Press Releases

Friday, July 7, 2017 - 8:15am

NAIROBI, Kenya (July 7, 2017) – Today the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) East Africa Trade and Investment Hub (the Hub) signed a grant with Generation Program Kenya Limited, a local subsidiary of the McKinsey Social Initiative, to create 2,000 full-time jobs and provide over 100,000 hours in skills development for young people in the apparel industry.

Working hand-in-hand with Kenya’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers and apparel companies, the pilot program will set up and equip seven training centers throughout Kenya and screen 4,000 youth for participation. The pilot activities include recruitment, training and job placement in the apparel industry. 

By the end of the program, the 2,000 trained Kenyan youth will help address the skills gap that currently hinders growth in the apparel sector in Kenya.  In addition, the goal of the pilot is to create a sustainable and replicable model for apparel sector skills development throughout East Africa.

Postharvest Technologies Competition Winners
Wednesday, May 10, 2017 - 10:30am

Today, panelists for the East Africa Postharvest Technologies Competition 2017 selected three innovators to split $30,000 in seed capital to scale up and disseminate their technologies to reduce postharvest food losses. Poor postharvest practices currently result in the loss of 60 percent of all food that is produced in Africa.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017 - 2:15pm

Today in Nairobi, U.S. Ambassador Robert F. Godec helped launch East Africa’s agribusiness reality TV show “Don’t Lose the Plot,” which was supported by the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future initiative and the United States Agency of International Development (USAID).

Wednesday, October 19, 2016 - 4:00pm

Today, Power Africa announced a new partnership arrangement with the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) and the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP) focused on increasing regional power interconnections and generation among the Nile Equatorial Lakes countries.

Monday, October 10, 2016 - 7:45am

Today, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) launched a five-year Regional Development Objectives Grant Agreement at the 19th COMESA Summit, held this year in Madagascar. Through this agreement, USAID will contribute approximately $77 million to strengthen the collaborative partnership between the two organizations and implement regional trade, investment, and agriculture development programs that contribute to their common goals

Tuesday, June 28, 2016 - 9:00am

On July 29, 2016, the United States Agency for International Development for Kenya and East Africa (USAID/KEA) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) will sign a five-year Regional Development Objectives Grant Agreement. The agreement describes IGAD and USAID’s shared development priorities to promote sustainable regional economic integration; improve systems to respond to development risks, such as those related to climate change, drought and violent extremism; and strengthen IGAD’s organizational leadership.

Monday, June 20, 2016 - 2:00am

Over 100 rising young East African leaders met in Nairobi, Kenya from June 15–17, 2016 to discuss the role of youth in driving sustainable development and a prosperous future for Africa. Discussions focused on inclusive development, innovation and entrepreneurship, and peace and security

Friday, June 3, 2016 - 9:45am

Yesterday, the Kipeto Wind Park, a project supported by U.S. President Barack Obama’s Power Africa initiative, signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Kenya Power to provide clean, sustainable energy to the people of Kenya. The 100-megawatt (MW), grid-connected power facility -- which will be constructed in Kajiado County with land leased from the Maasai community -- will be one of the first utility-scale wind projects to generate electricity in Kenya.

Thursday, April 24, 2014 - 8:15am

The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi is proud to announce that 46 Kenyans have been invited to participate in the first ever Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) Washington Fellowship. These outstanding young Kenyan leaders will travel to the United States in June with over 450 other young African leaders for a six week program at one of 20 prestigious U.S. universities, and will participate in a conference in Washington, D.C. hosted by President Obama.