Senate Agriculture committee members at Kenya Seed Company headquarters.
KITALE, Kenya (Aug. 25, 2025)
Bungoma Senator David Wakoli on Tuesday sounded the alarm over a KSh1.7 billion debt owed to Kenya Seed Company by national and county governments, warning it risks undermining food security if not urgently addressed.
Wakoli, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, led fellow senators on an oversight visit to the firm’s Kitale headquarters, where management revealed that the arrears have crippled cash flow, delayed payments to contracted seed growers, and slowed expansion.
“This debt is not just a financial backlog — it is a direct threat to food security,” Wakoli said. “If Kenya Seed cannot supply certified seed on time, farmers will be left with counterfeits, reduced yields and an unstable food chain.”
Kenya Seed’s management told lawmakers the KSh1.7 billion pending bill includes delayed payments from multiple ministries and county governments, straining liquidity at a time when demand for certified maize seed is rising.
The committee also identified other challenges, including asbestos roofing requiring urgent replacement, poor road access to contracted farms, and a shortage of agricultural extension officers.
Senators emphasized the need for counties to provide land for seed production and expand irrigation to scale up seasonal multiplication.
During a tour of seed fields and processing facilities, the delegation observed certification protocols run jointly with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) and stressed the importance of safeguarding indigenous seed varieties.
Wakoli pledged to push for budgetary interventions in Parliament, framing Kenya Seed as a “national lifeline” whose survival is tied to the country’s ability to feed itself.
