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Development Cooperation with Kenya
The German Federal Government believes that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are key to realizing a peaceful, secure, and more equitable world and that they can only be achieved through joint efforts within the international community. Germany therefore assists its partner countries to realize the SDGs through development cooperation. It does so in a spirit of partnership that is based on respect and reciprocity, presupposes a readiness on both sides to embrace structural change, and the will to recognise and champion the priorities of the other side. In doing so, the German government stands by shared values and interests: Human rights, the rule of law, democracy, sustainability & social standards, as well as gender equality, all of which are firmly established in the SDGs as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Kenya is an important partner country of German development cooperation since 1963. It is a driving economic force and an important economic hub in Eastern Africa, a world leader on renewable energy, while simultaneously playing the critical role of an anchor state in regional security. In the past six decades, Germany has made a total of 2.5 billion Euros available for bilateral development cooperation with Kenya. During the most recent round of government negotiations on development cooperation held in 2022, the German government committed another 153 million Euros as part of new funding for the period 2022-2024.
The German organizations KfW and GIZ are the lead implementing agencies responsible for carrying out projects of German development cooperation.
Please find more information on the three priority areas of German development cooperation with Kenya as well as other areas of cooperation here:
The objective of Kenyan-German Development Cooperation in the energy sector is to achieve environmentally friendly, cost-effective and reliable energy supply for all Kenyans, focusing on geothermal, solar, hydro and wind power. In November 2022, a Climate and Development Partnership was agreed between Germany and Kenya, which aims to intensify cooperation in the areas of climate mitigation and adaptation by supporting the development of renewable energies and improving the resilience of agricultural systems.
Germany helps to create employment opportunities for young people in the food and agriculture sector in Kenya and supports farmers to improve their productivity, including through measures related to drought resilience and adaptation to the effects of climate change.
Germany supports Kenya in its efforts to boost youth employment by offering industry-oriented technical and vocational training in close cooperation with the private sector and supporting the growth of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
In addition to the three priority areas of cooperation, German development cooperation is also working with the Kenyan government to fight corruption, support refugees and improve migration management. Moreover, the German government also finances activities of German political foundations, religious institutions and local as well as international civil society organisations in Kenya. In the past, Germany has also supported Kenya in its endeavours to strengthen the water and health sectors through bilateral development cooperation.
Germany currently ranks as the fifth largest bilateral Development Partner of Kenya.
Besides bilateral cooperation, Germany is also one of the biggest providers of funding to the EU as well as for regional and international organisations such as the United Nations, the World Bank and the African Development Bank. All three levels - bilateral, European and multilateral cooperation – are important pillars of German development cooperation with Kenya.
In close cooperation with the German Investment and Development Corporation - DEG, Delegation of German Industry and Commerce for Eastern Africa - AHK, Kenya Private Sector Alliance - KEPSA and many other partners, German development cooperation in Kenya seeks to involve the private sector in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. This is important, since as a middle income country, Kenya’s private sector provides 70% of the jobs and contributes 80% of the GDP.
Throughout all areas, Germany’s development cooperation is guided by a feminist development policy. Sustainable development will only be possible when gender equality becomes reality, because only equal opportunities guarantee strong societies and economic prosperity. That is why the German government aims to actively address gender inequalities and explicitly promote women, girls and other marginalised groups in all its development activities and to ensure their equal participation. A feminist development policy also involves championing marginalised groups such as people with disabilities and LGBTQI+ individuals and their rights.