Experts urge Kenya to adopt US agricultural extension model

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.

The proposal today emerged during a media engagement hosted by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and its Kenyan implementing partner, Rootooba, which brought together US agricultural officials and Kenyan university leaders to explore areas of agricultural cooperation.

Doug Miyamoto, Director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and a member of NASDA, said 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 said.

He noted that the US had benefited from a long-established system in which universities conduct research and extension officers help farmers apply the findings to improve production.

Miyamoto said Kenya also has strong institutions of learning and research whose expertise could have a greater impact if effectively transferred to farmers through extension services.

Professor Daniel Mugendi Njiru, chair of the Vice-Chancellors Forum for Public Universities in Kenya, acknowledged the country’s agricultural extension system had weakened over the years, particularly at the county level.

“As we all know, the issue of extension has not been handled very well in our counties, and yet agriculture is the backbone of our economy,” he said.

Prof. Njiru 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.

He said the model could be adapted to Kenya through stronger partnerships between universities, county governments and the national government.

Kenya previously had a more coordinated extension system in early years, but this has since broken down, leaving gaps in the delivery of technical information to farmers.

“We used to have an agricultural system here that worked very well in the 70s, in the 80s, and in the 90s, but somehow that broke down, and now we do not seem to have a very well-coordinated system,” Prof. Njiru said.

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 extension work 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 the delegation’s own states operate at home.

Ted McKinney, Chief Executive Officer of NASDA, said the organization 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 said NASDA had set aside 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.

“Kenya had an extension service, a formal extension service, many years ago. But maybe there is something that we can provide from our own rich experience with a robust extension system that might be of value to the Kenyan university, county, and government system,” McKinney said.

The study will involve consultations with universities, government officials, farmers, and food processors, with the findings expected to guide subsequent interventions.

McKinney said Kenya would not be starting from scratch because it already had a history of agricultural extension on which a revitalized system could be built.

“It is not a complete do-over. It is not starting from scratch. You have got some history. But it will take some political will,” he added.

The CEO said the universities, county governments, and national government could use the findings to undertake wider consultations with farmers and other stakeholders before developing a more comprehensive approach.

The proposed collaboration is also expected to open opportunities for sharing expertise in livestock feeding, agricultural technology, and market development, while strengthening links between research institutions and producers.

The initiative comes as Kenya seeks to improve agricultural productivity and ensure that innovations developed by universities and research institutions reach farmers and translate into practical gains at the farm level.

The Kenya National Assembly approved the Agricultural and Livestock Extension Services Bill (Senate Bill No. 12 of 2022) on June 10, 2026, paving the way for a more coordinated, technology-driven and farmer-centred agricultural extension system aimed at improving productivity, increasing incomes and strengthening food security across the country.

By Wangari Ndirangu