Japan’s ODA to Kenya

2009/2/1
Last Updated: 1st of February 2009
 

1. Significance of Japan ’s Economic Cooperation to Kenya

Kenya occupies a geographically important position in East Africa and plays leading political and economic roles. Kenya also contributes to stabilization of peace and security in the region. The relationship with Japan has been favorable, thus maintaining and developing a stable relationship has great significance.

  Kenya has a high potential of development in Sub-Saharan Africa such as geographical conditions and relatively high education standards and makes efforts towards democratization and economic reform. Assisting Kenya ’s effort through Japan ’s ODA will be very meaningful in terms of priority subjects of the ODA charter, such as “poverty reduction” and “sustainable development”.

 

2. Basic Principles

Kenya laid down “Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS) for Wealth and Employment” in June, 2003. Afterwards, it was updated to “Investment Program for the ERS”, so called “IP-ERS” to be supported by the World Bank and IMF as Kenyan PRSP.

IP-ERS focuses on “Recovery and acceleration of economic development”, “Equity and poverty reduction” and “Improvement of governance”. Japan , as one of the major donors in Kenya , has been assisting Kenya ’s effort through implementation of  IP-ERS  with the following principles.
  1. Respecting Kenya ’s ownership and intention as much as possible and avoiding donor’s supply-driven aid.
  2. Giving greater importance in assisting Kenya ’s self-help efforts and limiting charity-type aid which tends to foster dependency.
  3. Considering Japan ’s comparative advantage and utilizing Japan ’s own experience and expertise.
  4. If appropriate, adopting regional approach with a spill over effect towards surrounding countries.
  5. Taking notes for Kenya ’s governance, considering cost-effectiveness of aid, and working towards improving quality and effectiveness of aid towards Kenya .
Note: The government of Kenya is now working on “VISION2030” and a follow-up of IP-ERS which covers January 2008 to December 2012.

 

3. General Outline

Considering the basic principles above, Japan implement assistance towards Kenya with the following five priority areas based on “ Japan ’s Country Assistance Program for the Republic of Kenya ” designed in August 2000.

(1) Human Resources Development
(a) Primary and Secondary Education
  • Teacher training for improvement of quality or method of teaching of Mathematics and Science in secondary education through “Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE)”
  • Improvement of facilities such as primary school through Grassroots / Human Security Grant Scheme
(b) Higher and Technical Education
  • Human resources development associated with institutions such as universities in neighboring countries so as to have a spill-over effect inside and outside the region through African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD)
 
(2) Agriculture and Rural Development
  • Rural development in semi-arid area
  • Development of poor rural community through “Unprivileged farmers assistance “
  • Rural development for corresponding to market through small irrigation or small horticulture assistance
 
(3) Economic Infrastructure
  • Improvement of transportation infrastructure such as alleviation of traffic jams in Nairobi urban area and highway network development
  • Energy support such as electric power development
  • Trade and industry development

  (4) Health and medical services
  • Prevention of HIV/AIDS
  • Prevention of infectious diseases such as safety of blood transfusion
  • Regional health service improvement such as in Western region
  • Human resources development based on the past assistance towards KEMRI
  • Establishment of school dispensary and development of VCT center through Grassroots and Human Security Grant Scheme

  (5) Environmental conservation
  • Forest creation and conservation through “Social forestry strengthening project”
  • Improvement of environment management capacity
  • Development of underground water resources in arid and semi-arid area
  • Water supply improvement and water resources management in urban area
 

4. Past performance

Unit: Billion yen
 
Financial Year
Loan
Grant
Technical Cooperation
Total of Grant and TC
Total
2001
-
4.8
3.1
7.9
7.9
2002
-
1.0
2.7
3.8
3.8
2003
10.6
1.4
2.8
4.2
14.8
2004
-
2.0
3.2
5.2
5.2
2005
-
2.6
3.0
5.9
5.9
2006
5.6
3.7
2.9
6.6
12.2

（Loan and Grant are E/N based, TC is JICA expenditure based）
 
 
Reference : DAC countries ODA towards Kenya (N et base, Unit: Million USD ）
 
Year
1
2
3
4
5
 Japan's Amount
Total
2001
 UK
55.1		 JAPAN
46.7		 US
43.4		 GERMANY
32.5		 NETHERLANDS
23.1
46.7
 270.5
2002
 US
102.4		 UK
54.4		 GERMANY
27.1		 FRANCE
17.6		 JAPAN
17.4
17.4
 288.1
2003
 US
11.2		 UK
79.4		 GERMANY
35.4		 SWEDEN
25.6		 FRANCE
20.5
-6.6
 320.3
2004
 US
140.9		 JAPAN
70.9		 UK
45.8		 GERMANY
41.7		 FRANCE
32.2
70.9
 470.7
2005
 US
137.8		 UK
86.3		 JAPAN
60.9		 GERMANY
49.6		 FRANCE
42.1
60.9
 376.7
2006
 US
282.4		 UK
107.8		 JAPAN
106.2		 SWEDEN
51.9		 GERMANY
45.4
106.2
 761.2
 

5. Process of Project Formation

  1. For grant scheme and technical cooperation, new project proposals formations start in March. After a number of consultations between Japan and Kenya government, annual policy dialogue of economic cooperation between the two governments is held in August. After the consultation, the proposals are submitted to headquarters of the ministry of foreign affairs in Tokyo .
  2.  For Loan scheme, proposals from Kenyan government are accepted throughout the year, but the adoption is decided in consideration of the state of implementation of ongoing projects, debt repayment capacity and efforts towards anti-corruption.
 

6. Coordination with other partners

To make economic cooperation to Kenya more effective and efficient, Japan sees aid coordination with other partners is important, thus actively participates in the following coordination framework in Kenya .
  (1) Kenya Coordination Group (KCG)
This is the dialogue sphere between Kenya government and donors. KCG is chaired by the Finance Minister and is held as the need arises.
 
(2) Donor Coordination Group (DCG)
Major donors participate in DCG meetings regularly chaired by the World Bank to exchange opinions and information regarding Kenya ’s politics, economy and development issues.
 
(3) Harmonisation, Alignment and Coordination (HAC)
17 partners who have signed the Paris Declaration have regular HAC meetings to carry on harmonisation agendas in Kenya . In September 2007, the government and the partners launched “Kenya Joint Assistance Strategy (KJAS)”. 

 

7. Ongoing Economic Cooperation Projects  ( As of February, 2009)

(1) Human Resources Development
  • Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education (SMASSE)
  • African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD)
  • Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Government of Kenya
  • Expert for Development of Slum Areas
  • Crime Prevention, Rehabilitation and Protection of Vulnerable Children
  • In Country Training for Strengthening the Capacity of Grassroots Women for Socio-Economic Development

(2) Agriculture and Rural Development
  • Community Agricultural Development Project in Semi Arid Lands (CADSAL)
  • Smallholder Horticultural Empowerment Project (SHEP)
  • Project for Sustainable Smallholder Irrigation Development and Management in Central and Southern Kenya (SIDEMAN)

(3) Economic Infrastructure
  • Specialized Road Maintenance Management Unit
  • Trade Training Programme for SME Exporters
  • One village One Product (OVOP) Project
  • Strengthening of Fiscal and Monetary System
  • Project on Capacity Building for Customs Officers
  • Third Country Training for Remote Sensing for Mapping
  • Strengthening of Survey of Kenya for GIS Promotion
  • Sondu-Miriu / Sangoro hydropower plant project (Loan)
  • Mombasa port expansion project (Loan)

(4) Health and Medical Services
  • Blood Safety Project
  • Strengthening of People Empowerment Against HIV/AIDS in Kenya(SPEAK)
  • Expert for School Health and Coordination
  • Expert for Community Health Development in Taita-Taveta District
  • Third Country Training on School based Parasite Control
  • Third Country Training for Nursing Refresher Course for Sudan
  • Third Country Training for VCT Counselor for Sudan
  • In Country Training for Improvement of Medical Engineering Capacity
  • Improvement of District Hospitals in the Western Region (Grant Aid)
  • Project for HIV/AIDS Control (Grant Aid)

(5) Environment Conservation
  • Improvement of Environmental Management Capacity in Nakuru
  • Intensified Social Forestry Project in Semi Arid Areas(ISFP)
  • Expert for Water Supply
  • Expert for Kasigau Community Water and Sanitation Project
  • Third Country Training for Enhancement of adoption of Social Forestry in Africa　
  • Study on Integrated Flood Management for Nyando River Basin
  • Study for Integrated Flood Management for Nyando River Basin 
  • Project for Rural Water Supply (Grant Aid)
 

■ Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) and Senior Volunteers (SV)

JOCV: 48 volunteers  
SV  :  1 volunteer
 

■ Grassroots / Human Security Grant Aid

Performance of FY2007: 9 projects adopted amounting to about 0.76 million USD
 

■ Others

Food Aid (via WFP), Non-Project Grant Aid

Back to Top