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"content": "economical and efficient way of expanding irrigation coverage. I, therefore, urge investors to establish manufacturing plants for producing the necessary irrigations kits here in Kenya and avail them to farmers at affordable prices. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have also allocated Kshs1 billion for Agribusiness Fund. Given the agreements that we have with the banks to invest Kshs10 for every Kshs1 that the Government has invested towards risk sharing, this allocation will bring the total resources leveraged from commercial banks for Agribusiness Fund to Kshs10 billion. I expect that Fund to enhance investment in agriculture and transform it into a business venture, thus making it attractive to the private sector, and particularly to the youth. Mr. Speaker, Sir, farmers across the country are over-burdened by debts, which arose from past mismanagement of farmers’ production and marketing institutions. This has consequently had adverse effects on farm output and productivity as some farmers cannot access credit. To relieve our coffee, rice and sugar farmers, among others, from that burden, I have allocated Kshs1.5 billion towards the write-off of those debts. Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Members will recall that the Government has made significant efforts to avail subsidized fertilizer to reduce the burden of high prices to farmers. In the long run, I wish to challenge the private sector players to begin seriously to consider local production of fertilizers, so as to bring down our dependence on imports in that sector. Mr. Speaker, Sir, now turning to drought mitigation and management, due to the risk posed by drought, we will continue to set aside funds for emergency responses. In this financial year, we have set aside Kshs1.6 billion for strategic grain reserves and Kshs2 billion for famine relief activities. In addition, we have increased the Contingency Fund from the usual Kshs2 billion to Kshs5 billion to cater for other urgent and unforeseen expenditures. Mr. Speaker, Sir, allow me to turn to youth employment and engagement. To increase labour absorption of our youth, we have carried forward the youth empowerment programmes initiated in the current financial year. The Kenya Youth Empowerment Project has been funded to the tune of Kshs491 million to cater for labour intensive works and social services, in addition to providing training and passing on the relevant work experience and enhancing the employability of youth working together with the private sector. I have also enhanced the Youth Enterprise Development Fund and the Women Enterprise Development Fund by Kshs550 million and Kshs450 million, respectively. I wish to call upon the youth of this country to take advantage of that Fund and borrow to start their own business ventures. I also urge the management of those Funds to enhance results. Given some of the recent challenges with the management of those Funds, the Government will undertake a comprehensive review of the existing framework to determine viability of alternative delivery mechanism, including transforming those enterprises into a bank of channelling such funds through commercial banks. Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me now turn to the settlement of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The Government has, over the last four years, allocated funds to settle those fellow Kenyans, who were displaced during the post-election violence. I am happy to report that we are now on the last phase of that exercise. To bring closure to the issue of IDPs, I have allocated Kshs1.8 billion. This will bring the total amount spent on IDPs resettlement to Kshs15 billion since the year 2008. We now expect that the entire affected"
}