|
|
|
|
|
The Water sub-sector contributes approximately 0.7% of Kenya’s GDP and is a source of direct employment for over 200,000 people as well as individual entrepreneurs (masons, plumbers, technicians). Despite its importance, only 44 out of 100 water service providers in the country provide continuous water supply, with seasonal and regional water scarcity worsening the difficulty to improve water supply.
To address these challenges, KMT works in partnerships with other players to tackle key constraints in the market to improve competitiveness, efficiency and inclusiveness. KMT has partnered with Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) to increase access to clean and safe drinking water to Kenyans at the bottom of the pyramid.
WSUP started working in Kenya 10 years ago and since then has built a reputation as a leader in pro-poor water services management. It has excellent relationships with the national regulator, Ministry of Health and regional water and sewerage companies, and has worked closely with private sector operators to help them develop businesses in the water sector.
Working with WSUP, we will support the creation of better legal and regulatory frameworks in the water sector, as well as work with informal businesses to enable them become solid enterprises. This will enable the utilities to better understand and provide services to bottom of pyramid customers, through improved data collection and capacity building.
Read more about this partnership here.
Pictured above, from left: KMT COO, Katanu Mwosa, WSUP Kenya Country Manager, Kariuki Mugo, former KMT Board Chairman, Kevit Desai, and KMT CEO, Paul Wanyagah during the signing of KMT/WSUP Partnership Agreement
|
|
|
 Kenya Markets Trust, in partnership with New Down Town Ltd and Kirinyaga County Government hosted a one-day agricultural expo in Mwea on 24 June 2016, to promote access to and effective use of certified agricultural inputs, for improved food security in the country.
Over 3,000 farmers and 40 stakeholders in agriculture including the County Government, input suppliers, traders, financial institutions, and insurance firms attended the expo.
The Expo provided an open platform where agricultural value chain actors showcased products and services including seeds, agrochemicals, fertilizers, soil testing and amendment technologies, effective crop protection and irrigation technologies and, financial solutions.
Watch this video and read more here to gain insights on the expo.
Pictured above: Input firms exhibit their products to farmers during the Mwea Inputs Expo
|
|
|
 In the Livestock Sector, KMT works to realize the huge potential of the sector in the country. This will be achieved through strategic partnerships with the national government, county governments and pastoralist communities in the 14 ASAL counties, and other private sector players along the value chain.
We recently convened a 2-day workshop themed 'Enabling Livestock Markets to Thrive - Constraints and Opportunities’, which brought together the public and key private sector firms that work along the livestock value chain to seek sustainable cross-border solutions for the sector in 8 selected ASAL counties. The counties- Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River, Isiolo, Marsabit, Samburu and Laikipia- were represented by their Executive members in charge of livestock, their chief officers, County Veterinary directors and County livestock production directors.
The workshop sought to achieve the following:
- Improve the understanding and concurrence regarding the constraints and opportunities associated with production, route to market and end markets of the livestock sector.
- Identify, prioritize and forge an action plan around key policy areas which will stimulate growth in the important economic sector for the selected counties
- Improve working relationships and linkages between the private and the public sectors at the county level in enabling livestock markets to thrive
- Influence the development of joint strategies for the key livestock sector
Read this article to find out how the workshop addressed the above objectives, including the media coverage it received.
Pictured above: A herder in Lodwar, Turkana County taking his camels to the water point.
|
|
|
 Kenya Markets Trust’s Dairy Sector Team recently visited Taita Taveta County to explore opportunities of expanding our interventions in the county. According to the County Government, the dairy sector is emerging as a potentially profitable investment for smallholder farmers, especially in the County’s upper zone. It provides nutrition, incomes and social recognition to the residents.
The County plans to strengthen the dairy cooperative movement to promote milk bulking and cooling in various areas to preserve the milk. It also plans to work with stakeholders in the industry to increase the number of dairy cows especially through the youth and women groups, as well as developing a dairy value chain strategy.
Recent trends show an increasingly demand for milk in the coastal counties. KMT sees an opportunity in facilitating increase in direct access to milk markets through established dairy hubs and support access to quality fodder by initiating fodder production through communal ranches.
In this visit, KMT interacted with Maziwa Taita and Kishushe Fodder Production Group.
Maziwa Taita is a cooperative started in 2009, with support from Brookside Dairies Ltd, to mobilize farmers to collect milk from the County. The business has since transited through several management models and is currently operating as a a cooperative.
Kishushe Hay Group, on the other hand, is a community group that comes together to harvest hay from a community ranch of about 60,000 acres. Annually, the group harvests 4,500 bales from banks of a river that cuts across the ranch. Their customers range from various county governments, to individual buyers from Nairobi as well as Rombo in Tanzania.
KMT is exploring partnership with these two firms, as well as others we will identify in the course of our work. Our aim is to drive transformational change in the dairy sector, which calls for far reaching interventions in different parts of the country.
Pictured above: Dairy cows feeding on hay.
|
|
|
 KMT received three additions to the team this month.
Naomi Mwaura joins as Finance Controller. She has over 15 years experience in Finance and Accounting in Manufacturing, Service (Education and Labour Management) and recently Real Estate Sectors. Her Last assignment was with Broll Kenya Limited, a subsidiary of Broll Property Group incorporated in South Africa and Centum Investment Company (A Kenyan firm) as the Head Of Finance and Administration.
With the fifteen Years’ experience, Naomi has successfully implemented Integrated Management Information Systems (IMIS), Process Improvement Programs & Systems, International Standards of Organisation and Management among others.
Her strengths in IMIS implementation and Management, Budget and Budgetary controls, Formulation and implementation of Finance policies and procedures, Evaluation, Measurement and Reporting among other Key Finance roles will be a valuable addition to KMT.
She is a CPA (k) holder and a Registered Member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), with a Bachelor of commercy Finance degree.
Arthur Munene joins as an Assistant Manager-Human Resources. He will be largely involved in staff capacity building and recruitment.
Arthur joins us from the Imperial Bank Ltd, where he worked in a similar role. He has also worked as a Human Resource Officer, with the Public Service Commission of Kenya.
Arthur brings on board both Public and Private sector HR working experiences and is a member of the Institute of Human Resources Management. He holds a BA-Economics & Public Administration, MA Political science, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resources Management.
He is currently a PhD student for Development Studies in the University of Nairobi.
Also joining us is Osman Adan Abdi, who will be supporting KMT with logistics in the Wajir office. Osman joins from Wajir Peace and Development Agency, a non- governmental organization in Wajir that promotes peace and cohesion in the county. In his previous role, Osman was a Logistics Assistant in charge of logistical tasks in the organization.
Abdi has a diploma in Logistics that supplements his Grade III driving qualification.
Welcome to the KMT family.
Pictured above, from left: Naomi Mwaura, Arthur Munene and Osman Adan Abdi, the new arrivals in KMT this month.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
