- Trans Nzoia farmers are embracing tree crops to boost incomes and strengthen climate resilience.
- Community-led climate action is opening new opportunities for smallholder farmers.
- Cooperatives and organised groups are being encouraged to prepare for the next phase of funding.
Smallholders in Cherangany Sub-County, Trans Nzoia County, have begun planting coffee after receiving 3,000 seedlings meant to lift household incomes and restore tree cover.
The seedlings were handed out in Chepsiro/Kiptoror Ward through the county Department of Water, Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change. They form part of the Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme, which is bankrolled by the World Bank.
FLLoCA Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Yona Okusi explained that perennial crops do more than earn money. “Coffee and other fruit trees keep the soil covered throughout the year, reduce surface runoff, improve water retention and absorb carbon,” he said.
Under the programme, residents decide which projects deserve funding. They do so through climate risk assessments held at ward level, which means money reaches communities directly. Okusi added that beneficiaries will also receive training on spacing, mulching and finding buyers.
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Coffee is not the only crop on offer. Farmers in the area are also collecting avocado, mango, pawpaw and macadamia seedlings. In addition, officials are encouraging them to intercrop with macadamia and grevillea so that each plot earns more.
Looking ahead, the current phase ends in December 2026. A second phase is due to open in July 2027, and it will shift towards infrastructure. Cooperatives, savings and credit cooperative organisations (Saccos), private entities and organised groups will be first in line for that support.
Ward Administrator Gideon Chumba urged the recipients to look after their young trees. “Coffee is a generational crop,” he said, adding that its rewards will outlast the farmers who plant it.
He also advised residents to form cooperatives, Saccos or self-help groups before the next phase begins. From the coming financial year, he said, funds will go towards tree nurseries, aggregation centres and value addition facilities. Groups that are already registered, he noted, will stand a better chance of qualifying.
By Benedict Aoya
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