Makueni is the first county to receive an investment grant from the European Union under the Instruments for Devolution Advice and Support (IDEAS) program.
The one million Euro grant will fund the mango and fruit processing plant in the county.
Stefano A. Dejak, Ambassador of the European Union to Kenya said: “The signature of the grant agreement with Makueni County marks an important milestone under the IDEAS programme, the European Union’s flagship programme to support devolution in Kenya. The Makueni Mango processing project will boost income of mango farmers, increase employment, and generate revenues for Makueni County.”
The IDEAS Program
IDEAS is a program between the Government of Kenya and the European Union that began on September 25, 2014. The program aims to facilitate the implementation of devolution in Kenya by offering the relevant stakeholders with the capacity to achieve this goal.
The program’s total grants are valued at about Sh3.1 billion with 15 million Euros set aside for the 15 counties selected by the Council of Governors and the Ministry of Devolution and Planning (MoDP). The counties were asked to write proposals and get grants of up to one million Euros.
“The total investment in Makueni County under the IDEAS programme is Ksh 142,194,956. The county contribution is Ksh 32,194,956. The Makueni County Fruit Processing plant is one of my flagship projects with an objective of reducing post-harvest losses and increasing market competitiveness for the local farmers,” Prof Kivutha Kibwana, Governor Makueni County said.
