Counties Move to Place Youth at Centre of Kenya’s Agrifood Economy
By Faith wanza mueni
NAIROBI, Aug. 13, 2026 — County governments are set to step up efforts to unlock the potential of young people in agriculture through a new strategy aimed at creating more opportunities for youth participation in Kenya’s growing agrifood economy.
The Model County Youth in Agrifood Systems Strategy, developed by the Council of Governors (CoG) with technical and financial support from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), seeks to move beyond discussions on youth unemployment towards practical investments, partnerships and enterprises across the agricultural value chain.
The strategy was launched in Nairobi, bringing together governors, policymakers, young entrepreneurs, development partners, financial institutions and private-sector actors.
It provides counties with a framework for mainstreaming youth in county planning, improving access to finance and markets, strengthening public-private partnerships and creating an enabling environment for youth-led businesses.
According to the strategy, about 75 per cent of Kenya’s population is below the age of 35, while more than 800,000 young people enter the labour market annually. The figures underscore the need to create sustainable employment and enterprise opportunities for the country’s youthful population.
Agriculture remains a major contributor to the economy, accounting for about 22.4 per cent of Kenya’s gross domestic product directly and a further 27 per cent indirectly through linkages with manufacturing, distribution and other sectors.
However, the sector continues to struggle to attract young people, many of whom view agriculture as labour-intensive, risky and offering limited economic opportunities.
Council of Governors Chief Executive Officer Mary Mwiti said the strategy would help reposition young people as active participants in the sector rather than beneficiaries of agricultural programmes.
“Young people must remain at the centre of our development agenda, and this strategy provides a practical pathway to gainful livelihoods, sustainable development, and scalable economic opportunities,” Mwiti said.
She added that CoG, together with AGRA and other partners, had developed a long-term and integrated model to help counties create an enabling environment for young people to participate in the agrifood economy.
AGRA Director for Policy and State Capability Boaz Keizire said the organisation would continue supporting counties to translate the strategy into practical interventions.
“As an institution, we pledge our continued partnership with counties to turn this strategy into action. We will work alongside counties to translate these solutions into real livelihoods, enterprises and opportunities for young people in agribusiness,” Keizire said.
Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka said the Council of Governors would establish a dedicated team to monitor implementation of the strategy, strengthen counties’ capacity and track opportunities available to young people in agribusiness.
The framework also seeks to connect youth businesses and innovations with potential partners and financiers. It highlights youth agribusiness initiatives from Kirinyaga, Bungoma, Kakamega, Narok and Meru counties as examples of enterprises emerging across Kenya’s agricultural value chains.
Interventions presented during the launch are expected to attract technical and financial support from development partners and private sector actors.
The strategy ultimately seeks to turn Kenya’s youthful population into an economic asset by creating opportunities for young people to participate in ownership, innovation and leadership across the agrifood economy.
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