Today, CS Sen. Mutahi Kagwe joined H.E. Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki at Jamhuri Park ASK Showground for the official opening of the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Summit 2026, bringing together farmers, pastoralists, cooperatives, counties, researchers, private-sector players, financiers, development partners and other stakeholders to take stock of our agricultural journey and shape the road ahead.
The Summit is about where we have come from, where we are today and, most importantly, where we want Kenyan agriculture to be in the future.
For us, transformation must ultimately be felt at the farm level.
The smallholder farmer must be able to produce more efficiently, spend less, earn better returns and participate meaningfully in the markets created by their production. This means moving from traditional, input-heavy farming towards smarter, data-driven and technology-enabled agriculture.
A farmer should be able to test their soil before planting and know precisely what nutrients their land requires. They should have access to appropriate mechanisation, irrigation, quality inputs, improved breeds and extension services. Digital platforms should bring weather information, pest and disease alerts, animal-health surveillance, traceability and market information closer to the farmer.
But production alone is not enough.
We must strengthen the entire value chain from production and aggregation to processing, logistics and markets, so that farmers capture greater value from what they produce. More agro-processing and value addition must translate into more jobs, stronger local enterprises and better incomes for farming communities.
We must also make agriculture a sector in which our young people can see a future. Technology, artificial intelligence, mechanisation and innovation are opening opportunities that can transform agriculture from a subsistence activity into a modern and competitive enterprise.
Women farmers, pastoralists and communities in our rangelands must equally be part of this transformation. Sustainable agriculture must also be resilient to climate pressures, with irrigation, better water infrastructure and smarter production systems helping farmers reduce their dependence on rainfall.
And so, as we deliberate at this Summit, we must look beyond the immediate horizon and ask ourselves:
What will Kenya’s agriculture look like in 2063, when our nation celebrates 100 years?
Will we have farmers who are using technology to make decisions, machinery to improve productivity, digital platforms to reach markets and modern systems to turn their farms into profitable enterprises?
Will the young Kenyan see agriculture not as an industry of the past, but as one of the most exciting frontiers for innovation, investment and entrepreneurship?
That future will not happen by accident.
It will be built by the decisions we make today.
Our ambition must therefore be clear: a productive, resilient, competitive and inclusive agricultural sector that puts the farmer at the centre and ensures that those who feed the nation can build prosperous futures from agriculture.
The farmer of 2063 is being shaped by what we do for the farmer of 2026.
The future of Kenyan agriculture starts today.
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