By Kimuri Mwangi
The State Department for Agriculture has officially launched the Agripreneur Extension Program in West Pokot County, marking a significant step in the Government’s efforts to modernize agricultural extension services and accelerate the transformation of the sector through youth empowerment and digital innovation.
The initiative is anchored in the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda and the Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy 2019–2029, which aim to enhance food security, reduce agricultural imports, increase exports, and improve farmer incomes through productivity growth and data-driven decision-making.
Speaking during the launch, the Principal Secretary for Agriculture, Dr Kipronoh Ronoh emphasized the need to strengthen advisory services at the grassroots level. “Agricultural transformation begins with knowledge at the farm level. By empowering youth with digital tools and linking farmers to markets, finance, and quality inputs, we are restoring confidence in extension services and building a resilient agricultural system that works for every farmer,” the Principal Secretary stated.
The program responds to longstanding challenges facing the agriculture sector, including low productivity, high input costs, climate variability, pests and diseases, weakened extension coverage, and declining youth participation. Through a performance-based and digitally enabled advisory system, agripreneurs will conduct farm visits, provide soil health and production guidance, update farmer and agro-dealer records for subsidized fertilizer targeting, support e-voucher livestock vaccination programs, and mobilize farmers into organized groups.
Nationally, 9,450 youthful agripreneurs across 46 counties have been engaged to strengthen last-mile extension delivery. Under the Food Systems Resilience Project, 1,925 agripreneurs are undergoing structured incubation and mentorship supported by a Digitally Enabled Agripreneur Program Management System.
The initiative also builds on the National Farmer Registration Exercise, which has registered 7.2 million geo-tagged farmers on a digital platform, enabling improved targeting of government interventions, greater transparency, and stronger linkages between farmers, input suppliers, produce markets, and financial institutions.
In West Pokot County, 140 agripreneurs have been trained to serve 91,000 registered farmers across 20 wards, significantly expanding advisory coverage in the region. The County Government further highlighted its commitment to sustainable land management through large-scale agroforestry initiatives, including the establishment of a nursery producing more than one million assorted seedlings to strengthen climate resilience and long-term productivity.
The launch brought together national and county leaders, including the Principal Secretary for Public Works, the Deputy Governor of West Pokot, the Women Representative of West Pokot, the Member of Parliament for Kacheliba, the Area MCA, and the County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, reflecting strong collaboration in advancing agricultural development.
Officials noted that coordinated efforts between the national government, county leadership, development partners, and the private sector remain central to building a resilient agricultural system capable of supporting inclusive economic growth and national food security.
