CS Kagwe pushes for bigger agriculture budget after Ksh75.5B allocation

The Agriculture and  Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, has urged Parliament of Kenya to increase the Ministry’s budget to at least 5% of the national budget approximately Ksh140B, warning that the current allocation under the 2026 Budget Policy Statement (BPS) is insufficient to secure Kenya’s food future.

Appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock chaired by Dr. John Mutunga, the CS noted that the Ministry has been allocated Ksh75.49B, representing just 2.7% of the Ksh2.8T national budget.

He argued that this falls short for a sector contributing 22.5% to GDP and employing over 40 percent of Kenyans.

Kagwe emphasized that Kenya’s allocation remains below the 10% target under continental commitments such as the Maputo and Malabo Declarations.

With the population projected to rise from 53.5M to 70.2M by 2045, he warned that without reforms and increased funding, the country risks rising food imports.

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He called for a shift to digital agriculture, expanded irrigation, climate-smart farming, improved livestock genetics, sustained fertilizer subsidies, and recruitment of 1,450 Ward Agricultural Liaison Officers to strengthen coordination with counties.

Under the Government Agenda, the Ministry is prioritizing food security, reducing imports, and growing exports through targeted value chains including maize, dairy, rice, wheat, coffee, tea, avocado and horticulture.

Kagwe appealed to MPs to support enhanced funding, stating that agriculture remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy and key to inclusive growth.

By Obegi Malack

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