Kakamega: Youth in Kakamega have been encouraged to embrace agriculture as an income-generating activity, with the assurance of support from the county government. The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Social Services, Sports, Youth, Gender and Culture, Jackline Masicha, also urged parents to allocate portions of land to the youth for farming.
According to Kenya News Agency, Masicha highlighted that while youth are being encouraged to engage in agriculture, the majority face challenges due to the lack of access to land. This often leads to discouragement when they attempt to acquire land for farming. Masicha's remarks were made during an Agricultural Field Day in Navakholo, where she represented her counterpart for Agriculture, Mophat Mandela. She emphasized the county government's commitment to partnering with various organizations to provide financing aimed at supporting youth in agriculture through the introduction of new policies.
This initiative coincides with efforts by Practical Action, through the Resilient Agriculture that Works for Young People (RAY) project, which has already supported over 10,000 youth in Kakamega County to venture into agriculture. Practical Action Senior Project Officer, Monicah Rapado, observed that youth in the region are engaging in different value chains and adopting agricultural technologies to facilitate farming.
Kakamega County Director of Agriculture, Titus Omengo, also encouraged farmers to register with the Kenya Integrated Agriculture Management Information System (KIAMIS) to access services such as subsidized fertilizer, livestock vaccination, and other government support programs. Furthermore, he urged farmers across the county to join Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to enhance their ability to produce sufficient farm produce for the market.