• The minister toured an innovation centre at Strathmore University, inspected energy-saving cookstoves, cost-effective farming methods without soils, smart irrigation among others.
• Prehn said there several good ideas that change problems into solutions.
Image: Gilbert Koech
The government of Denmark yesterday praised Kenya's efforts in recycling, circular economy and waste management.
Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Rasmus Prehn made the remarks when his delegation visited various projects being funded by his government under Danida— its cooperation agency.
"The model is good [...] you are changing problems into solutions," Prehn said after touring the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre at Strathmore University.
The Innovation Centr provides support to accelerate the development, deployment and transfer of local climate and clean energy technologies.
The centre provides incubation, training and financing to Kenyan entrepreneurs and ventures developing innovations in energy, water and agribusiness to address climate change challenges.
It is supported by the World Bank's infoDev programme and is the first in a global network of climate innovation centres being launched by infoDev's Climate Technology Programme.
It is funded by the United Kingdom's UKaid and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The minister inspected energy-saving cookstoves, cost-effective farming methods without soils, smart irrigation among others.
"There are too many intelligent entrepreneurs in this country," he said.
Prehn said there several good ideas that change problems into solutions.
"There are so many things Kenya and Denmark can do. I'm very happy about what I have seen," he said.
Environment PS Betty Maina represented CS Keriako Tobiko.
Maina said the ministry and the centre have worked closely, with the support of Danida.
The partnership, she said, has impacted thousands of livelihoods and shaped the climate change agenda and support of businesses.
Maina said the close collaboration has resulted in the formulation of major policies and shaped their implementation.
"We can assure you that as a government, we shall continue supporting the interventions by KCIC," she said.
Maina said climate change is a serious and significant agenda and the private sector has to be brought in.
Maina said a recent National Economic Survey report by the Central Bank of Kenya indicated that SMEs constitute 98 per cent of all business in Kenya, create 30 per cent of the jobs annually as well as contribute 3 per cent of the GDP.
In the afternoon, Prehn also toured plastic bottles recycling company at Baba Dogo in Nairobi.