The Council of Governors (CoG) Vice Chair and Nyeri Governor, H.E. Mutahi Kahiga, has launched the Tupande Youth in Agriculture Program in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and CoG.
The initiative, unveiled at White Rhino Hotel in Nyeri, aims to inspire youth to pursue agriculture-based careers, enhancing agricultural productivity in Kenya.
The program, implemented under One Acre Fund’s Tupande brand, introduces the concept of AgriCOOLture, designed to make agriculture attractive, viable, and profitable for young people. Targeting youth aged 18–35, the program offers resources and training to help them start careers in agriculture.
Participants will receive packages such as training on high-value crops, including vegetables, potatoes, and agroforestry, as well as lessons on soil health, nutrition, and irrigation.
Youths will also be on boarded into Tupande’s microenterprise program, granting access to starter kits, including irrigation equipment, dairy goats, chicken, beehives, and seedlings for macadamia and avocado trees.
Some starter kits will be offered for free, while others will be subsidized or available on credit to encourage uptake.
The program also includes a Starter Capital Award, providing youth groups with asset-based resources such as chicks, irrigation kits, and seeds for crops like tomatoes and African leafy vegetables.
The initiative is part of a larger four-year partnership between the Mastercard Foundation and One Acre Fund called Reshaping Kenyan Agriculture for Dignified Youth Livelihoods. The project aims to reach 300,000 youth across 34 counties by 2026.
One Acre Fund, which supports over 1.5 million farmers across nine countries in Eastern and Southern Africa, seeks to transform the perception of agriculture among young people. The goal is to boost agricultural productivity, improve access to financing, and connect youth to lucrative markets, resulting in sustainable income growth for individuals, their families, and communities.
YOU MAY ALSO READ:
Led by Yael Hartman, the Global Director of Government Relations and Policy, the Tupande team emphasized the importance of engaging Nyeri County’s youth in agriculture. The launch was attended by Nyeri Deputy Governor H.E. Kinaniri Waroe, CECM for Youth Esther Ndung’u, Agriculture Chief Officer Wilson Maringa, and Tupande representatives Eric Andagia, Joseph Karamoja, Dennis Tirop, Eric Osumba, Faith Kamade, and Anthony Mutua.
Governor Kahiga lauded the partnership, noting its potential to revolutionize agriculture and create economic opportunities for the youth. By making agriculture “cool” and accessible, the program aims to secure the sector’s future while addressing unemployment challenges among Kenya’s youth.
By Rodgers Wagura.
Get more stories from our website: Sacco Review.
For comments and clarifications, write to: Saccoreview@
Kindly follow us via our social media pages on Facebook: Sacco Review Newspaper for timely updates
Stay ahead of the pack! Grab the latest Sacco Review newspaper!
