President Ruto with Senator Wakoli at statehouse on Thursday….Photo/courtesy.
By IP reporter
NAIROBI, Kenya
Senator David Wakoli on Thursday praised President William Ruto’s reforms in the agriculture sector, saying they are lifting farmers’ incomes and securing Kenya’s food future.
“Farmers are beginning to feel the impact of these reforms,” Wakoli said. “With better prices, timely payments and policies that dismantle cartels, agriculture is once again becoming the engine of food security, jobs and economic growth.”
At State House Nairobi, President Ruto affirmed that agriculture remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy, contributing nearly half of GDP, employing millions and anchoring the country’s export earnings.
He said the government has registered 6.5 million farmers, distributed 21 million bags of subsidized fertilizer, dismantled cartels, opened new markets and strengthened support systems across the sector.
Tea has been a major beneficiary. Prices at auction have risen from about Sh51 to Sh64 per kilo, while export earnings have climbed from Sh138 billion to Sh250 billion.
With additional investment in factory modernization, value addition and branding, Ruto projected earnings could reach Sh280 billion by 2027.
The government handed over Sh2.65 billion to the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) funds that had been held by the Kenya Deposit Insurance Corporation after the collapse of Chase and Imperial banks — to shore up liquidity and ensure farmers are paid in full and on time.
KTDA represents about 650,000 smallholder tea farmers, meaning the payout translates to an average of just over Sh4,000 per farmer though actual distributions will vary by output and region.
