With support from Crimson under the USAID-funded Competiveness and Trade Expansion (COMPETE) project, the Kenya School for Monetary Studies (KSMS) honored graduates of its first cohort of the Regional Certificate in Agricultural Finance Program on September 7, 2011 and the College of Insurance (CoI) held the official launch of its Regional Certificate in Agricultural Insurance Program on September 27, 2011. The programs are nationally recognized, certified programs, which will be rolled out to the East and Central Africa region.

USAID East Africa Regional Director Lawrence Meserve spoke at the September 7th formal launch of the Certificate in Agricultural Finance at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies (KSMS) in Nairobi. The Secretary General of the East African Community, Dr. Richard Sezibera, the Kenya Minister for Agriculture Dr. Sally Kosgei and the Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, Professor Njuguna Ndung’u also delivered remarks. The Certificate in Agricultural Finance (CAF) is a three-module program that targets participants from commercial banks, Micro-finance Institutions (MFIs), Agricultural SACCOs and the Ministries of Trade, Agriculture Livestock and Industry and is intended to equip participants with practical knowledge, skills and attitudes that will enable them to professionally perform agricultural lending related duties. CAF’s objective is to integrate internships and practical projects in its curriculum through a case study approach. The Certificate in Agricultural Finance kicked off in earnest on 12 April, 2011 with 37 participants from four East African countries (Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda) who were selected to take part in the first module of the course. The trainees followed up their classroom training with internships at their places of work.

The Hon. Alhaji Kaddunabbi I. Lubega, Commissioner of Insurance, Uganda; Mr. I.L. Kamuzora, Commissioner of Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority; and Mr. Sammy Makove, CEO of the Kenya Insurance Regulatory Authority spoke at the September 27 launch of the Regional Certificate in Agricultural Insurance Program. The Regional Agricultural Insurance Certificate course will focus on the historical development of agricultural insurance, the risks associated with it, and the roles that various agencies play. Participants will also learn underwriting of crop insurance and claims procedures of agricultural insurance. Course participants include representatives from insurance companies, financial institutions, the National Meteorological Department and national insurance regulators from the East Africa region.

Crimson supports KSMS and CoI programs with curricula development as part of the USAID-funded Competiveness and Trade Expansion (COMPETE) project, under a subcontract to Chemonics International.