The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is intensifying the use of technology to drive higher production, strengthen food security and improve climate change adaptation.
While speaking during a national and county governments and World Bank consultative meeting in Mombasa on Tuesday, Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Agriculture Mutahi Kagwe said the ministry has launched the Kenya Agricultural Digital Information Centre (KADIC).
KADIC is now managing the Kenya Integrated Agriculture Management Information System (KIAMIS), through which 7.2 million farmers have been registered, with 5.5 million already benefiting from digital agricultural advisory services, including agronomy, agri-weather and market advisories delivered via mobile phone services.
“The next step is for us to leverage this convergence with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to sustainably and locally map our soils and close the last-mile extension gap with the agripreneurs we have trained,” CS Kagwe said.
He added that the government is committed to engaging both local and foreign investors through Public-Private Partnership lease models and the Land Commercialisation Initiative (LCI) to locally produce palm oil, white and yellow maize, rice, wheat, sorghum and other high-value crops at scale.
“Our Sh500 billion annual food import bill is not only untenable and unsustainable but also undermines our food independence and sovereignty,” he said.
The CS further noted that the government has prioritised livestock improvement through enhanced feeding, breeding and animal health programmes, adding that the nationwide livestock vaccination campaign is progressing well, with 700,000 animals vaccinated so far.
“The programme aims to strengthen access to external livestock markets by integrating traceability with the livestock vaccination exercise, for a win-win outcome,” CS Kagwe explained.
County governments were urged to leverage available investment opportunities to unlock the productive potential of their regions, generate positive returns, create employment and advance food security goals.
The consultative meeting reviewed the progress of World Bank-funded projects: the National Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) and the Food Systems Resilience Project (FSRP), valued at Sh49.5 billion.
CS Kagwe said the success or failure of the projects would have far-reaching implications, not only for the country’s food and nutritional security but also for national security.
He challenged county governments to uphold the agreements signed and honour commitments made.
“Fiduciary responsibilities bestowed upon us are not a luxury; they are imperative across the board. This is the fresh thinking that will drive the much-needed paradigm shift,” he said.
The CS also assured Kenyans that the government remains committed to ensuring the timely flow of resources to counties while emphasising the importance of fiduciary responsibility and value for money.
By Sadik Hassan
