- President William Ruto pledged to reduce fertiliser and seed prices from next year to encourage farmers to increase food production.
- Farmers were urged to take advantage of the expected short rains after failed rains caused widespread crop losses and reduced harvests.
- The government plans to construct 50 mega dams, 200 medium sized dams and 1,000 micro dams to expand irrigation and reduce reliance on rain fed agriculture.
President William Ruto has pledged to reduce fertiliser prices to encourage farmers to resume cultivation during the anticipated short rains, as the government moves to boost food production following widespread crop losses caused by failed rains.
Speaking at the ACK Church in Moiben, Uasin Gishu County, on Sunday, August 3, 2026, Ruto said many farmers had suffered heavy losses after poor rainfall disrupted the planting season.
He urged them to take advantage of the short rains expected between this month and December to return to their farms and help strengthen the country’s food security.
Ruto further announced that the government would lower the cost of both fertiliser and seeds from next year, calling on farmers to increase production to help prevent food shortages.
“The government will intervene to ensure farmers produce more,” he said.
The announcement follows months of below average rainfall in several parts of the country, with many regions receiving little or no rain during the main planting season. The prolonged dry spell disrupted planting and stunted crop development, leading to poor harvests for many farmers.
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In addition to adverse weather, farmers have also been grappling with the circulation of suspected counterfeit fertiliser. Last week, detectives recovered about 3,500 bags of the suspected fake fertiliser during a raid in Uasin Gishu County and arrested three suspects. Investigations into the matter are ongoing.
President Ruto said the intervention is part of wider government efforts to cushion farmers from the effects of poor rainfall and strengthen the country’s food security in the wake of reduced agricultural production.
He also said the government will scale up water harvesting and irrigation as part of a long term strategy to reduce the country’s reliance on rain fed agriculture.
Financed through the newly established National Infrastructure Fund, the initiative will see the construction of 50 mega dams, 200 medium sized dams and 1,000 micro dams to support irrigation, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions that are regularly hit by drought, the Head of State noted.
Ruto said the investments are intended to boost food production, expand irrigated agriculture and enhance farmers’ resilience to the increasingly unpredictable weather patterns affecting the country.
By Frank Mugwe
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