EU steps up economic partnership with Kenya to boost job creation

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

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Today, the European Commission announced two new programmes totalling €31 million to boost investment and create jobs in Kenya. In Nairobi, European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen said: “We have a close and valued partnership with Kenya, driven by common objectives and aligned with the Africa-Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs and Kenya’s Big Four Agenda. I’m delighted to announce these new programmes today, which will deepen our economic partnership, boost Kenya’s economic potential, improve the investment climate, and create jobs. They are further evidence of our mutually beneficial cooperation to promote sustainable development to eradicate poverty.” The two programmes will support strategic dialogue and strengthen the EU-Kenya economic partnership:

• €26 million will be directed at reforms of Kenya’s public finances to promote economic stability, improve service delivery and tackle poverty.

• €5 million will target economic cooperation and national policy reforms. It will also provide technical support for implementing Kenya’s Vision 2030 and ‘Big 4′ agenda.

During her visit to Kenya, Commissioner Urpilainen held talks with, amongst others, President Uhuru Kenyatta and acting Treasury Minister Ukur Yatani to discuss future bilateral cooperation between Kenya and the EU. She also gave a keynote speech at the 9^th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) and met young leaders to exchange with them on political, economic and social issues and learn about their priorities for Kenya’s development. On Sunday, she visited the Kalobeyei refugee settlement, where the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa works with UN partners to ensure that refugees and the host community live together peacefully, have access to social services and develop economic ties to build sustainable livelihoods. Background  The EU’s cooperation with Kenya amounts to €435 million for the period 2014-2020. The country also benefits from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa – with over €58.3 million for 2015-2019. In 2018, the European Union and its Member States present in Kenya signed the second phase of their Joint Programming strategy, supporting the priorities of the Kenyan government’s ‘Big 4′ Agenda, which seeks to boost manufacturing, food and nutrition, security, affordable housing and universal health coverage. The first European Joint Cooperation Strategy (2014 – 2017) was aligned with Kenya’s National Development Plan (Vision 2030). For More Information To find out more about EU development cooperation with Kenya, click here. To find out more about the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, click here. To find out more about the Africa-Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs, click here. For images of the visit, click here.