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Hello Folks! Agriculture receives a sizable chunk of spending in each budget cycle. However, farmers and consumers do not feel its impact. Today, we delve into the Kenyan Government's Agricultural Interventions: 🧵 1. WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS ON AGRICULTURE IN KENYA?

📄National Value Chain Development Project: This program supports priority value chains such as maize, coffee and horticulture by improving farmer access to inputs, extension services, storage and markets.

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Hello Folks! Since independence, Kenya has been grappling with a food insecurity challenge. But what is being done to remedy the situation? Today, we delve into the state of food security in Kenya: 🧵 1. HOW MUCH FOOD IS PRODUCED IN KENYA COMPARED TO NATIONAL DEMAND?

🌽Maize: Kenya produced about 4.29 million tonnes of maize against a national demand of 4.0 million tonnes (107% of demand)
Wheat: Wheat production stood at 310,000 tonnes compared to a demand of 2.1 – 2.4....

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Hello Folks! Agriculture is a source of livelihood for most Kenyans. But why is agriculture important to Kenya's economy? Today, we delve into the place of agriculture in Kenya’s economy: 🧵 1. WHAT IS THE PLACE OF AGRICULTURE UNDER GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT AGENDAS?

✡️Vision 2030: It seeks to transform the agricultural sector from subsistence farming into a modern and commercially competitive industry that drives food security, poverty reduction and economic growth.

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Hello Folks! Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic shift in the geopolitical landscape. Today, we delve into how Kenya is balancing between competing global interests and how it aligns with her Foreign Policy: 🧵 1. WHAT ARE THE COMPETING INTERNATIONAL INTERESTS KENYA HAS TO BALANCE?

⭐USA vs. China: Kenya was designated a major non-NATO ally of the United States in May 2024, reflecting deepening military and security cooperation. At the same time, China is Kenya’s largest...

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Hello Folks! In its quest to becoming an African diplomatic giant, Kenya has invested heavily in multilateralism. Today, we delve into how Kenya has exercised soft power and the dividends so far: 🧵 1. HOW HAS KENYA CEMENTED ITS DIPLOMATIC POSITION INTERNATIONALLY?

🌐United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON): Kenya hosts UNON, the only UN headquarters in the Global South. This makes Nairobi a hub for debates on environment, development and humanitarian issues.

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Hello Folks! Kenya has been a regional anchor in Peace and Security. Today, we delve into how Kenya has played this role and the various opportunities and challenges it has presented: 🧵 1. WHAT ROLE HAS KENYA PLAYED IN MEDIATING REGIONAL CONFLICTS?

💡Sudan (North-South Conflict): Kenya hosted the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace talks between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).

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Hello Folks! Diplomacy exists in many forms. Top of Kenya's agenda is Economic Diplomacy. Today, we delve into Kenya's Trade and Economic Diplomacy as we kickstart our DIPLOMACY SERIES: 🧵 1. IN WHAT FORMS DOES KENYA'S BILATERAL ECONOMIC AND TRADE DIPLOMACY MANIFEST?

🤝Kenya–United Kingdom Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA): The UK and Kenya agreed a continuity EPA that took effect to maintain tariff-free access for many Kenyan exports after the UK left the EU.

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Hello Folks! What happens when one is unable to purchase essential products from their income? They borrow. Today, we delve into the interconnection between trade deficits and the debt trap: 🧵 1. WHAT IS THE LINK BETWEEN TRADE DEFICITS AND THE DEBT TRAP?

💵External Borrowing to Finance Imports: Trade deficits force governments to borrow externally to cover gaps between imports and exports. Kenya, for instance...

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Hello Folks! For trade to happen, goods need to be transported from one place to another. But what happens when there are bottlenecks in this system? Today, we delve into inefficiencies and opportunities in logistics and their impact on Trade: 🧵 1. WHAT INEFFICIENCIES EXIST IN THE VARIOUS MODES OF TRANSPORT AND WHAT IS THEIR EFFECT ON TRADE?

🚂Rail: Africa’s railways are fragmented, under-maintained and poorly connected to ports; causing delays and high costs. For example, moving goods from the DRC border to Durban...

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Hello Folks! Kenya is a participant in global trade. The rapid shifts in the existing world trade order have led to uncertainty. Today, we delve into the position of Kenya in the global trade: 🧵 1. WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS TRADE AGREEMENTS KENYA IS PARTY TO AND WHERE DO THEY STAND?

🚚African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA – U.S.): AGOA gives Kenya duty-free access to the U.S. market, especially for textiles, apparel, and agricultural goods.

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Hello Folks! Kenya is a large exporter of raw and intermediate goods. But why is Kenya yet to transition to high value exports? Today, we delve into the slow development of exports and opportunities in the horizon: 🧵 1. WHY IS KENYA STUCK AT LOW VALUE EXPORTS?

⭐Over-dependence on Traditional Crops: Kenya still relies on bulk tea and green coffee exports, mostly unprocessed.

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Hello Folks! Over the past few weeks, we have delved into Kenya's Trade and Economic Landscape. Today, we delve into balances of trade as we look at the STRUCTURAL ISSUES IN KENYA'S TRADE LANDSCAPE this week: 1. WHAT DOES KENYA TRADE AND WHO DOES IT TRADE WITH?

🚢Exports (Ksh 932.15 Billion)
🍵Tea (2024): Total Exports - 594,500 tonnes
Tea Earnings - KSh 215.21 Billion
Key Buyers - Pakistan, Egypt, UK, UAE, Russia

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Hello Folks! It is evident that Kenyan manufacturing as a share of GDP has been on a decline.However, is the future any better? Today, we look at Policy Shifts, Emerging Technologies and Global Best Practices that will shape the future of Kenya's industrialization:🧵 1. WHICH POLICY REFORMS ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED TO SPUR INDUSTRIALIZATION?

📄The Updated Industrial Policy:
The Government plans to review and modernize Kenya’s industrialization policy and enact an Industrialization Bill. It is expected to...

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Hello Folks! Development in Manufacturing and Industrialization can only be achieved through consistent, systematic and strategic government policy. Today, we look at Laws and Policies guiding INDUSTRIALIZATION in Kenya: 🧵 1. WHICH KENYAN LAWS GOVERN INDUSTRIALIZATION?

📖The Constitution of Kenya – The Constitution guarantees property rights, (art 40), fair competition(art 46) and environmental protection (art 42). It allows counties to promote local industries (Chap 11)...

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Hello Folks! Every day, we consume manufactured products. From apparel to construction materials to chemicals; these products improve our quality of life. Today, we delve into the evolution and state of the MANUFACTURING SECTOR in Kenya: 🧵 1. HOW HAS KENYA'S MANUFACTURING SECTOR EVOLVED OVER TIME?

⭐Colonial Era(1885–1963):
Manufacturing under colonial rule was small, export-oriented and tightly linked to settler agriculture. Policies and infrastructure decisions were aimed at extracting...

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Hello Folks! Ports and Airports are the Gateways to Kenya. But are they well equipped to support Vision 2030? Today we delve into Kenya's Ports and Airport infrastructure, capacity and development: 🧵 1. WHAT ARE THE KEY VISION 2030 TARGETS REGARDING PORTS AND AIRPORTS?

✅Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Modernization - Expand and modernize JKIA to handle increased passenger and cargo traffic,

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Hello Folks! Rail transport is considered the safest and most convenient mass transit system. However, what is its state in Kenya? Today, we delve into the origins and state of rail transport in Kenya: 🧵 1. WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF RAIL TRANSPORT IN KENYA?

Construction of the first railway in Kenya began in 1896 at Mombasa, reaching Kisumu in 1901. It was constructed by Indian and African workers. Below, are the MGR lines:

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Hello Folks! We travel on roads daily. But do we understand the various types of roads? Today, we delve into classification of roads and major projects: 🧵 1. WHAT IS THE TOTAL ROAD NETWORK IN KENYA?

Kenya has a total of 239,122 km as of 2024, according to the Kenya Roads Board (KRB). 57,030 km are categorized as national trunk roads while 182,092 km are categorized as county roads.

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Hello Folks! This week, we have explored Kenya's food sources, initiatives being undertaken to boost food security and challenges facing the sector. But what does the future hold? Today, we delve into the future of Agriculture in Kenya: 🧵 1. WHAT INITIATIVES STAND TO BOOST FOOD PRODUCTIVITY IN KENYA?

🧑‍💻In 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock rolled out the Kenya Agricultural Market Information System (KAMIS) targeting avail real time market data eg.prices to small scale farmers.

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Hello Folks! Over 80% of Kenyans depend on agriculture directly or indirectly for their livelihoods. However, the sector faces a multitude of challenges. Today, we delve into challenges facing agriculture in Kenya: 🧵 1. WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FACED AT THE FARMER LEVEL?

🏦Lack of access to credit - Less than 4%vof small scale farmers have access to credit. Even those who access it have challenges in repayment due to high interest rates and poor crop earnings.

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Hello Folks! We have examined the Energy Sector, its successes and challenges. Today, we delve into the future of the Energy Sector in Kenya: 🧵 1. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF ENERGY IN KENYA?

⭐Net Metering -

Net metering, formalized through the Energy (Net-Metering) Regulations, 2024 allows consumers to generate electricity