The Norway and the United Kingdom Governments have extended grants of close to Ksh. 396 million (£2.6 million) to the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF). The grants are aimed at supporting the Facility’s activities over the next two years.
The Norwegian government, through its Agency for Development Cooperation, provided 20 million Norwegian kroner (Ksh. 243.7 million). This grant is meant to support the 2021 and 2022 work programs of the ALSF.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK is providing a Ksh. 152.5 million (£1 million) grant to the ALSF. The grant will go to supporting debt management capacity in low-income African countries. The funding forms part of a cooperation agreement signed by the two parties.
The UK grant is in line with the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative supported by the IMF and the World Bank. The initiative comes as African countries continue to implement urgent measures to manage the spread of COVID-19 and its socio-economic impacts, including the strain on their debt portfolios.
ALSF CEO Stephen Karangizi said, “The consistent commitment of the Norwegian and UK governments to the ALSF’s mission is commendable and demonstrates their status as dependable development partners, especially in a challenging period for African countries. These grants will promote sustainable investments and transactions to improve the lives of the people of Africa.”
The African Development Bank (AfDB) established the ALSF in 2010 to support African governments in negotiating major commercial transactions. It has provided legal and technical assistance in public-private partnership projects across the oil and gas, mining and energy sectors. The Facility has supported African governments to negotiate 53 key commercial contracts valued at Ksh. 10.7 trillion ($97.8 billion).