By Emily Mikwa
Agricultural extension staff from across Kisumu County gathered at the Selella Resort today for a consultative meeting that marks a critical step in the region’s development.
The workshop officially introduced a transformative 18-month project dubbed Strengthening governance for agricultural resilience and environmental sustainability in Kenya.
Implemented by Maseno University in Kisumu County, the initiative is supported by the AgriFoSe2030 program and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
The project serves as a strategic continuation of two previous programs that focused on urban food systems and food systems governance, aiming to bridge the persistent gap between high-level scientific research and the practical, daily needs of the local farmer by overhauling how food systems are governed.
The primary objective of the meeting was to conduct a thorough needs assessment of the extension workers to ensure that the project’s roadmap aligns with their real-world priorities.
Over the next year and a half, the initiative will focus on developing new regulations for facility improvements, reviewing the county’s food systems strategy, and organizing better coordination among stakeholders.
On the technical side, the project will concentrate its efforts on specific value chains including chicken, beans, and aquaculture, with activities centered in Kisumu Central, Seme, and Kisumu West sub-counties.
The project intends to support farmers directly through these extension workers, thereby creating a more robust and sustainable support system that can endure beyond the project’s lifespan.
During her opening remarks, Professor Cecilia Moraa Onyango, the University of Nairobi and AgriFoSe2030 Hub Leader, urged extension officers to lead by example by ensuring they are personally food secure.
She pointedly questioned why years of research often fail to yield a visible impact on the ground and emphasized that researchers must better map out where farmers are and what specific challenges they face, noting that research must respond directly to the actors within the food system.
The sentiment was echoed by the CECM for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and the Blue Economy, Honorable Kenneth Onyango, who noted that while vast resources are often spent on capacity building, the outcomes rarely benefit the farmer.
He advocated for a shift toward providing the actual infrastructure needed to develop SACCOs and farmer organizations rather than relying solely on theoretical training.
The County Director for Agriculture, Mr. Walter Adum, highlighted the necessity of leveraging modern extension methods to allow staff to offer vital services more efficiently across the county.
The workshop was facilitated by a distinguished team of experts, including Professor Cecilia Moraa Onyango from the University of Nairobi, Dr. Samuel Omondi from Maseno University, and Mr. Erick Ogadho alongside Brian Bodo from the County Department of Agriculture.
Moving forward, the project will be aligned with the specific priorities highlighted by the staff. Dr. Samuel Omondi expressed confidence that the new approach will move away from limited results and toward a more resilient, data-driven agricultural future for Kisumu.
