NAIROBI, Kenya — Agricultural experts and sector stakeholders are urging the Kenyan government to accelerate investment in farm mechanization, warning that continued reliance on traditional farming methods is limiting productivity and slowing the country’s progress toward food self-sufficiency.
Researchers say Kenya must transition from labour-intensive farming systems to modern mechanized agriculture if it hopes to increase yields, reduce production costs, and improve farmer incomes.
They are also advocating stronger collaboration between the government and private sector players to expand farmer training and improve access to modern agricultural technologies.
Agriculture remains one of Kenya’s most important economic sectors, contributing about a third of the country’s Gross Domestic Product and employing a majority of rural households, according to government and international development data.
Yet experts say much of the sector’s potential remains untapped because small-scale farmers still depend on oxen and hand tools such as jembes to cultivate their land.
“These traditional methods limit the amount of land farmers can cultivate and reduce efficiency,” agricultural stakeholders said during recent training sessions on modern farm technologies.
Even where tractors are available, many smallholder farmers rely on hiring services that charge per acre or per hour, costs that often eat into already thin profit margins.
Agricultural organizations working alongside the Agricultural Society of Kenya are now promoting mechanized tools designed specifically for smallholder farmers. Advocates say these technologies are easier to maintain and capable of significantly increasing productivity.
Through partnerships with international agricultural equipment providers, including firms from Thailand, Kenyan farmers are beginning to access machinery tailored for small-scale operations.
Some of the equipment mimics the traditional oxen-ploughing model familiar to farmers, but operates more efficiently and requires less labour.
Sector experts argue that such technologies could help transform smallholder farmers into more profitable agricultural entrepreneurs.
Education reforms are also being viewed as an opportunity to reshape attitudes toward agriculture. Under Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum, learners can pursue skills and career paths aligned with their interests, including agriculture and agribusiness.
Teachers say early exposure to modern farming technologies could help change long-held perceptions among young people that agriculture is outdated or financially unrewarding.
Students from several secondary schools recently attended demonstrations of mechanized farming tools at the University of Nairobi’s Kabete campus, where experts showcased emerging technologies expected to shape the future of farming.
Stakeholders stressed that mechanization does not eliminate jobs in agriculture but instead improves efficiency and enables farmers to produce more using fewer resources.
Countries that have successfully embraced agricultural mechanization have been able to meet domestic food demand and generate export surpluses, experts note.
The Green Africa Foundation is among the groups leading advocacy efforts urging the government to prioritise mechanization policies and investments.
Over the weekend, farmers from Kabete and Kirinyaga County attended training sessions on modern agricultural equipment, including machinery suited for rice cultivation in Mwea — one of the country’s major rice-growing regions.
Farmers say improved access to modern technologies could significantly raise productivity and household incomes.
Benjamin Omwenge, a farmer who attended the training, said mechanization could help farmers scale production more efficiently.
Agriculture enthusiast Kephar Rabon said the younger generation must rethink farming as a viable and innovative career path.
