ADB loans and grants for food security and education

The African Development Bank (ADB) and the Kenyan government on Wednesday signed two loan agreements and two grant protocols to support efforts to achieve food security in rural communities and to improve secondary school infrastructure. The accords were signed between the Kenyan finance minister, David Mwiraria, and ADB President Omar Kabbaj, who was on a working visit to Kenya, the bank said in a statement. It said US $26.73 million in soft loans and $5.37 million in grants would be made available for the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands-based Livestock and Rural Livelihood Project. The livestock project aims to help 21 communities in arid and semiarid regions to improve their livelihood and ensure food security through improved livestock production, marketing and support for drought management. A further $35.2 million in loans and $5.27 million in grants, would be made available for an education project that will improve physical facilities in 350 secondary schools across the country. The Education III project would also ease access to secondary education and non-formal education for disadvantaged children. "The project will increase access and improve the quality of teaching of science and mathematics in secondary schools in poor areas of the country," Mwiraria said at the signing. Kabbaj said that there were more projects in the pipeline for Kenya. He told government ministers he was happy with the relations between Kenya and the bank but called for improvement in project implementation. "We are taking steps on our side to obtain results in a timely manner, reviewing our procedures, opening up country offices across the region," said Kabbaj. "You have to do your part," he added.