- Laikipia and Sidian Bank deepen cooperation through new partnership
- Coffee seedling drive targets young farmers in the county
- Agreement opens wider banking and financing opportunities for Laikipia County
Laikipia County has signed a partnership with Sidian Bank that will put Ksh300,000 into a coffee seedling drive for young farmers and open the way to wider banking services for the county government.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday in Rumuruti, at the office of Governor Joshua Irungu, who presided over the ceremony. Sidian Bank Chief Commercial Officer David Nyamu led a team of regional and national officials. Irungu, for his part, was flanked by senior county officers.
The bank’s first commitment is the Ksh300,000 for Laikipia’s coffee revitalisation programme. The money will buy seedlings, and young people are the main target. The county hopes the support will draw more youth into coffee growing and lift incomes across the sector.
Irungu said counties and financial institutions can achieve more when they pool resources. In his view, such partnerships improve service delivery and back programmes that reach residents directly. He described the seedlings as a practical first step towards a broader relationship built around livelihoods, enterprise and economic activity in Laikipia.
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Beyond coffee, the agreement sets a framework for cooperation in several areas. These include revenue collection, investment products, credit, banking for county projects and a staff banking scheme.
Sidian will also work with the county on financing pending bills. However, that support comes with conditions. It depends on the bank’s lending criteria, Treasury and county guarantees, approvals from the county Assembly and the Treasury, and budget provision in the relevant financial year.
The deal also allows for training and skills programmes, which the bank would deliver with development finance institutions and other partners. In addition, Sidian may back selected county events case by case, through funding, knowledge sharing and donations.
To keep the two sides in step, the bank will assign dedicated relationship staff to the county. They will handle statement queries, cash management and collection transactions. Meanwhile, annual work plans will spell out the agreed activities and what each party will contribute.
By Benedict Aoya
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