Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has urged Parliament of Kenya to increase the Ministry’s budget to at least 5 percent of the national budget, approximately Ksh140 billion, 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, the CS noted that the Ministry has been allocated Ksh75.49 billion, representing just 2.7 percent of the Ksh2.8 trillion national budget.
He argued that this falls short for a sector contributing 22.5 percent to Gross Domestic Product and employing over 40 percent of Kenyans.
Kagwe emphasized that Kenya’s allocation remains below the 10 percent target under continental commitments such as the Maputo and Malabo Declarations.
As the Kenya’s population goes up from 53.5 million to a projected 70.2 million by 2045, Kagwe warned that without reforms and increased funding, the country risks rising food imports.
He further urged 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.