Dr. Augustine Cheruiyot Outlines Government’s Economic Transformation Agenda, Urges Farmers to Embrace Agriculture
By Shadrack Mutai | NAIROBI,
Dr. Augustine Cheruiyot, Senior Advisor to the President and Head of the President’s Economic Transformation Secretariat, has outlined the government’s economic transformation agenda, highlighting agriculture, value addition, cooperative reforms and job creation as key drivers of economic growth.
Speaking on the country’s economic performance, Cheruiyot said the Kenya Kwanza administration took office amid significant debt challenges, food shortages, a high cost of living and rising healthcare expenses. He said the government assembled an economic team that engaged international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on debt repayment plans.
He said the government prioritised agriculture, healthcare, affordable housing, digital infrastructure, highways and support for small and medium-sized enterprises to stabilise the economy, create jobs and address the cost of living.
On agriculture, Cheruiyot urged farmers to register for government subsidy programmes to improve planning, strengthen support services and boost productivity.
He encouraged farmers to invest in coffee farming, noting that the sector had undergone reforms and was offering better returns. He also urged farmers to embrace avocado farming, citing export opportunities, including the Chinese market, and plans by county governments to support agricultural production.
On tea, Cheruiyot said the government was promoting value addition and modernising factories to support the production of orthodox tea and improve farmers’ earnings. He also called on tea factory directors to educate farmers on quality, improve operational efficiency and explore small hydropower projects to reduce production costs.
He said Agriculture Principal Secretary Rono had been visiting tea factories to address concerns over brokers accused of exploiting farmers. Cheruiyot urged farmers to remain vigilant against unscrupulous buyers and protect their earnings.
On dairy farming, he expressed optimism about the sector’s prospects, saying farmers in the North Rift had organised themselves through cooperative structures to strengthen their control over processing, marketing and pricing. He said efforts were also underway to revive Sotik KCC, working with county governments and the Dairy Board to improve milk supply, strengthen management and ensure quality standards.
Cheruiyot attributed recent milk shortages in supermarkets partly to delayed payments to farmers and suppliers, which had pushed producers to seek alternative markets. However, he said supply had improved and expressed optimism about future stability.
He further called for stronger cooperative governance, noting that mismanagement and misuse of members’ funds remained major challenges. He said proposed legal reforms and regular audits would help strengthen accountability and ensure action against those responsible for financial malpractice.
Cheruiyot said the broader economic transformation agenda was aimed at strengthening productive sectors, improving farmers’ incomes and expanding opportunities for businesses and households.
