The President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Alice
Ruhweza, on Thursday paid a courtesy call on Agriculture and Livestock Development
Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe at Kilimo House, Nairobi.
Ruhweza, accompanied by AGRA’s Director of Policy and State Capability Boaz
Blackie Keizire and Kenya Country Director John Macharia, underscored the
organization's nearly 20-year presence in Kenya.
She reiterated AGRA’s commitment to
supporting government-led efforts aimed at transforming agriculture both
locally and across the continent.
Welcoming the delegation, CS Kagwe emphasized
the need for donor alignment with national priorities.
“For too long, donors have been telling us what to do. We are now clear on
what we want and how partners can support us,” he said.
The meeting discussed AGRA’s investment of $900,000 to support seed policy implementation, the digitization of Kenya’s e-voucher program from manual subsidies, and funding for initiatives to reduce post-harvest losses.
Ruhweza also announced that Kenya will benefit from a new youth-centered
initiative designed to create agricultural jobs, alongside the ongoing training
of local experts in seed breeding at Master’s and PhD levels.
CS Kagwe outlined plans to reform the sector
structurally, including a review of emergency food security policies,
integration of ICT for e-governance and farmer outreach, insurance for fertilizer
and seeds, and the revival of agricultural training institutions and 4K clubs.
He emphasized the government’s focus
on reducing food imports by increasing domestic production of rice, wheat, palm
oil, and yellow maize.
Also highlighted were issues around
warehousing, extension services, devolution policy, and improved coordination
of donor-funded programs to prevent overlap.
AGRA
reaffirmed its support for Kenya’s resilience agenda, particularly efforts to
help farmers adapt to climate and market shocks.
The talks come as the government considers expanding subsidized inputs to
large-scale farmers and boosting agricultural productivity in arid northern
regions through water infrastructure investments.
