Stakeholders in the agricultural sector have agreed to fast-track critical agricultural bills and reforms aimed at reducing imports, boosting local production, and unlocking international markets.
Speaking after convening a high-level meeting bringing together State Agencies (SAGAs) and the Agriculture Committees of both the National Assembly and Senate to align laws, policy, and budget priorities toward food security and export growth, Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe emphasized that legislative action will be central to transforming agriculture into a productive, export-driven sector, warning that Kenya risks losing both jobs and market opportunities if value addition is not prioritized locally
“There are legislative interventions that are crucial to increase exports and substitute imports. For us to succeed in markets like China, we must value-add here at home — not export jobs and import finished products,” said CS Kagwe.
Principal Secretary for Livestock Development Jonathan Mueke underscored the urgency of aligning Parliament with the Ministry’s reform agenda, noting that outdated legal frameworks continue to slow sector growth.
“Our laws must modernize and create an enabling environment. We must now put our heads together with Parliament to fast-track priority bills and agree on those that must move with speed,” said PS Mueke.
The meeting resolved to identify and prioritize legislation before Parliament to accelerate reforms across crops, livestock, data systems, and food safety, positioning agriculture as a key economic driver.
Chairperson of the National Assembly Agriculture Committee, Dr.John Mutunga, called for a unified national strategy to reduce Kenya’s heavy reliance on food imports.
“We need a harmonised approach as a sector. Production deficits are what trigger imports. If we are to substitute imports, we must think together; leveraging our competencies, capacities, and opportunities as Kenyans,” he said.
Dr.Mutunga pointed to climate change and prolonged droughts as key drivers of food imports, stressing that solutions must be locally driven rather than externally prescribed.
He further highlighted edible oils as a priority area for policy and legislative innovation, calling for “legislative engineering” to unlock domestic production and reduce the country’s import bill.
The meeting also amplified calls for stronger domestic market linkages, with Acting Director General of the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), Calistus Kundu, proposing that institutions such as schools prioritize local procurement.
“Schools should buy from local produce,” Kundu stated, a move seen as critical in guaranteeing stable markets for Kenyan farmers.
From the Senate, Hezena Lemaletian emphasized the need to strengthen agricultural education and financing, particularly for young people.
She raised concerns over inadequate funding for students in agricultural institutions such as Bukura Agricultural College, urging the extension of Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) support.
“Kenya must shift from being a consuming economy to a producing economy,” she said, framing youth investment as central to long-term sector sustainability.
CS Kagwe made a strong case for increased budgetary allocation to the sector, noting agriculture’s outsized contribution to the economy.
“With agriculture contributing over 25 percent of GDP, we must ask ourselves — how do you allocate just 3 percent to what is essentially the goose that lays the golden egg?” he posed.
The Cabinet Secretary revealed that both Senate and National Assembly committees had committed to pushing for higher budget allocations to match the sector’s economic importance.
The Ministry outlined an expansive legislative pipeline covering policies, bills, and regulations aimed at modernizing the sector.
Among the priority initiatives are:
- The Digital Agricultural Information Bill, 2026, aimed at strengthening data systems and farmer registries through legal establishment of Kenya Agriculture Digital Information Center(KADIC).
- The National Food Reserve and Trading Corporation Bill
- The Mechanization Bill to drive large-scale farming efficiency
- Reviews of key laws including the Crops Act, Tea Act, and Biosafety Act
- The Pest Control Products Bill and Plant Protection Bill currently before Parliament
Policy frameworks on coffee, tea, sugar, seed systems, and agricultural financing are also at advanced stages, signaling a comprehensive overhaul of the sector’s governance architecture.
Leaders at the meeting agreed on a common vision: shifting Kenya decisively from consumption to production.
Dr.Mutunga hailed CS Kagwe’s leadership in championing import substitution, noting that Parliament and the Ministry are now aligned on a strategy to make Kenya food sufficient while improving trade balance.
“We have agreed on a strategy to substitute imports and ensure Kenya becomes food sufficient. We will support all progressive bills and push for more budgetary allocation,” he said.
The meeting marks a critical turning point in Kenya’s agricultural reform journey — where law, policy, and political will converge to reshape the sector into a globally competitive, farmer-driven engine of economic growth.
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