Nairobi — President Kibaki has asked the Bretton Woods institutions to increase their support to Kenya to help fight unemployment among other issues.

He, at the same time, thanked the World Bank for the enhanced partnership it is providing to the government for the benefit of locals.

The Head of State said that the partnership between the government and the bank should be based on mutual trust and respect and should allow room for each partner to provide a candid assessment of how the relationship is performing.

President Kibaki spoke on Monday at a meeting with World Bank Vice-President for Africa Region, Ms Obiageli Ezekwesili, who paid him a courtesy call at his Harambee House office in Nairobi.

The President said the government was committed to implementing reforms that will stimulate rapid economic growth.

Ms Obiageli assured President Kibaki of the bank's continued support for Kenya's structural and institutional reforms.

She said the World Bank was keen to hold talks with the government on the way forward in areas of future co-operation to be agreed on under a new Country Assistance Strategy that the bank is developing to cover the period 2009 -2014.

She was accompanied by World Bank Country Director Johannes Zutt.

Currently, Kenya's project portfolio supported by World Bank consists of 19 active operations with a total commitment of Sh125 billion.

The financial resources are targeted at financing 16 national and three regional projects ranging from infrastructure, arid and semi arid lands, agriculture, education, health, water and sanitation.

As a demonstration of the enhanced partnership, the World Bank and the Government of Kenya signed four additional credits amounting to Sh30.9 billion in February this year to finance projects in roads, energy, environment and agriculture sectors and a social programme being developed jointly with the bank.