Agriculture and Livestock Development CS Mutahi Kagwe has outlined a digital transformation plan for Kenya's agricultural sector. The initiative aims to improve productivity and enable targeted delivery of agricultural services. Kagwe stated that 8.9 million farmers have already been registered under the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management Information System (KIAMIS) and the Animal Identification and Traceability System.
The registration process will allow the government to reach farmers with subsidized fertilizer, certified seeds, vaccination, animal identification, and other essential services. This move is expected to improve accountability and enhance the overall efficiency of agricultural services. The government has also launched the Kenya Agricultural and Digital Information Centre (KADEC) as a single source of agricultural data and technology.
KADEC aims to address gaps in farmer identification, extension services, access to inputs, and connections to markets. Kagwe noted that the current system is fragmented, making it challenging to support farmers effectively. He cited the example of a farmer in Turkana who harvests crops, but the system fails to provide timely advisory services, access to inputs, and market information.
To address these challenges, the government is introducing universal digital addressing to identify and reach farmers more efficiently. This initiative will enable extension services, finance, insurance, inputs, and market information to reach the right farmers at the right time. Additionally, the Ministry has partnered with Fahari Aviation, a subsidiary of Kenya Airways, to introduce drone technology for precision application of inputs, crop and livestock monitoring, and soil analysis.
The partnerships will also strengthen national capacity in Artificial Intelligence and homegrown large language models, with frameworks for data protection and oversight. Furthermore, the government is scaling up scientific soil testing, as 63 per cent of Kenya's soils are acidic. Kagwe emphasized that good soil health is crucial for sustainable agricultural production and that applying farm inputs without establishing soil requirements is inefficient.
The government has launched the National Digital Soil Works Project, establishing a connected network of modern laboratories under the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO). The laboratories will work with national and county governments, farmers, and private-sector players to expand testing and enable farmers to make informed decisions on fertilizer use. Soil doctors will be deployed to the last mile to support testing and advisory services.
Kagwe highlighted that climate change remains a significant threat to agricultural production, with droughts and floods estimated to create long-term economic liabilities equivalent to up to 2.8 per cent of Kenya's GDP annually. The government is expanding irrigation through rehabilitation of existing schemes, new infrastructure, and water-efficient technologies, while promoting drought-tolerant crops, conservation agriculture, and sustainable land management.
Key points
- The government has registered 8.9 million farmers under KIAMIS and the Animal Identification and Traceability System.
- The Kenya Agricultural and Digital Information Centre (KADEC) has been launched as a single source of agricultural data and technology.
- The government is introducing universal digital addressing and drone technology to support farmers and improve agricultural productivity.
