Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe inspects fertiliser stocks at the NCPB depot in Sagana.
Farmers will soon access subsidised fertiliser closer to their farms after the government shifted agro-dealer registration to county governments, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has said.
The move aims to fix long-standing last-mile delivery challenges that have delayed affordable fertiliser reaching farmers during critical planting periods.
“To permanently address last-mile delivery challenges, county governments will now register agro-dealers, allowing farmers to access subsidised fertiliser closer to their farms,” said Kagwe on Monday, January 26.
The ministry is also working with the National Treasury, the World Bank, and commercial banks to introduce an instant payment system that ensures agro-dealers are paid immediately once farmers redeem fertiliser vouchers.
“This will resolve last-mile distribution challenges, reduce transport costs for farmers, and ensure fertiliser availability at the village level,” noted Kagwe.
The subsidy programme has already shown results, with maize production doubling after the distribution of 9.1 million bags of assorted fertiliser during the 2025 season.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the government is rolling out further interventions as parts of the country face climate-induced food shortages.
“We have a situation where the need for human and livestock feed is going to be required urgently. And we are planning initially up to July, and then we can assess the situation as we go ahead. I want to assure every Kenyan that there is no need to panic,” said Kindiki.
He added the government had mobilised billions of shillings to support vulnerable communities.
“This climate-induced situation is something that will affect the country in the short term, but the government has made arrangements to make sure that we provide enough food for all the people of Kenya and also to save their livestock from dying because of the drought, and therefore, there should be no panic in the country.”
Kindiki noted the government committed Sh4 billion every 30 days for drought relief and will review allocations based on evolving needs.
With fertiliser stocks already positioned in depots nationwide, farmers have been urged to collect inputs early and prepare for the upcoming planting season.
