AGRA is accelerating collaboration with the Kenyan government to drive farmer-centered agricultural transformation.
Under its current five-year strategy, AGRA is investing UD$29 million (about Ksh 3.8 billion) in Kenya to boost soil health, improve access to markets and finance, and strengthen support systems for smallholder farmers, working through national ministries, county governments, the private sector and farmer organizations.
“Kenya can turn small farms into thriving businesses if we fix soils, markets, and finance together. Our partnership is about delivery on the ground; 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,” said AGRA President Alice Ruhweza during a high-level panel at the Intergovernmental Forum for Agriculture (IGFA) 2025 in Naivasha.
AGRA says its work in Kenya runs through government systems rather than parallel structures. In 2024, the continental agriculture agency and the Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock Development signed a memorandum of understanding to coordinate investments at national and county level, supporting implementation of key policies from fertilizer and soil health to extension and seed systems.
A major focus is restoring soil fertility, which it describes as the “hidden engine” of Kenya’s food security and competitiveness. Many of the country’s most productive areas now face acidic and depleted soils, limiting the impact of subsidized fertilizer and other inputs.
Ruhweza said her organization supported Kenya to host the 2024 Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit and is now helping domesticate the resulting Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan in a couple of counties.
AGRA’s Kenya Acting Country Director Davis Muthini emphasized that partnerships with government and actors across the ecosystem are essential if we are to address today’s challenges in agriculture. By improving yields for smallholder farmers and helping them access structured markets, we can strengthen livelihoods and contribute directly to Kenya’s food security.
AGRA’s partnership with the Kenyan government also tackles post-harvest losses, which can reach about one-third of production for some crops, wiping out potential income and driving food waste. With support from the Green Climate Fund, AGRA is channeling around US$7 million (about Ksh 900 million) into climate-smart post-harvest solutions, backing businesses that provide dryers, shellers, hermetic storage, and warehouse receipt systems so farmers can store safely and sell when prices are favorable.