President William Ruto has said Kenya is experiencing its strongest agricultural growth in decades, with remarkable gains in livestock, meat, and dairy production. Sheep numbers have surpassed 11 million, meat exports have surged 45% to Sh12.5 billion, and milk output has reached 5.3 billion litres, with dairy exports nearly doubling to Sh9.4 billion.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Ruto said these developments are boosting farmer incomes and strengthening the country’s export base.
“The story of Kenya’s progress is written not in offices and boardrooms but in the daily work of farmers, factory workers and agricultural professionals who labour out in the blazing sun of our farms and in the steady production that sustains the nation,” he said.
The President said the agricultural growth is part of a broader narrative of sacrifice, progress, and national renewal, visible in the numbers and felt across communities. He pointed to government support for dairy farmers through the installation of 230 new milk coolers, expanding the cold chain and reducing post-production losses.
Veterinary services have also reached unprecedented levels, with nearly 8 million animals vaccinated and the Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute producing 94 million doses, used locally and exported to neighboring countries.
One of the most notable reforms, Ruto said, is lowering vaccine costs for dairy farmers from Sh8,000 per dose to Sh1,000. “We have reduced the cost of from Sh8,000 per dose to Sh1,000,” he said, calling it a major boost for livestock keepers nationwide.
Ruto said the reforms have strengthened food security, raised farmer incomes, promoted agro-industrialisation, and expanded Kenya’s footprint in global markets. He framed the sector’s transformation as part of a wider national journey toward economic excellence and growth.
“We have built not monuments of words, but foundations of progress,” he said, emphasizing that the achievements reflect “promises made and promises kept.”
While celebrating progress, the President stressed that this is “only the beginning” of what Kenya can accomplish. He urged the nation to move beyond ordinary expectations, insisting, “We must step beyond the comfort of the familiar and the ordinary and reach for nothing less than excellence.”
Ruto linked the agricultural gains to constitutional obligations, noting that the reforms align with national values and governance principles, particularly sustainable development under Article 10.
He recalled that three years ago, Kenya faced inflation, foreign exchange shortages, and a weakening shilling. Today, he said, fiscal discipline and grassroots support have enabled the sector’s resurgence.
Addressing critics, Ruto said, “Those who manufacture self-serving falsehoods cannot erase the clear, verifiable and indisputable evidence of progress.” He concluded with a call to national ambition: “If others could rise, so can Kenya. It can be done.” He promised continued reforms and targeted investments to elevate agriculture as a central driver of prosperity.
