Bungoma Senator and Majoeity chief whip CBS David Wakoli ……Photo/IP
NAIROBI, Kenya
Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli, serving as Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, has prioritized direct legislative support for smallholder farmers and agricultural decentralization.
Following his election, Wakoli championed the passage of the Sugar Act, which reinstates elected farmer representation on the Sugar Board to curb intermediary exploitation, while also leading direct initiatives to distribute 45,000 diverse cash-crop seedlings across Bungoma County.
Furthermore, his committee has taken legislative processes directly to the grassroots through on-site stakeholder forums for the Coffee Bill and strict oversight at county government managed institutions and others like Kitinda Dairy.
The impact of Wakoli’s grassroots-focused policy shift is drawing strong support from local producers and regional colleagues alike.
The Sugarcane Sector Voice:
“For years, we were completely left out of decisions that controlled our income,” said John Wafula, a sugarcane farmer from the Nzoia belt. “By fighting for elected representatives to sit on the Sugar Board, Senator Wakoli has given us a direct hand in our own financial future. This isn’t just politics; it alters how we feed our families.”
The Diversified Cash-Crop Voice:
“We used to struggle to access quality agricultural inputs or afford high-yielding coffee seedlings,avocado and macadamia varieties,” noted Mary Nasimiyu, a smallholder farmer from Mt. Elgon. “The distribution of thousands of free coffee seedlings straight to the villages bypassed the usual bureaucratic blockages and gave us an immediate economic lifeline.”
The Regional Legislative Ally:
“What Senator Wafula has done with the Agriculture Committee sets a real benchmark for how the Senate should handle devolution,” stated a lawmaker from neighboring Kakamega County, who requested anonymity to speak freely on a colleague’s performance. “By physically taking public participation out of Nairobi and holding forums directly in venues like ,Mt Elgon,Chwele,Mabanga,Kimilili and Nzoia, he forced the committee to confront the actual, unvarnished realities of the farming community.”
