As the long rains draw closer, the government has launched a countrywide fertilizer distribution, which is already bringing relief to farmers as they prepare the land for the April planting season.
On Tuesday, trucks carrying over three million bags of fertilizers weighing 50 kilogrammes started pouring to major agricultural areas including Bomet, Kisii, Narok, Nyamira, Bungoma, Kericho, Kakamega, and Rift Valley. The trucks left from Mombasa as a preemptive measure to ensure that farmers are not caught unaware by the onset of rainfall. They were led by Agricultural PS Paul Ronoh.
“Today, I flagged off the national fertiliser subsidy programme in Mombasa, distributing three million bags of 50kg fertiliser to the major agricultural areas,” Ronoh said. This move will come in handy, as it will benefit the agricultural sector by ensuring the food security of the nation.
However, the three million bags are only the first phase of an even bigger program. This is because the government intends to distribute 12.5 million bags of subsidized fertilizer in the course of 2026, almost twice the amount that was given out in 2025.
Through the subsidized program, a bag of 50 kilograms will retail at KSh2,500. This is a significantly reduced price considering what farmers were paying; basically, the difference could be the deciding factor between planting and planting in time. This is because farmers were paying approximately KSh7,000 per bag in 2022.
To make it convenient for people to get the fertilizer, it would be sold in the National Cereals and Produce Board depots, satellite outlets, and agrovet outlets. The fertilizer would cut the long distance farmers travel in search of inputs.
In November of the previous year, President William Ruto unveiled an expanded fertiliser program, assuring that every nook and cranny would be reached.
“By 2026, we will disburse 12.5 million bags of subsidized fertilizer to all 1,450 wards to ensure each farmer gets access to the commodity,” Ruto had stated.
The subsidy is one of the key strategies adopted by the Kenya Kwanza regime to transform the sector. The government states that the initiative has already shown positive results, with an increase in the production of food, reduced prices of fertiliser, as well as reduced prices of maize flour. An estimated 70 million bags of maize could be produced, up from 44 million bags, due to sufficient distribution to farmers for planting in season.
