By Eddah Waithaka
AGRA is accelerating its push to transform Kenyan agriculture, aligning its new multi-billion shilling investments directly with the government’s economic agenda.
The continental agriculture organization today recommitted to a farmer-centered partnership with the Kenyan government, channeling USD $29 million (approximately Ksh 3.8 billion) through national systems to bolster soil health, market access, and finance.
“Kenya can turn small farms into thriving businesses if we fix soils, markets, and finance together,” AGRA President Alice Ruhweza declared during a high-level panel at the Intergovernmental Forum for Agriculture (IGFA) 2025.
Ruhweza highlighted the organization’s on-the-ground delivery network. “AGRA has helped build a strong network of 506 Village-Based Advisors, 60 percent being women.
These are trusted local advisors who walk with farmers, field by field, season by season,” she said. The partnership, solidified in a 2024 memorandum with the Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock Development, focuses on restoring Kenya’s degraded soils, what AGRA calls the “hidden engine” of food security.
The organization supported Kenya to host the 2024 Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit and is now piloting the resulting continental action plan in select counties.
AGRA also tackles the massive problem of post-harvest losses, which can wipe out a third of a farmer’s production. With nearly Ksh 900 million from the Green Climate Fund, AGRA is financing businesses that provide climate-smart solutions like dryers, hermetic bags, and warehouse systems.
In Makueni County, these interventions already help farmers reduce spoilage and secure better prices.Davis Muthini, AGRA’s Acting Country Director for Kenya, emphasized the collaborative approach.
“Partnerships with government and actors across the ecosystem are essential if we are to address today’s challenges in agriculture,” he stated. “By improving yields for smallholder farmers and helping them access structured markets, we can strengthen livelihoods and contribute directly to Kenya’s food security.”
On finance, AGRA targets a sector that receives only about 5% of formal bank lending. Through partnerships with the National Treasury and IFAD, the organization supports financial institutions in designing loan products tailored for farmers and agribusinesses.
Looking ahead, AGRA set ambitious three-to-five-year goals for Kenya, supporting 2.5 million farmers to adopt climate-smart practices, helping 2 million farmers access post-harvest solutions, and strengthening structured markets for at least 100,000 farmers.
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