Kirinyaga agriculture CECM John Gachara with Swedish ambassador to Kenya Hakan Akesson and other officials at Kirinyaga Slopes Coffee Brokerage Company on September 23, 2025/ALICE WAITHERA
A delegation from Kirinyaga county government, the agriculture ministry and Food and Agriculture Authority in a farm in Kirinyaga county/ALICE WAITHERA
More than 135,000 farmers from Kirinyaga have been registered on the Kenya Integrated Agriculture Management Information System, positioning the county as the model of digital agriculture in Kenya.
Kiamis is a national farmers’ registry established by the Agriculture Ministry in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization to facilitate data-driven decision-making.
Kirinyaga was the first county chosen to demonstrate how technology is transforming farming by reducing costs, boosting yields and increasing household incomes.
On Monday, Swedish Ambassador to Kenya Håkan Akesson and senior FAO officials toured the county to assess the progress.
Akesson hailed the county’s strides, noting that Sweden has supported Kenya’s agricultural sector since the 1960s with over $5.5 million invested in the digital programme.
“We are proud to work with Kirinyaga and FAO in this digital era. Farmers can now register, access subsidised fertiliser and receive timely information. That brings transparency, accountability and efficiency,” he said.
Agriculture CEC John Gachara described the reforms as a “digital agrarian revolution”.
“We have only 4,000 farmers left to register. Our farmers now receive inputs at subsidised rates and can query services without waiting for officers to visit. This is the future of agriculture driven by data, powered by technology and centred on the farmer,” Gachara noted.
Through the Wezesha Kirinyaga programme, farmers have over the years received support to increase agricultural production, value addition, processing, as well as market linkages.
The digital revolution has served as a boost to the programme whose ultimate goal is to increase incomes for the farmers.
FAO’s Kenya representative Charles Bebay said the collaboration with the county has proved the value of digitisation.
Through the e-voucher system, farmers get fertiliser at a 40 per cent discount, reducing their costs while raising their yields and strengthening their resilience.
FAO programme officer Wilfred Oluoch highlighted the county’s contribution to national progress.
“In 2023, Kenya had 6.5 million farmers registered. Today, the figure is 6.9 million. Kirinyaga alone accounts for 135,000. This data is helping us channel subsidies, link officers to farmers and deliver services efficiently,” he explained.
Local farmers are already seeing the benefits.
Freshia Wambui, a coffee, maize, beans and cattle-keeping farmer in Inoi ward, said digital registration has made inputs both cheaper and easier to access.
“I used to pay Sh7,000 for a bag of fertiliser. Now, I buy it for Sh2,500. I also get alerts when supplies arrive. My yields are higher and my family has more income,” she said.
Beyond cheaper fertiliser, the system is linking farmers to markets, promoting climate-smart practices and ensuring real-time communication between extension officers and households. The county is also using digital soil mapping to help farmers apply the right fertilisers and improve food production.
Officials said Kirinyaga’s success proves that digitisation is not just about technology, but about building resilience, empowering farmers and securing food security for the county and the nation.
