The Nakuru County government has recruited 98 agricultural extension officers to provide services to local farmers.
The employment of agricultural extension officers in the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Veterinary Services comes at a time when Governor Susan Kihika’s administration is working on a policy aimed at revitalizing the provision of extension and advisory services across the devolved unit, which are critical for improved agricultural productivity and overall development of the sector.
According to County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Veterinary Services CECM Leonard Bor, the recruitment of the officers demonstrates the devolved unit’s commitment towards strengthening agricultural extension services and ensuring farmers receive timely technical support and advisory services.
Speaking during the induction of the new staff, Bor admitted that there had been concerns from farmers on lack of access to the services.
“We want to reach many farmers and instill some education on how to do farming of fish, crops, livestock, and agribusiness,” said the CECM.
Bor acknowledged that a well-functioning agricultural extension service operated by the public and private sectors is one of the critical inputs required for increased agricultural productivity to transform subsistence farming into a vibrant, commercial, and modern entity; attain food security; improve incomes; and create wealth and employment opportunities.
The newly recruited officers are undergoing training on the structures and functions of the County Government and its departments as well as human resource procedures, mental wellness at the workplace, public service values, ethics, and management.
Bor noted that extension officers remain at the center of transforming agriculture through the promotion of modern farming practices, climate-smart technologies, and increased productivity.
He said that the county administration aims to promote inclusive, climate-resilient and market-oriented extension services that respond to the evolving needs of modern farmers.
The CECM stated that the new staff were being trained on minimum service delivery standards to enhance monitoring and evaluation systems and create strong farmer feedback mechanisms to improve accountability and service quality.
“Ultimately, this initiative is geared towards building a more efficient, inclusive, and resilient agricultural extension system that drives productivity, boosts farmer incomes, and contributes to Nakuru County’s broader development goals,” he stated.
Chief Officer for Livestock, Fisheries and Veterinary Services Dr. Michael Cheruiyot emphasized the importance of preparing the officers to deliver quality and professional services to farmers while upholding integrity, accountability and ethical standards in public service.
He noted that strengthening extension services remains key to improving agricultural productivity, food security, and farmer livelihoods across the county.
Dr Cheruiyot highlighted that adequate and efficient delivery of extension and advisory services remains challenging. This has been primarily as a result of limited allocation of resources and funding for personnel, training, transportation and physical and soft infrastructure, including ICT.
“As a result, many farmers and other value chain actors do not receive the support and information they need to guide investments in agriculture and enhance their agricultural practices and productivity,” said Dr. Cheruiyot.
He explained that recruitment of the staff intends to enhance effectiveness and efficiency in extension service delivery through measures that include enhancing capacity for extension through human resource management and development, infrastructure for extension, and funding; establishing an integrated knowledge management system; improving research-extension and clientele linkages; improving coordination and enhancing partnerships and collaboration in extension service provision.
Dr Cheruiyot stated that the county government was establishing and sustaining an efficient, inclusive, coordinated, and evidence-driven agricultural extension system that enhances productivity, resilience, and farmer livelihoods.
“We want to entrench and sustain an efficient, inclusive, coordinated, and evidence-driven agricultural extension system that enhances productivity, resilience, and farmer livelihoods. This recruitment reflects Governor Kihika’s administration’s commitment to inclusive governance by ensuring that farmers and key stakeholders are actively involved in shaping agricultural interventions,” stated the Chief Officer.
Chief Officer for Agriculture Engineer Margaret Kinyanjui encouraged the officers to embrace professionalism, teamwork, and continuous learning in their line of duty. She observed that the officers will play a critical role in linking farmers with research, innovation and government programmes aimed at improving food security and household incomes.
She explained that the induction is a crucial step in strengthening agricultural extension services, which play a major role in promoting adoption of modern farming technologies, climate-smart agriculture, and timeliness.
“The officers are expected to bridge the gap between research and farmers by delivering practical agricultural solutions that will contribute to increased productivity and sustainable agricultural growth across the county,” added Engineer Kinyanjui.
She indicated that the County Government was rooting for the integration of climate-smart technologies and drought-resistant crop advice into standard extension packages.
The Chief Officer elaborated that the recruitment of extension officers seeks to improve service delivery, address localized agricultural challenges, and align with national and global sustainability goals.
“They are expected to cover agricultural, livestock, and fishery services, focusing on enhancing extension, promoting sustainable practices like agroecology, and improving food security.”
She emphasized the importance of a well-structured agricultural extension service system.
“A robust Agricultural Extension system will ensure that our farmers receive accurate, timely, and practical information. Furthermore, it will strengthen linkages between research institutions, extension officers, and farmers, thereby improving productivity in livestock, fisheries, and crop production,” she said.
Engineer Kinyanjui indicated that the recruitment further aims to harmonize efforts, improve service delivery, and strengthen the agricultural value chain and promote stronger research-extension linkages.
By Jane Ngugi
