President William Ruto has announced that the government has allocated KSh18 billion in the 2026/27 budget to sustain subsidised fertilizer prices, a move he said is designed to lower production costs and boost incomes for millions of Kenyan farmers.
Speaking during the launch of the Coffee Revival Programme on Monday, June 22, 2026, in Kirinyaga County, Ruto said his administration had deliberately increased funding for fertilizer support compared to previous years, noting that affordable farm inputs remain central to transforming agriculture and securing food security.
“In the budget, I have added money to ensure cheap fertilizer is available. I will allocate KSh18 billion to ensure fertilizer prices come down. In 2022, there was not a single shilling allocated for fertilizer support,” Ruto stated.
He explained that reducing the cost of fertilizer and agrochemicals is part of a broader strategy to improve productivity and guarantee better returns for farmers. “We are lowering the cost of fertilizer and pesticides so that farmers can achieve good harvests. The single objective is to make sure the farmer gets money,” he added.
Ruto said reforms in the agriculture sector are focused on ensuring farmers increase production while earning more from their crops. He pointed out that coffee farming expansion will now target new suitable regions, including parts of the Rift Valley, as the government seeks to diversify and grow the sector.
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The President further revealed that the government has intensified farmer registration to improve planning and service delivery. He said the registration drive has already captured 7.3 million farmers nationwide, creating a comprehensive database that will make it easier to identify beneficiaries of government programmes.
“I said we would register farmers so that we know them. Today, the complete list shows that 7.3 million farmers have been registered. The fertilizer programme has been a challenge, but I promised to allocate government money to address it,” Ruto explained.
He acknowledged that the fertilizer subsidy programme has posed challenges in the past but assured farmers that the new allocation will guarantee consistent access to affordable inputs. He emphasized that the government’s long‑term goal is not only to reduce production costs but also to ensure farmers earn more from their harvests.
By Masaki Enock
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