Weekly News Roundup Nō 32, Aug 2025

Satellite Technology Meets the Farm

Kenya is stepping into a new era of tech-driven agriculture through a partnership between SatSure Analytics and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO). Using satellite imagery, AI analytics, and climate data, farmers will soon get timely insights on soil moisture, crop health, pest risk, and yield forecasts. This initiative targets smallholder farmers, helping them plan better for planting, irrigation, and harvesting—especially important given the unpredictable rains.

The rollout will begin in maize-growing regions, with expansion to horticulture and livestock mapping later this year.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with KALRO in bringing cutting-edge geospatial intelligence to Kenya’s agricultural landscape. This strategic partnership marks a significant step toward enabling data-driven policymaking, strengthening food security, and empowering smallholder farmers with near real-time insights into crop health, weather variability, and sustainable practices.” Said Dhruva Rajan, Chief Revenue Officer, SatSure 

KALRO, a premier institution in agricultural research, is committed to improving agricultural productivity and sustainability in Kenya.

“Our partnership with SatSure aligns with our vision of integrating technology into agricultural research and extension services. By harnessing satellite-based analytics, we can better understand climate impacts, optimize resource utilization, and empower farmers with precise, timely information.”

– Salim Kinyimu, ICT Director, KALRO

Kenya Tops Africa in Regenerative Farming

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) released its 2024 Annual Report on August 3, revealing that Kenya leads the continent in adopting climate-smart, regenerative agriculture. TThe report attributes Kenya’s success to a strong multi-stakeholder approach that is transforming dryland agriculture and strengthening food security for smallholder farmers. Through the Sustainable Transitioning of Agriculture for Resilient and Adaptable Kenya (STRAK) project, Kenya has made significant strides in climate-smart agriculture.

Implemented in partnership with the IKEA Foundation, Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture, the Cereal Growers Association, Farm Africa, and CIFOR World Agroforestry, the STRAK project is active across Embu, Makueni, Tharaka Nithi, and Kitui counties.

“More than 90% of surveyed farmers in the region are now practicing regenerative methods,” the report notes, citing adoption of practices such as mulching, microdosing, and use of organic manure.

In Tharaka Nithi, these practices nearly tripled sorghum yields compared to traditional techniques, while in Kitui, returns on investment reached Sh5.27 for every KES 1 spent.

Kenya’s progress is also attributed to enabling policies at both national and county levels. In 2024, the government integrated regenerative agriculture into broader climate action and development strategies and took steps to address double taxation and trade barriers, boosting market efficiency.

AGRA’s 2024 report further emphasized the importance of aligning private and public investments with national priorities to transform agriculture from subsistence into a thriving business. Kenya, home to AGRA’s headquarters and a priority country for its programming, continues to lead the way in agricultural transformation across Africa.

 Tree Nursery to Produce 6 Million Seedlings

In a major environmental boost, Elgeyo Marakwet County has launched a mega tree nursery at Chebara Agricultural Training College. The initiative is targetting 6 million indigenous and fruit tree seedlings by December 2025. This part of Kenya’s national 15 billion tree campaign to tackle deforestation and restore watersheds. According to County Executive for Agriculture Edwin Kibor, the nursery will produce avocado, coffee, and tea seedlings, ensuring that farmers in all 20 wards can access planting material as part of the county’s wealth creation policy.farmers in all 20 wards can access planting material as part of the county’s wealth creation policy.

“As a department, we have therefore decided to put up a mega nursery at Chebara ATC so that our farmers can access seedlings,” Kibor said. He explained that while farmers have embraced cash crop farming, a lack of adequate seedlings has slowed progress. The initiative seeks to bridge this gap and enhance agricultural productivity.

Kibor further said that the county would partner with the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) to supply mango seedlings to farmers in the Kerio Valley. He urged the youth and women groups to take advantage of the opportunity by starting their nurseries, noting that the county has allocated funds in the current financial year for the purchase of seedlings.

Rice Farmers Get Government Protection

Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has announced that the government will purchase all available local rice stocks before issuing import permits. This move aims at shielding local farmers in Mwea, Ahero, and Tana River from being undercut by cheap imports, as well as to stabilize farmgate prices and reduce post-harvest losses that have been common during bumper harvest seasons. Speaking at the Kenya School of Agriculture in Nyeri, Kagwe said that the government will prioritize the purchase of the food commodity from local farmers before bringing in 500,000 metric tonnes of Grade 1 milled white rice.

“We will make sure we buy all the rice that is in this country even as we allow for rice to come in. There should be no panic from any farmer that we are going to import rice at the expense of the local farmer. I cannot supervise such an exercise,” stated Kagwe.

According to the CS, the country’s annual demand for rice stands at 1.3 million metric tonnes, but the three major rice-growing irrigation schemes of Ahero, Mwea and Bura only produce about 264,000 metric tonnes of rice annually, which accounts for about 20 per cent of the country’s annual rice demand. While responding to the growing concerns by rice farmers in the country that the importation of rice will kill the rice sector, Kagwe said that this is not the first time the country will be bringing in rice from other countries. Further, Kagwe has defended the decision by the cabinet to allow the importation of rice into the country, stating that it will contribute to the stabilisation of food prices. Kagwe warned that the failure to import the rice would result in a sharp rice shortfall and in turn lead to an increase in the price of other staples like maize and wheat, leaving a majority of Kenyans struggling to put food on their tables.

Biosafety Measures Gaining Ground

The Kenyan government has officially constituted a multi-agency committee to spearhead the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, with the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) designated as the lead agency. The committee’s formation is a major milestone in ensuring Kenya meets its international obligations concerning the safe handling and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

The Protocol, to which Kenya became a signatory in 2000 and ratified in 2003, outlines the procedures for the safe transfer, handling, and use of living modified organisms (LMOs), particularly focusing on biodiversity conservation and minimizing health risks.

Speaking at the induction of NBA’s board members, Mr. Abdullahi H. Osman, an Under-Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, stressed the urgency of the committee’s mandate. “We already have a committee in place with its work already cut out and therefore, it has to move with speed and implement what is provided for in the Cartagena Protocol,” he said, representing the Secretary Administration in the ministry, Mr. Rashid Khator. 

The NBA, under Cap 320 of the Kenyan law, regulates all GMO activities in the country to ensure the protection of human and animal health and the environment. The new committee’s work is expected to significantly bolster Kenya’s compliance with international biosafety standards and strengthen regulatory oversight of biotechnology.

Kenya has been gradually moving toward embracing genetically modified organisms under a regulated framework. Since October 2022, the government lifted a decade-long ban, allowing the cultivation and importation of GM crops—initially including Bt cotton, Bt maize, and virus-resistant cassava.