President William Ruto and the President of AfDB Akinwumi Adesina
President William Ruto on Monday conferred AfDB President and Chairman of the Board Akinwumi Adesina with the Chief of the Order of Golden Heart (CGH) award at State House, Nairobi.
The award, Kenya’s highest and most distinguished honour, is in recognition of Adesina’s leadership of the bank and working with Kenya in the development of the country.
President Ruto said the AfDB has been a reliable partner in the development and improvement of roads, energy, agriculture, and water sectors in the country.
“I am very proud to be the President that confers on you this well-deserved honor of the people of Kenya. It is an honor that I have the privilege as President but on behalf of the government and the people of Kenya to award you for the distinguished service, the commitment you have demonstrated, and the passion you have worked with to see to it that in every way even before you became the President of the African Development Bank,” said Ruto.
Ruto recalled his time as Minister for Agriculture, between 2008 and 2010, when he and Dr Adesina introduced a program for subsidised farm inputs.
He explained that since he came to office in 2022, the government has successfully implemented the subsidized fertilizer program.
“Today, I can proudly say, because of the government’s fertilizer subsidy, production of maize has increased tremendously from 42 million bags in 2022 to 70 million last year,” he said.
Accepting the award, Dr Adesina said: “I am really humbled by your incredible kindness. What a great honor, what a rare privilege, what a historic recognition!”
Adesina, lived in Kenya for nine years, while working for the Rockefeller Foundation and the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
He also served as Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development before being elected AfDB president in 2015.
