NAIROBI, Kenya- Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) is advocating for a groundbreaking shift in how Kenya allocates its Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), proposing that a portion of these funds be diverted to bolster the country’s agricultural sector.
The petition, presented before the Public Petitions Committee (PPC) on Monday, aims to amend existing laws to enable RMLF to support irrigation infrastructure in arid regions, tackling issues of food insecurity, unemployment, and poverty.
SHOFCO’s petition, led by Advocacy Lead Boniface Gatobu, calls for the National Assembly to pass legislation that would allow the agricultural sector to benefit from the RMLF.
According to Gatobu, shifting part of this fund to build irrigation infrastructure in dry areas could have a transformative impact on food production in Kenya.
“If this petition is adopted, food insecurity will be a thing of the past,” he said. Gatobu pointed out that while many regions in Kenya are fertile, the lack of rain has hampered productive agriculture.
SHOFCO has a strong presence in 40 counties across Kenya, and through its work, the organization has identified regions that could benefit from irrigation infrastructure if the petition is successful.
Gatobu also questioned why roads, which serve only a small fraction of the population, should take precedence over projects like dams, which could benefit thousands of farmers.
“As much as roads are important, we need to diversify the RMLF money to ensure farmers have the infrastructure to grow food that can also be exported,” Gatobu stated.
One of the key questions raised by the committee, led by Turbo MP Janet Jepkemoi Sitienei, was why SHOFCO sought to amend the RMLF Act rather than seeking funding from the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.
Sitienei noted that the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) already has a mandate to build irrigation infrastructure.
In response, Gatobu explained that SHOFCO’s proposals come from the needs of the communities they serve, and agriculture was identified as a “silver bullet” to address the high cost of living, youth unemployment, and hunger.
Gatobu made a compelling case by comparing the Ksh4 billion spent on the ABC-Redhill Ring Road project, which serves 5,000 cars daily, with the Thiba Dam in Kirinyaga County, which supports 50,000 rice farmers.
He argued that reallocating a portion of the RMLF to agriculture could generate more substantial returns for ordinary Kenyans and the economy at large.
SHOFCO’s petition proposes amendments to several laws, including the Irrigation Act and the Road Maintenance Levy Fund Act, to rename the RMLF to the “Infrastructure Development and Maintenance Levy Fund” and allow agricultural projects to benefit from it.
SHOFCO’s push for agricultural funding is not without precedent. The organization has a long history of supporting farmers in regions like Rift Valley, Western Kenya, and Nyanza.
Earlier this year, over 50,000 farmers in counties such as Trans Nzoia, Siaya, Kisumu, and Nyeri benefited from certified maize seeds distributed by SHOFCO, a project valued at over Ksh50 million.
In a separate initiative, SHOFCO Founder and CEO Dr. Kennedy Odede launched 40 water pans in Siaya County, enabling farmers to practice irrigation agriculture.
“It’s not just about feeding families today but securing a resilient future for generations to come,” said Odede, highlighting the importance of sustainable farming practices in addressing Kenya’s food insecurity.
As part of a pilot program, SHOFCO has constructed 157 water pans across Kenya, assisting farmers in dry regions to adopt smart farming techniques.
These efforts align with the petition’s goals, emphasizing the need for large-scale irrigation infrastructure to boost agricultural productivity across the country.
