Last week, the Strathmore Agri Food and Innovation Center had the honour of hosting PS Jonathan Mueke, the Principal Secretary, State Department for Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kenya for a courtesy visit.

PS Mueke was accompanied by Dr. Christopher Wanga, Director, Livestock Research and Regulation, Dr. Allan Azegele, Director, Veterinary Services and Mr. Bishar, Director of Livestock Production. The visit aimed to take the PS through the innovative work SAFIC is undertaking through the Africa Pastoral Market Transformation Program (APMT) as well as the other key projects within the Center.
During the visit, Prof. Simon Wagura Ndiritu, the Center Director, provided an in-depth overview of their initiatives SAFIC is undertaking with a focus on:

  • The Pastoral Markets Development (PMD) Scaling Unit where he showcased efforts to expand and enhance pastoral market development in Kenya.
  • Components of the Kenya Pastoral Market Development. Under this, Prof. Ndiritu and Prof. Ruth Kiraka discussed the strategies to improve market access and infrastructure for pastoral communities. This session also featured the experiences of three off takers who are part of the Africa Pastoral Market Transformation Program (APMT) shared their insights on challenges and opportunities in the pastoral market. The African Pastoral Markets Transformation (APMT) Program, led by Strathmore University Business School, in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group and the African Pastoral Market Development Platform under the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).
  • The Community of Practice (CoP). Highlighting the importance of collaborative networks for knowledge sharing and capacity building.

PS Jonathan Mueke applauded Prof. Simon Ndiritu and the Center team on the good work empowering pastoralists. PS Mueke further emphasized the government’s commitment to improving pastoralists livelihood and noted that the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development was keen to explore some key areas of partnership with SAFIC.

SAFIC’s mission is to be an African-led center of excellence, dedicated to empowering, enabling, and scaling agri-food innovations. The discussions with PS Mueke and his team were fruitful, and we look forward to continued collaboration to transform and elevate the agri-food landscape in Kenya and beyond.

The Strathmore Agri-Food and Innovation Center is an African-led center of excellence at SBS that seeks to empower, enable and scale agri-food innovations, and enhance the competitiveness of food systems across Africa. The Center is driven by a clear mission to enhance the transformation of the agriculture and agri-food sector in addition to facilitating and supporting innovation within strategic areas of the sector. By embracing cutting-edge technologies, a strong bias for data-driven insights, and adopting interdisciplinary approaches, we will contribute significantly to Africa’s journey towards achieving food security, sustainable development, and economic prosperity. Learn more about the Center here

Article by Juliet Hinga

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