Governors call for grain, hay reserves amid looming drought

Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe and other stakeholders during the Intergovernmental Agriculture Forum (IGAF) 2025 in Naivasha. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

Governors have called for urgent strategic grain and hay reserves following the warning by the Meteorological Department of depressed short and long rains.

Through the Council of Governors, the county chiefs have warned of major deaths of livestock and humans in the coming months, with parts of the country already expriencing harsh weather conditions.

This emerged during the Intergovernmental Agriculture Forum (IGAF) 2025 in Naivasha where stakeholders expressed their concern over low budgetary allocation to agriculture.

CoG Ahmed Abdullahi said the pastoral community had invested heavily in the livestock sector following three good seasons.

He termed the warning by the Meteorological Department a major blow to the pastoralists who were yet to recover from the recent drought, where more than three million livestock died.

“Livestock has started to die and it's time we established strategic livestock, feed and hay reserves so that every drought that occurs does not wipe out our entire livestock economy,” he said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, the Wajir Governor noted that the agriculture sector was on an upward trajectory despite challenges like the high cost of farm inputs and diseases.

“The interventions such as the subsidised fertilizer have clearly helped production, but we still have challenges in financing, post-harvest losses and improved storage,” he said.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe called for use of technology in increasing production at a time when land meant for agriculture was on the decline.

“We should urgently address the issue of soil health by looking into the types of fertiliser we use and this will greatly increase food production,” he said.

Kagwe warned that in the coming years, the country would face an acute shortage of agricultural officers through retirement and hence the need to invest in human capital.

The CS called for a better working relationship with the private sector to increase production and addressing food security in the country.

“We have been warned of a looming crisis due to depressed rains and county governments should be at the forefront in coming up with mitigation measures,” he said.

Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka decried the low funding by the national government to the agriculture sector saying that this was hampering production.

AGRA’s Kenya Acting Country Director Davis Muthini said they had partnered with the government to address challenges in the agriculture sector.

“Young people make up to 75 percent of the population in this country and unless we include them in agriculture, then our agriculture will not be transformed,” he said.