Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has announced that Kenya will launch the JobsConnect Compact, becoming the first country in Africa to finalise the global framework aimed at creating six million new, greener, and dignified jobs by 2030.
Speaking at Kilimo House during a briefing with World Bank Regional Office leaders Dr. Eliot Mghenyi, Ghada Elabed, and James Musinga, alongside founding members of the MADE Alliance from Mastercard, Equity Group, Microsoft, and the Kenya National Federation of Farmers (KENAFF), Kagwe said the initiative will also enhance food and nutrition security, reduce imports, and boost agricultural exports.
“All agricultural digitisation efforts are now consolidated under the Kenya Agriculture Data and Information Centre (KADIC), which will house the full data ecosystem, including KIAMIS,” CS Kagwe said.
He added that the Agriculture Information and Resource Centre (AIRC) will be moved to KADIC to eliminate duplication and strengthen real-time linkages between farmers, counties, cooperatives, markets, and processors.
KADIC Director Betty said the Centre will lead the rollout of the Digital Agriculture Roadmap (DAR), set to launch next year.
Juma Salim, Director of Digital at KADIC, emphasized that unifying data from the Ministry’s 31 parastatals will ensure farmers receive timely and actionable information.
Kagwe said digital agriculture is central to transforming farmer incomes and attracting youth into a modern, tech-driven sector.
“We are also facing a major human resource transition. Thirty percent of our departmental heads are due to retire, 20 percent have already retired, and over half of our workforce will exit within two years. This is an opportunity to rebuild capacity through Agri-Connect, agri-preneur training, Kenya Agriculture College, and digitised soil testing,” he said.
Mastercard highlighted its digital payment infrastructure, noting that only two percent of farmer transactions currently pass through M-Pesa, limiting financial visibility.
Equity Bank reaffirmed agriculture as a core pillar, supporting initiatives to raise yields, boost savings, and increase long-term farmer wealth.
CS Kagwe also called for affordable agricultural credit.
“Agriculture cannot operate under 18–19 percent commercial interest rates. A five percent guaranteed agricultural credit is a sustainable option,” he said.
He cited government investments, including the Sh61 billion fertilizer subsidy and a Sh17 billion credit facility, as part of efforts to stabilize production and lower input costs.
