Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has challenged investors to tap into Kenya’s potato industry by establishing processing factories, commercialising idle public land and strengthening local production to reduce reliance on imported potato products.
Speaking on Tuesday, October 27, during the opening of the 13th World Potato Congress in Nairobi, Kagwe said Kenya had an opportunity to transform the crop into a major driver of industrialisation, employment and improved farmer incomes.
The congress, running from October 26 to 30, has attracted 1,000 delegates from 67 countries, surpassing its initial target of 600 participants from 60 countries.
It is the first edition to be hosted in Sub-Saharan Africa, bringing together researchers, farmers, investors and industry players to explore opportunities across the potato value chain.
“A food secure, healthier, prosperous farmer is also, in my considered view, a prerequisite for a safer, stable and productive society,” Kagwe said.
The CS said local production currently meets only about 40 per cent of demand for potato products, leaving imports to account for the remaining 60 per cent, according to estimates cited during preparatory discussions.
“This is an opportunity to substitute imports,” Kagwe said, calling for investments in processing facilities and stronger links between farmers and major buyers, including hotels, restaurants and fast-food outlets.
Expanding local processing, he argued, would create employment, increase earnings across the agricultural value chain and position Kenyan manufacturers to supply regional and international markets.
Kagwe also promoted the government’s Land Commercialisation Initiative, which seeks to lease idle public land to private investors for long-term agricultural production.
The initiative is expected to attract investment in irrigation, modern farming technologies and value addition while increasing domestic food production.
He linked the plan to the government’s broader irrigation ambitions, which include developing 50 mega dams, 200 medium-sized dams and 1,000 water pans and reservoirs to reduce farmers’ dependence on increasingly unpredictable rainfall.
Kenya’s potato industry presents significant economic potential but continues to face production challenges.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics’ National Agriculture Production Report 2025, the country produced approximately 2.2 million tonnes of potatoes worth Sh72.5 billion in 2024, down from about 2.3 million tonnes in 2023.
Failed short rains and excessive long rains contributed to fungal diseases, including potato blight, highlighting the sector’s vulnerability to climate variability and crop losses.
To address these challenges, Kagwe highlighted research by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) and the International Potato Center on a biotechnology potato based on the popular Shangi variety.
The crop, developed with three late-blight resistance genes, demonstrated complete resistance to the disease during field trials.
He also cited Clone IG-70, a drought- and blight-tolerant variety developed through KALRO’s Potato Research Centre in Tigoni, which is progressing towards final verification.
Other interventions include expanding access to certified planting material, strengthening seed inspection and certification through the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), and improving storage infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses.
Kagwe further called for investment in potato-processing machinery, saying he was ready to engage the National Treasury on proposals to zero-rate such equipment.
He urged industry players to submit specific proposals outlining the support required to unlock investment.
The congress, held under the theme “Global Potato Partnership for Enhanced Food Systems, Nutrition Security, and Trade,” also features farmer demonstrations and programmes promoting youth and women’s participation in agriculture.
