Kenya’s plan to achieve food self-sufficiency has taken a major step forward after top government officials, Parliament committees, and State agricultural agencies agreed on a joint push to overhaul laws and speed up reforms seen as critical to boosting production and cutting dependence on food imports.
The high-level meeting led by Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Friday focused on building a unified legal and policy framework to strengthen farming, expand exports, and improve value addition within the country.
The talks brought together Agriculture Committees from both the National Assembly and Senate, alongside key State Agencies, with a shared agreement to fast-track priority bills that support modern farming systems and improve market access for Kenyan farmers.
CS Kagwe said legal reforms will be central in reshaping the sector, insisting that Kenya must move quickly to protect jobs and increase earnings through local processing before products are exported.
“There are legislative interventions that are crucial to increase exports and substitute imports. For us to succeed in markets like China, we must value-add here at home — not export jobs and import finished products,” said CS Kagwe.
Principal Secretary for Livestock Development Jonathan Mueke said the current legal framework needs urgent updating to match the pace of reforms being introduced in the sector.
“Our laws must modernize and create an enabling environment. We must now put our heads together with Parliament to fast-track priority bills and agree on those that must move with speed,” said PS Mueke.
The meeting agreed on a roadmap to identify and prioritise all agricultural legislation currently before Parliament, with focus areas including crop production, livestock systems, food safety, and agricultural data management.
Lawmakers called for a coordinated national strategy to reduce the country’s reliance on imported food, saying production gaps must be addressed locally.
Chairperson of the National Assembly Agriculture Committee Dr. John Mutunga said Kenya must align its approach across institutions to reduce import dependency.
“We need a harmonised approach as a sector. Production deficits are what trigger imports. If we are to substitute imports, we must think together; leveraging our competencies, capacities, and opportunities as Kenyans,” he said.
He also cited climate change and recurring droughts as major pressures affecting food supply, adding that long-term solutions must be homegrown.
Dr. Mutunga pointed to edible oils as one of the key sectors needing urgent policy and legal changes, calling for “legislative engineering” to expand domestic production and reduce imports.
The meeting also discussed ways of strengthening local markets for farmers, with proposals aimed at ensuring steady demand for Kenyan produce.
Acting Director General of the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Calistus Kundu proposed that public institutions such as schools should prioritise buying local farm products to support farmers.
“Schools should buy from local produce,” Kundu stated, a proposal seen as a step toward stabilising farm incomes.
From the Senate, Hezena Lemaletian called for stronger investment in agricultural training and access to funding for young people entering the sector.
She raised concern over limited financial support for students in institutions such as Bukura Agricultural College, urging expansion of Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) coverage.
“Kenya must shift from being a consuming economy to a producing economy,” she said.
CS Kagwe also called for higher budget allocation to agriculture, noting its strong contribution to the national economy.
“With agriculture contributing over 25 percent of GDP, we must ask ourselves — how do you allocate just 3 percent to what is essentially the goose that lays the golden egg?” he posed.
He said both Senate and National Assembly committees had expressed support for increasing funding to match the sector’s importance.
The Ministry presented a wide-ranging reform agenda targeting multiple laws and policies designed to modernise agriculture and improve efficiency across the value chain.
Among the priority proposals are:
- The Digital Agricultural Information Bill, 2026, aimed at strengthening data systems and farmer registries through legal establishment of Kenya Agriculture Digital Information Center (KADIC).
- The National Food Reserve and Trading Corporation Bill
- The Mechanization Bill to drive large-scale farming efficiency
- Reviews of key laws including the Crops Act, Tea Act, and Biosafety Act
- The Pest Control Products Bill and Plant Protection Bill currently before Parliament
Additional policy reforms covering coffee, tea, sugar, seed systems, and agricultural financing are also nearing completion as part of a broader restructuring of the sector.
Leaders at the meeting agreed that Kenya must shift from a consumption-driven model to a production-led economy anchored on stronger local value chains and reduced imports.
Dr. Mutunga said Parliament would back the reform agenda and push for stronger budget allocations.
“We have agreed on a strategy to substitute imports and ensure Kenya becomes food sufficient. We will support all progressive bills and push for more budgetary allocation,” he said.
