Nairobi: Kenya could revive its struggling agricultural extension system by adopting lessons from the United States, where universities play a central role in taking research, technologies, and technical expertise directly to farmers. Agriculture experts have today called for stronger university-county partnerships to reconnect farmers with research and modern technologies.
According to Kenya News Agency, the proposal emerged during a media engagement hosted by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and its Kenyan implementing partner, Rootooba. This event brought together US agricultural officials and Kenyan university leaders to explore areas of agricultural cooperation. Ted McKinney, Chief Executive Officer of NASDA, along with Professor Ratemo Michieka, the Chancellor of Tharaka University, and Professor Daniel Mugendi Njiru, chair of the Vice-Chancellors Forum for Public Universities in Kenya, addressed the media during the engagement in Nairobi.
Doug Miyamoto, Director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and a NASDA member, emphasized that a strong extension system would provide an important link between Kenya’s universities and farmers, enabling producers to benefit from research generated by academic institutions. “We believe that extension can provide a vehicle to get that great technical information that you have out to your farmers,” Miyamoto stated. He highlighted the benefits the US has reaped from a long-established system where universities conduct research and extension officers assist farmers in applying these findings to improve production.
Professor Daniel Mugendi Njiru acknowledged that Kenya’s agricultural extension system had weakened over the years, particularly at the county level. He noted that Kenya could learn from the US land-grant university model, which anchors extension in universities and creates a direct link between research, innovation, and farmers. This model could be adapted to Kenya through stronger partnerships between universities, county governments, and the national government. He reflected on Kenya’s previously coordinated extension system, which has since broken down, leaving gaps in the delivery of technical information to farmers.
The emerging area of technical cooperation and the design of an innovative agricultural extension model for Kenyan counties will be built on a triple-helix partnership between county governments, universities, and industry. This effort follows years of decline in Kenya’s public extension services since agriculture was devolved to the counties in 2013 and draws on the varied extension systems from the delegation’s states.
Ted McKinney stated that NASDA wanted to share the US experience in maintaining a robust extension system while helping Kenya determine what would work within its own agricultural structure. He mentioned that NASDA had allocated between USD100,000 and USD200,000 for an initial study to assess the state of agricultural extension in Kenya and identify the needs of farmers, universities, government, and food processors.
The study will involve consultations with universities, government officials, farmers, and food processors, with findings expected to guide subsequent interventions. McKinney noted that Kenya would not be starting from scratch due to its existing history of agricultural extension, but emphasized the need for political will to revitalize the system. He highlighted that the collaboration could open opportunities for sharing expertise in livestock feeding, agricultural technology, and market development while strengthening links between research institutions and producers.
The initiative aims to improve agricultural productivity and ensure that innovations developed by universities and research institutions reach farmers, translating into practical gains at the farm level. The Kenya National Assembly’s approval of the Agricultural and Livestock Extension Services Bill (Senate Bill No. 12 of 2022) on June 10, 2026, paves the way for a more coordinated, technology-driven, and farmer-centered agricultural extension system aimed at enhancing productivity, increasing incomes, and strengthening food security across the country.
