By Hon Sammy Weya
The Kenya Government is yet to implement the African Union 2003 declaration committing Member States to allocate at least 10 per cent of national budgetary resources to agricultural and rural development within five years.
The declaration objective was to achieve at least 6 per cent annual agricultural growth and specifically covered livestock, forestry and fisheries, not just crops.
In 2003, African Heads of State met in Maputo, Mozambique, and made a historic commitment.
They agreed that African countries should allocate at least 10 per cent of their national budgetary resources to agriculture and rural development and work towards 6 per cent annual agricultural growth.
The commitment included crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries.
More than two decades later, the question is:
WHEN WILL KENYA FULLY TURN THIS COMMITMENT INTO ACTION?
Kenya is an agricultural country. Agriculture feeds us, employs millions of people and supports our rural economy.
Yet we continue to struggle with expensive food, unemployment, low farmer incomes and dependence on food imports.
KENYA 10% AGRICULTURE INVESTMENT LAW
The proposal was envisaged to put Agriculture at the Centre of Kenya’s Economic Transformation
The principle was simple: Kenya cannot defeat poverty, unemployment and food insecurity without investing seriously in the sector that feeds the nation.
The African commitment already exists
In July 2003, African Union Heads of State and Government adopted the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security in Africa.
African leaders committed themselves to:
Allocate at least 10% of national budgetary resources to agriculture and rural development.
Achieve at least 6% annual agricultural growth.
Revitalise agriculture, including livestock, forestry and fisheries.
Invest in water management, infrastructure, agricultural research and technology.
Support small-scale farmers.
Encourage private-sector participation.
Involve farmers, women and youth in agricultural development.
Expectations
The AU continues to identify the 10% agricultural-budget target and 6% growth target as central elements of CAADP.
The question for Kenya is therefore not whether Africa recognised the importance of agricultural investment. It did in 2003. The question is whether Kenya will finally turn that commitment into a properly funded and accountable national programme.
THE KENYA PROPOSAL
Legislate that:
At least 10% of the County Government equitable share shall be ring-fenced annually for agriculture, agricultural development and rural economic transformation.
The National Government shall provide a matching allocation equivalent to the county agricultural allocation.
THE BIGGER ECONOMIC IDEA
Agriculture should be treated as an economic engine, not merely as a social programme.
If farmers produce more:
More production → more processing → more businesses → more jobs → higher rural incomes → greater food supply → lower food prices → more exports → more tax revenue.
This is why the AU’s CAADP framework describes agriculture-led development as a route to reducing hunger and poverty and expanding exports.
A PROPOSED AGRICULTURE TRANSFORMATION FUND
KENYA AGRICULTURE TRANSFORMATION FUND — KATF
Funded by: 10% County allocation + 10% National Government matching contribution, with money channelled into county and national programmes according to agreed agricultural investment plans.
The Fund should have:
- County-level implementation
- National oversight
- Farmer representation
- Private-sector participation
- Annual independent audits
- Public expenditure dashboards
- Performance contracts
- County agricultural targets
- Annual parliamentary reporting
This would also fit the original spirit of Maputo, which emphasised country-owned agricultural programmes, investment planning and participation of farmers, women, youth and the private sector.
TOTAL: APPROXIMATELY KSh 84 BILLION EVERY YEAR FOR AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION.
This money should be invested in:
Food and commercial crops, Mechanisation, Irrigation and water harvesting, Certified seeds and seedlings, Livestock, Aquaculture, Agroforestry, Agro-processing and value addition, Storage and markets, Women and youth agribusiness, Agricultural extension and Research and technology
It must be a productive investment fund, with every shilling accounted for and linked to measurable increases in production, farmer incomes, jobs and food security.
KENYA AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION SYSTEM
A proposed structure for implementing the 10% Agriculture Investment Law
1. Governance Structure
National Agriculture Transformation Board
↓
47 County Agriculture Transformation Boards
↓
Constituency Agricultural Centres
↓
Ward Agricultural Service Units
↓
Farmers / Cooperatives / Agribusinesses
The National Board would establish standards, coordinate financing, research, technology and national programmes, while County Boards would implement programmes according to the agricultural potential of each county.
PHASE ONE — BUILD THE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL HUBS
One 300-acre Agricultural Transformation Centre in every county. 47 counties × 300 acres = 14,100 acres of demonstration and agricultural infrastructure.
These should not be ordinary demonstration farms. Each should become a County Agricultural Transformation & Aggregation Centre.
Functions of the 300-acre centre
| Function | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Demonstration farm | Demonstrate modern commercial farming |
| Agricultural testing | Test crops, varieties, soils, fertilisers and technologies under local conditions |
| Research | Work with agricultural research institutions and private sector |
| Seedling propagation | Produce certified/quality planting material suited to the county |
| Farmer training | Practical hands-on training |
| Mechanisation centre | Demonstrate tractors, planters, harvesters, irrigation and other machinery |
| Machinery training | Train young people as machinery operators and technicians |
| Aggregation centre | Farmers bring produce for grading, bulking and marketing |
| Value addition | Demonstrate processing and packaging |
| Warehousing | Store grain and other agricultural commodities |
| Cold chain | Handle perishables such as horticulture, dairy, fish and meat |
| Digital agriculture | Demonstrate precision farming, sensors, data and modern technology |
| Irrigation | Demonstrate efficient irrigation and water management |
| Agroforestry | Demonstrate commercial and climate-smart tree systems |
| Livestock | Demonstrate modern animal husbandry |
| Aquaculture | Demonstrate modern fish production |
| Agribusiness | Train farmers to operate agriculture as a business |
The principle:
Every county should have a place where a farmer can come, see the technology, receive training, obtain quality planting material, access services, aggregate produce and connect to markets.
PHASE TWO — TAKE SERVICES TO THE FARMER
The county centre becomes the hub, but farmers cannot be expected to travel 50 or 100 kilometres to access services.
Therefore, the system progressively moves downwards:
COUNTY
300-acre Agricultural Transformation Centre
CONSTITUENCY
Agricultural Service & Crop/Livestock Management Centre
WARD
Ward Agricultural Service Unit
FARMER
Extension + technology + inputs + production + aggregation + market
Constituency-level services
The constituency units would specialise in the agricultural activities appropriate to that area.
They could provide:
Crop management, Animal husbandry, Aquaculture service, Seedling distribution, Mechanisation services, Irrigation support, Soil Testing, Extension officers, Farm records and production data, Veterinary services, Pest and disease diagnosis, Aggregation and marketing and Digital agricultural services
WARD LEVEL — THE FARMER’S FIRST POINT OF CONTACT
The ward should eventually become the frontline agricultural service point.
A farmer should be able to access:
Agricultural extension, Veterinary services, soil testing, Crop disease diagnosis, Seedlings and planting materials, Mechanisation booking, Irrigation advice, Farmer training, Digital farm information, Cooperative development, Market information and Production planning
The ward agricultural team should also know what is being produced, where it is being produced and approximately how much will be available for market.
That changes agriculture from:
“Plant and hope.”
to:
“Plan → Produce → Aggregate → Process → Market.”
THE LONG-TERM VISION
The system should eventually support the entire agricultural value chain.
FARMER
Production, Extension, Inputs, Mechanisation, technology, Aggregation, Storage, Processing, Value addition, Marketing and Domestic & Export Markets
This is how the KSh 84 billion annual investment can become an economic transformation programme rather than simply another government expenditure programme.
THE KENYA AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION NETWORK — KATN
Its mission:
“To put modern agricultural production, technology, knowledge, markets and value addition within reach of every Kenyan farmer.”
MY VISION FOR A NEW KENYAN AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM
If Kenya is going to use the proposed 10% Agriculture Investment Law effectively, we must not simply put more money into agriculture.
We must build a system that delivers modern agriculture directly to the farmer.
I propose the creation of a:
KENYA AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION NETWORK
With a National Agricultural Transformation Board and County Agricultural Transformation Boards in all 47 counties.
PHASE ONE
Every county should establish a 300-acre County Agricultural Transformation & Aggregation Centre.
47 counties × 300 acres = 14,100 acres of agricultural transformation infrastructure across Kenya.
A farmer should be able to visit the centre and see modern agriculture working in practice, receive training, obtain quality planting material, access machinery and ultimately aggregate and market their produce.
PHASE TWO
The services would progressively move closer to farmers:
COUNTY CENTRE → CONSTITUENCY → WARD → FARMER
At constituency level we would develop crop management, animal husbandry, aquaculture, mechanisation, veterinary, extension and agricultural business services.
At ward level, farmers would receive practical agricultural services directly where they live.
The objective is that every farmer eventually has access to modern agricultural technology, extension, quality inputs, mechanisation, veterinary services, soil testing, production information, aggregation, storage and markets.
THE END RESULT
We move Kenya’s agriculture from:
SUBSISTENCE → COMMERCIAL
FRAGMENTATION → AGGREGATION
RAW PRODUCTS → VALUE ADDITION
MANUAL FARMING → MECHANISED FARMING
GUESSWORK → DATA & TECHNOLOGY
FARMER → FARMER + ENTREPRENEUR
The objective is not to create another government bureaucracy.
The objective is to create an agricultural production system that makes the Kenyan farmer more productive, more profitable and more competitive.
Kenya now has the opportunity to build the institutions and infrastructure needed to make that vision a reality.
This will become much bigger than a funding proposal. It is essentially a blueprint for a Kenyan agricultural operating system—from national policy and financing all the way down to the individual farmer.
The writer is former Alego MP and Senatorial Aspirant for Siaya County
