:05:42]We are investing in value chains such as tea, coffee, dairy, horticulture, edible oils, fisheries, and livestock to ensure farmers move from subsistence to enterprise.

[00:06:03]By integrating cooperatives, agro-processors, and exporters within our structured value chains, we are ensuring fair pricing, predictable incomes, and sustainable rural livelihoods.

[00:06:21]The recent reforms in the coffee, sugar, and dairy sectors are geared towards achieving precisely these objectives.

[00:06:29]And you have seen positive reforms in this industry where coffee prices have drastically improved, and our farmers already gaining uh seeing these gains.

[00:06:42]In terms of the blue economy, maritime and shipping, Kenya's vast coastline and inland water bodies presents immense potential for the blue economy.

[00:06:56]The government is investing The government is expanding investments in mari- marine fisheries, aquaculture, shipbuilding, port logistics, coastal tourism to fully harness maritime resources for national growth.

[00:07:17]And recently, due to the ongoing war, Kenya was a beneficiary uh through the investment of the port logistics. Many of the ships actually docked here in the coast, and our country has benefited a lot through that.

[00:07:36]Through the Kenya Shipyards Limited, the Kenya Coast Guard Services, and the ongoing modernization of the port of Mombasa and Lamu port that I have just mentioned where many ships docked. We are positioning Kenya as the maritime gateway to East and Central Africa.

[00:07:58]Our objective is to make Kenya a preferred hub for shipping, logistics, and marine services.

[00:08:07]We are also developing fishing ports, cold storage facilities, and fish processing plants along the coast and Lake Victoria Basin to enhance the fisheries value chain.

[00:08:23]These initiatives will create employment for coastal and lakeside communities, strengthening food security, and boosting exports.

[00:08:35]The maritime sector is also central to regional integration under the blue economy value chain strategy, which promotes sustainable exploitation of marine resources, protection of ecosystems, and innovation in ocean industries.

[00:08:57]In terms of minerals and natural resources, Kenya's mineral potential remains largely untapped. We are implementing a comprehensive mineral value addition and beneficial benefits beneficiation policy to ensure that extraction translates into industrial development and community benefit.

[00:09:27]Our vision is to move beyond raw materials in terms of export to local processing and refining, whether in rare earth, gold, fluorspar, or limestone, thereby creating jobs, enhancing revenue, and building technology capacities.

[00:09:51]You have seen recently there was gold discovered in the western part of Kenya because of what uh is happening in that industry.

[00:10:03]In terms of regional value chains and continental integration, the African Continental Free Trade Area offers an unprecedented opportunity to develop regional value chains that transcend beyond borders.

[00:10:21]By harmonizing standards, removing trade barriers, and improving connectivity, we can achieve economies of scale and accelerate industrial diversification.

[00:10:36]Kenya is actively working with regional partners under the East African Community and COMESA to enhance cross-border infrastructure, digital trade, and investment flows.

[00:10:51]These partnerships will integrate our markets, promote innovation, and expand opportunities for African producers.

[00:11:03]In research, data policy, and innovation, the success of these value chains depends on data-driven decision-making and continuous innovation.

[00:11:16]I wish to commend KIPPRA for its dedication to generating research that informs the government policy, guiding institutions, and development partners on strategic investment choices.

[00:11:34]I therefore encourage KIPPRA and other think tanks present today to deepen collaboration with the national government ministries, departments, and agencies, county governments, the private sector, the academia, and other non-state actors to ensure that our policies remain responsive.

[00:12:03]Ladies and gentlemen, today we are launching three reports touching on children.

[00:12:13]And allow me to state from the outset that central message of this moment is that Kenya's future will be determined by how deliberately we invest in its children, especially in their earliest years.

[00:12:36]The case for investing in early childhood, as was presented in the report by the executive director, is especially compelling.

[00:12:47]The evidence you have seen presented is unequivocal.

[00:12:53]Every shilling invested in early childhood can generate up to seven times its value in long-term economic returns.

[00:13:05]Early investment shape brain development, school readiness, health outcomes, and productivity over a lifetime.

[00:13:17]When we invest early, we uh we prevent losses.

[00:13:23]When we invest in children, we invest in the nation's future workforce, stability, and prosperity.

[00:13:34]And that is why as a government in the early years, we are also investing in the social expenditure as a long-term strategy to deal with this.

[00:13:51]The urgency of this investment is further amplified by climate change.

[00:13:58]The findings that were presented earlier today clearly show that while Kenya has made progress in mobilizing climate finance, social sectors that directly support children, such as education, health, social protection, remain under-prioritized in climate investments. Yet, these are precisely the sectors that build resilience.

[00:14:29]A climate-resilient economy cannot exist without climate-resilient children.

[00:14:39]We must therefore broaden our understanding of climate resilience.

[00:14:45]It is not only about infrastructure and energy. It is also about strengthening the systems that will protect children and their families.

[00:14:56]Schools must be resilient. Health systems must be resilient. Social protection systems must be adaptive and responsive. Otherwise, climate shocks will continue to reverse development gains and deepen inequality.

[00:15:17]The policy direction emerging from the just uh presented report, uh from this evidence is very clear.

[00:15:28]First, we must rebalance public investment towards child-sensitive sectors, ensuring that budgets reflect centrality of children in our development agenda.

[00:15:44]Second, we must strengthen early childhood systems by addressing gaps in infrastructure. And I was glad to see a report presented on how the care infrastructure can contribute positively to the value chains.

[00:16:02]Third, we must improve the efficiency, accountability, and effectiveness of public spending so that resources can reach the frontline and translate into measurable outcomes for children.

[00:16:21]As we also launched the three reports today, which is as a result of cooperation between the KIPPRA, UNICEF, and other partners, I would like to say that we must recognize that they come at a critical moment in Kenya's development journey.

[00:16:46]We have a demographic opportunity of a young population. And this was presented uh over 70% of our population is below 35.

[00:16:58]We have policy frameworks that prioritize inclusion and growth.

[00:17:05]And we now have strong evidence to guide our investments and decision making.

[00:17:13]Let us therefore place children at the center of our budget, our climate strategies, and our development agenda.

[00:17:22]Let us move from fragmented investments to integrated systems that support children across sectors.

[00:17:31]And let every decision we make reflect one simple but powerful principle that no child should be left behind. And on that note, I would like to urge members of the county assembly that are here that counties must prioritize budgeting for children. The uh national treasury and the members of parliament that are here and the members of the senate, I want to urge you that we need to prioritize budgeting for children.

[00:18:11]And the Leicester got a sporting owl.

[00:18:13]Aston Villa ended their