The Kenyan government plans to open more than 1.5 million acres of land for private sector investment in large-scale farming as part of efforts to enhance food security, create jobs, and reduce the country’s heavy reliance on food imports.
Speaking during the 5th National Agribusiness Summit in Nairobi, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe emphasized the government’s commitment to fostering Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in agriculture. He noted that the sector’s growth depends heavily on private sector participation.
“This sector is largely driven by the private sector and we will continue to rely on them to grow agricultural businesses, provide food security, and create jobs,” said Kagwe.
The initiative targets key value chains including rice, wheat, edible oils, and pyrethrum—areas that currently contribute significantly to Kenya’s annual Sh500 billion food import bill. Kagwe noted that producing these commodities locally would save foreign exchange, stabilize the shilling, and strengthen the economy.
Several parcels of land under the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) and prisons farms are being prepared for commercial use. Counties such as Homa Bay and Migori have already started seeking investors to develop palm oil plantations.
To streamline the process, the government has established a Land Commercialisation Initiative Office within the Ministry of Agriculture to serve as a one-stop centre for investors.
ASNET Chairman Bimal Kantaria praised the government’s openness to collaboration, citing progress in sectors such as sugar, fertiliser, and digital innovation.
“The privatisation of the sugar sector is already bearing fruit. By next year, we hope Kenya will start exporting sugar,” he said.
Kagwe also urged youth involvement in agriculture, encouraging older farmers to hand over operations to younger, tech-savvy generations who can drive innovation and value addition in the sector.
The summit brought together policymakers, private investors, and farmer organizations to discuss strategies for building resilient and profitable agricultural value chains across Kenya.
