Kenya has officially launched the Kenya AgriConnect Compact (2025–2030), a transformative national strategy aimed at repositioning agriculture from a traditional subsistence activity into a modern, technology-driven, climate-smart, and commercially competitive sector. Unveiled by Cabinet Secretary Sen. Mutahi Kagwe, the initiative places agriculture at the center of Kenya’s economic transformation agenda, recognizing it as a powerful engine for inclusive growth, investment attraction, and sustainable development.

A key pillar of the AgriConnect Compact is the integration of technology and digital innovation across the agricultural value chain. The framework envisions the deployment of digital extension services, agritech platforms for market traceability, advanced processing technologies, and digital marketplaces designed to improve productivity, reduce inefficiencies, and address persistent post-harvest losses. Through these interventions, Kenya aims to build a more resilient and data-driven agricultural ecosystem capable of competing effectively in both regional and global markets.

To drive implementation, the government has committed USD 3.8 billion in catalytic public financing, strategically structured to mobilize an additional USD 7.6 billion in private sector investment. By leveraging public-private partnerships, blended finance mechanisms, and credit guarantee structures, the Compact seeks to de-risk agricultural investments and unlock greater participation from private capital. This approach is expected to accelerate investment in critical value chains such as dairy, horticulture, edible oils, and agro-processing while creating a more attractive environment for long-term agricultural financing.

Beyond boosting production, the strategy focuses heavily on transforming market systems through infrastructure upgrades, structured trading platforms, and expanded market access opportunities. The reforms are expected to reduce dependence on imported food staples such as maize and rice by 50 percent while increasing high-value agricultural exports by 60 percent. These interventions are designed to strengthen food security, improve farmer incomes, enhance value addition, and position Kenya as a leading agricultural powerhouse on the continent.

Perhaps the most significant impact of the AgriConnect Compact is its ambitious job creation agenda. The framework is projected to create and upgrade approximately 2.48 million jobs by 2030, particularly for young people across agro-processing, logistics, agribusiness management, digital supply chains, and related sectors. Supported by national and county governments, development finance institutions, international partners, and private sector stakeholders, the initiative represents a bold step toward achieving food security, economic prosperity, and sustainable agricultural transformation for Kenya’s future.