Kenya’s pyrethrum industry is facing renewed scrutiny in the Senate amid concerns over declining production, delayed payments to farmers, and mounting debts.
This emerged on Wednesday when Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mutahi Kagwe appeared before Senators to respond to questions about the status and future of the pyrethrum sector.
Senator Prof. Tom Ojienda (Kisumu) asked the CS about market prospects, the state of pyrethrum farming in Homa Bay, and the government’s interventions to revive the once-thriving industry, which was historically a significant foreign-exchange earner.
CS Kagwe explained that Homa Bay County is unsuitable for pyrethrum cultivation due to its climatic and geographical conditions.
He said the crop thrives in highland areas with altitudes between 1,700 and 3,000 metres, well-drained volcanic soils, annual rainfall above 800 millimetres, and cool temperatures below 18°C. Homa Bay, he added, falls below these thresholds, a position confirmed in a letter from the county’s Deputy Governor in May 2025.
The Cabinet Secretary noted that suitable counties for pyrethrum remain concentrated in Kenya’s highlands, including parts of the North and South Rift, Central, Eastern, and Lake Region Economic Bloc counties such as Kisii and Nyamira.
On sector reforms, CS Kagwe highlighted government efforts to distribute high-quality planting materials to boost productivity in suitable regions. Millions of seedlings, tissue-culture plantlets, and clonal materials have been provided to counties including West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nyandarua, Nakuru, and Kericho.
He also said the government is promoting public-private partnerships to expand production and add value to pyrethrum products. Key partners include Botanical Extracts, Kentegra Biotechnology, and Africhem Technologies, who are investing in processing and commercialisation.
Addressing historical concerns over delayed payments to farmers, Kagwe admitted that while PPCK had adopted an advance-payment model in principle, cashflow challenges had hindered its implementation. “The advance is meant to cushion growers and enable them to manage agronomic practices, but this is not happening due to cashflow constraints,” he said.
The CS revealed that the government allocated KSh 105 million to PPCK in the 2024/25 financial year and KSh 125 million in the current year to help settle debts, purchase seeds, and fund extension services. However, he acknowledged that the allocations were insufficient to fully revive the industry.
CS Kagwe also discussed efforts to expand farmers’ access to certified planting materials and extension services.
Tissue-culture laboratories in Muguga and Molo are multiplying clonal materials, and the government is standardising training manuals to ensure uniform quality across all farms.
On export markets, Kagwe said Kenya is working to meet international standards through draft pyrethrum regulations and PPCK’s participation in the Pyrethrum Joint Venture, enabling access to markets in the United States and European Union. He added that seven pyrethrum-based products have been commercialised for use in animal health, public health, agriculture, and industry.
Finally, the CS said PPCK currently generates KSh 35 million annually, with occasional spikes to KSh 60 million, but has accumulated debts of KSh 3.5 billion.
He noted that the Ministry is exploring leasing the company in partnership with the National Treasury as a strategy to ensure its revival.
