Machakos Governor, Wavinya Ndeti, has launched the county’s Agripreneur Extension Model at Kasinga Farmers’ Cooperative Society (FCS) in Mumbuni North, an initiative aimed at transforming agriculture by empowering farmers through youth-led and tech-enabled extension services.
The launch was in association with Cooperative bank, Equity bank, agricultural stakeholders, development partners and hundreds of farmers that marked a major milestone in what the governor described as, “Our journey towards restoring dignity and prosperity in Machakos households.”
Speaking during the event, the Governor disclosed that her administration has invested heavily in modernizing extension services after years of neglect and the newly unveiled Agripreneur Model introduces a fresh, vibrant and technology driven approach to farmer education and support.
Under the new model, 170 trained young agripreneurs have been deployed across all 40 wards to train farmers, collect data, facilitate input access, offer basic animal health services and strengthen market linkages as well as livestock vaccination and modernizing the coffee sector.
Wavinya further distributed grants to Cooperative Societies and newly formed farmers Sacco’s, highlighting that agriculture remains the backbone of Machakos County, contributing up to 73% of household income, making its revitalization a priority for her administration.
“These agripreneurs are the bridge between our farmers and modern agricultural prosperity,” she said, noting that the county now boasts of 595 active farmer groups mentored under the new system.
She described the youth involved as “passionate, tech-savvy and the new energy source our agriculture sector has been waiting for.”
The governor further pledged to modernize cooperative societies across the county, pointing out that many of them require structural and operational upgrading to effectively serve farming communities.
She noted that her government has already taken bold steps including farmer training, provision of grants and subsidized farm inputs to strengthen cooperative-based production.
Wavinya urged the agripreneurs to uphold excellence and remain committed to transforming the sector as she issued them with 40 motorbikes that will ease their way into villages and farms to extend a helping hand to the farmers and increase their production and yield.
“You are investing not just in farms, but in the future of Machakos,” she said,
Additionally, she pointed out key interventions that boosted production and protected farmers from rising challenges, among them the distribution of 196 tonnes of certified seeds, improved livestock breeds, agrochemicals to fight crop pests, and mass vaccination of livestock to curb deadly diseases.
She added that these steps were part of a bigger effort to strengthen local food systems and secure the county against the effects of climate change.
by Mary Wavinya
