Tuesday, November 8, 2022 – President William Ruto has sealed a deal to construct a fertilizer plant in Kenya.
The president made the revelation while attending the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt.
According to Ruto, Kenya has entered into an agreement with a multinational firm to fast-track the development of affordable green fertilizer.
“Under the pact, Fortescue Future Industries and the Government of Kenya will work together to build a 300MW capacity generation green ammonia and green fertilizer facility by 2025,” State House wrote on Twitter.
The President affirmed that the deal that was signed in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt will further move Kenya towards achieving a green energy transition.
“The shift will help reduce our reliance on imports, check the high cost of fertilizer, and boost food production,” he said.
Fortescue Executive Chairman and Founder Dr. Andrew Forrest said the partnership will create thousands of new jobs in Kenya.
In September, the president told the country that his government, through subsidies, had reduced the cost of fertilizer from Sh6500 to Sh3500 for a 50-kg bag.
President Ruto also avowed that his administration has already made available 1.4 million bags of fertilizer to help shore up food production with the expected short rains.
“I appeal to county governments in eastern, central, and western regions where we are expecting short rains to work with us to make sure that this fertilizer is available to all farmers in that region so that we can begin the journey to increase our food production initiative,” said Ruto.
However, many Kenyans have questioned Ruto’s obsession with fertilizer as of now when the majority of them cannot put food on the table due to the biting drought.
They told him in no uncertain terms to concentrate on interventions that will put food on their table now rather than later.
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