Kenya counts on private sector to develop 600,000 hectares of farmland
Government aims to boost food security and reduce import dependence through large-scale private investments.
KENYA – Kenya’s government is opening up over 600,000 hectares of farmland to private investors to expand agricultural production and strengthen food security.
The move was announced by Secretary of State for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Mutahi Kagwe, during the 5th National Agribusiness Summit held in Nairobi from October 22 to 23.
According to Kagwe, the government will make about 607,000 hectares available for private investment. These include land managed by the Kenya Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) and several prison farms already set aside for commercial use.
The Ministry of Agriculture has also created a Land Marketing Office to help investors access land details, permits, and relevant information more easily.
“Counties like Homa Bay and Migori are already looking for investors for oil palm cultivation. We have enough land in the country to do what we need,” Kagwe said.
Focus on key crops
The plan targets major value chains such as rice, wheat, oilseeds, and pyrethrum. Agriculture contributes 22.5 percent to Kenya’s GDP and employs around one-third of the national workforce. However, the sector still faces challenges, especially low irrigation coverage, which limits productivity.
Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that Kenya cultivated seven million hectares of land in 2022, but only 2.2 percent was under irrigation. Expanding irrigated farmland could help stabilize food supply and reduce reliance on imports.
Kenya remains heavily dependent on imported food products. A July 2025 report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), titled The State of Commodity Dependence 2025, revealed that the country imported almost three billion dollars’ worth of food between 2021 and 2023. The main imports included wheat, sugar, rice, and maize.
Government officials say that by opening large tracts of land to private investment, Kenya hopes to cut this dependence while creating jobs and stabilizing local markets.
“We want the private sector to take the lead in increasing production. This is how we can feed our people and grow the economy,” Kagwe added.
Recent developments
The initiative comes as Kenya deepens collaboration with regional and international partners to modernize agriculture.
Earlier this month, the government signed new agreements to expand irrigation infrastructure and improve access to farming inputs. Several county governments have also begun offering incentives to attract agribusiness investors.
The Ministry of Agriculture expects the new farmland program to begin rolling out next year. Officials believe that with strong participation from local and foreign investors, Kenya can boost food production, lower import bills, and make agriculture more sustainable in the long term.
Be the first to leave a comment