Mudavadi endorses Kenya’s role as host of Africa Horticulture Centre

Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has wholeheartedly endorsed the Africa Horticulture Centre (AHC) project, vouching for Kenya's role as its continental hub. The AHC is set to be a strategic platform for advancing horticultural research, innovation, skills development, and investment across the African continent. During a meeting with Co-operative University of Kenya (CUK) Chancellor Dr. Benard Chitunga, Mudavadi learned of the institution's readiness to nurture the Centre following the Cabinet's approval of the Chancellor's Legacy Programme.

The talks emphasized the operational readiness needed to ensure the Centre achieves a continental impact, particularly through support from the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.

The AHC is envisioned as an intergovernmental, autonomous, non-profit organization headquartered in Nairobi. Its mission encompasses a range of activities centered around research, skills training, data intelligence, policy dialogue, enterprise support, and technology commercialization. The Centre's four pillars include the AHC Academy for training various stakeholders, HortiStat for data and market intelligence, Policy and Business Advisory for strategic guidance, and the Innovation Oasis for applied research and technological advancements.

Mudavadi highlighted that while Africa's horticulture sector, which includes fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, flowers, and ornamentals, is valued at USD 50–60 billion annually, it only contributes less than 10 percent of the agricultural GDP and accounts for only about five percent of global horticultural exports. The AHC aims to address issues such as fragmented research, inadequate investment, weak commercialization, limited market data, capacity gaps, and high post-harvest losses.

By establishing a presence in Nairobi, the Centre intends to facilitate collaboration among governments, research institutions, development partners, and the private sector, thereby enhancing intra-African trade, value addition, and standards harmonization.

Mudavadi expressed appreciation for CUK's willingness to serve as the incubator for this initiative and underscored the importance of sustained government support to transform Kenya's horticultural expertise into broader regional prosperity and resilience. The endorsement of the AHC by Mudavadi marks a significant step towards realizing the Centre's vision of leveraging Kenya's horticultural prowess to drive continental agricultural development and economic gains.