The Government will construct the Kenya School of Agriculture (KSA) in Makueni County to develop skilled human capital required to modernize agriculture to strengthen food and nutrition security in the county.
State Department for Agriculture Principal Secretary (PS) Dr. Paul Kipronoh Ronoh said the government will spend Sh100 million to construct the KSA Makueni Campus.
Ronoh said the school will bring quality agricultural training closer to wananchi besides equipping farmers, extension officers, youth and agripreneurs with practical knowledge and modern skills required to build a robust agricultural sector.
“This occasion marks a significant milestone for Makueni County and the wider Lower Eastern region. More importantly, it reaffirms the Government’s commitment to investing in agricultural education, innovation and skills development as critical drivers of food security, job creation and economic transformation,” Ronoh said after laying the foundation stone for the construction of KSA Makueni College on Tuesday.
“This Campus will equip farmers, extension officers, youth and agripreneurs with practical knowledge and modern skills required for a competitive agricultural sector. It will also provide a seamless progression pathway for learners under the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) framework, enabling students completing Level 3 programmes at Makueni Agricultural Training Centre to advance locally to Levels 4, 5 and 6,” he added.
He said the college will cater for the training of serving officers and students who have completed form four, and added that the institution will offer certificate and diploma courses noting the contractor PCI Engineering will complete the works by November this year.
Ronoh further said the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is committed to implementing the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) saying agriculture contributed 23.2 percent of the Gross Domestic product (GDP) in 2025.
“Agriculture remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy, contributing approximately 23.2 percent of GDP in 2025 while supporting millions of livelihoods,” he observed.
“To unlock its full potential, we must embrace modern, climate-smart and technology-driven agriculture through mechanization, irrigation, value addition, agribusiness, artificial intelligence and sustainable management of our resources,” Ronoh stated.
At the same time, the PS said that the campus will stimulate economic growth by creating employment, attract investment and strategic partnerships, promote agribusiness hence positioning Makueni as a hub for agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Above all, it will empower farmers to transition from subsistence farming to commercial oriented, climate-resilient and value-added agriculture, leading to higher productivity, increased incomes and improved livelihoods,” he said.
He lauded the county government of Makueni for the collaboration besides providing land to construct the school of agriculture, adding that they are committed to develop the campus into a centre of excellence for agriculture training, innovation, youth agribusiness incubation and entrepreneurship for Lower Eastern region and beyond.
Ronoh said that the national government was ready to support the county of Makueni farmers with cotton and sunflower seeds so that they can plant with a view to boost farming of the crops in the area hence generate income for farmers.
The PS also challenged the farmers in the county to plant coffee saying it was a lucrative crop that is being sold for up to Sh150 per a kilogram.
“Coffee from Kenya is one of the best in the world. We are not meeting the needs of the market through what we produce. If you want to get rich, start to plant coffee that sells at Sh150 per a kilo,” said Ronoh.
Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. called upon the national government to find a market for farm produce especially mangoes in an effort to ensure farmers gained maximum profits hence avoid exploitation by unscrupulous middlemen.
Mutula urged the national government to complete the construction of Thwake Multi-purpose dam that will provide water to enable the farmers in Makueni do irrigation to enhance food production hence boost food security in the county.
“The people of Makueni are hardworking, they only require water to do irrigation. We can feed the whole country if we get water,” Mutula said.
Governor Mutula welcomed the construction of the KSA saying it is a game changer in the region and challenged the youth to take advantage and enroll at the college to get skills that would make them fend for themselves.
Present at the function included Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), Peter Kimani, Acting County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Damaris Kavoi, and her counterpart for Education, Japheth Mang’oka among other government officials.
By Patrick Nyakundi
