Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has asked the Parliament of Kenya to raise the Ministry’s share of the national budget to at least five percent, warning that the current allocation is too low to protect the country’s food supply.
Appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock on Thursday, he said the sector cannot meet growing demand and reform goals with the present funding level.
Kagwe told lawmakers that the Ministry has been allocated Sh75.49 billion under the 2026 Budget Policy Statement, which accounts for 2.7 percent of the Sh2.8 trillion national budget. He argued that this amount does not match the weight of a sector that drives the economy and supports millions of livelihoods.
“This falls short for a sector contributing 22.5% to GDP and employing over 40 percent of Kenyans,” he said.
He noted that agriculture contributes 22.5 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and provides jobs to more than 40 percent of the population. Despite this, he said Kenya’s allocation to agriculture remains below the 10 percent target agreed under the Maputo and Malabo Declarations, where African states committed to boost funding for food production and rural development.
Kagwe warned that Kenya’s population is expected to grow from 53.5 million to 70.2 million by 2045, raising pressure on food systems. Without higher investment and proper reforms, he cautioned, the country could face heavier reliance on food imports to meet local demand.
To prevent that outcome, he outlined a plan that focuses on digital farming, expansion of irrigation schemes, climate-smart practices, better livestock breeds and continued fertilizer support to farmers. He said these steps are key to raising output and cutting production costs.
The Cabinet Secretary also called for the hiring of 1,450 Ward Agricultural Liaison Officers. The officers, he explained, would help improve coordination between the national government and county administrations, ensuring that policies and farm support programmes are carried out effectively at the grassroots level.
Under the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, he said the Ministry is giving priority to food security, lowering imports and growing exports through selected value chains. These include maize, dairy, rice, wheat, coffee, tea, avocado and horticulture.
Kagwe urged Members of Parliament to support increased funding, saying agriculture remains at the centre of the country’s growth and stability.
“Agriculture remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy and key to inclusive growth,” he said.
He appealed to legislators to match budget decisions with the country’s long-term food security plans, arguing that stronger investment today will protect Kenya’s future food needs and economic strength.
