Kajiado Expands Youth-Led Extension Services as NAVCDP Digitizes More Than 55,000 Farmers

Kajiado County is set to significantly expand its agricultural extension services after the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) successfully digitized 55,463 farmers and recorded strong implementation performance during the 2025/2026 financial year.

The milestone emerged during a meeting of the County Technical Advisory Committee (CTAC), where members reviewed the project’s progress and approved implementation plans for the 2026/2027 financial year. The session was chaired by Chief Officers Grace Saitoti of Agriculture and Fisheries and Francis Metian of Livestock and Veterinary Services, bringing together officials from agriculture, livestock, cooperatives, social services, civil society organizations, national government departments and the project coordination team.

Supported by the Government of Kenya and the World Bank, NAVCDP aims to enhance agricultural productivity, commercialization and resilience among smallholder farmers and pastoralist communities through community institutions, digital agriculture, financial inclusion and market-driven value chains.

During the past financial year, the project achieved a 96.2 percent funding absorption rate, reflecting strong implementation across the county. It also strengthened grassroots agricultural institutions by establishing and supporting Community Driven Development Committees at the ward level, reaching 2,581 Common Interest Groups, all 34 targeted Farmer Producer Organizations, 25 targeted Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies, 25 community organizations and eight Irrigation and Water Users Associations.

One of the programme’s standout achievements has been the rollout of the Agripreneur model, which deployed 174 youth extension providers, including 107 men and 67 women. These agripreneurs played a key role in registering and digitizing 55,463 farmers, representing 51 percent of the county’s target of 108,050 farmers across five priority agricultural value chains.

The project also mobilized 58,304 pastoralists under the red meat value chain, achieving 88 percent of its target, while engaging 25,097 dairy farmers, equivalent to 52 percent of the planned coverage.

Beyond production, NAVCDP strengthened governance and accountability by training 156 representatives from community institutions on environmental and social safeguards. The project reported zero workplace accidents during the review period and resolved 96 percent of the 26 grievances submitted through its accountability mechanisms.

Although implementation of inclusion grants, enterprise development grants and matching grants fell below expectations due to delays in project financing, county officials expect major progress during the 2026/2027 financial year. Fifteen Farmer Producer Organizations and 18 SACCOs that have met eligibility requirements are expected to receive grants worth more than KSh120 million to support enterprise growth and agricultural investment.

Planned projects include the solarization of five mini dairies, development of a major irrigation scheme and expanded matching grants to SACCOs to improve access to affordable credit for farmers and pastoralists.

A major priority for the coming year will be the expansion of the Agripreneur programme from the current 125 locations to all 220 sub-locations across Kajiado County. Additional youth will be recruited, trained and jointly certified by the County and National Governments to provide hybrid extension services for both crop and livestock producers.

As many counties continue to face shortages of agricultural extension officers, Kajiado’s youth-led model is positioning technology and community-based service delivery at the centre of agricultural transformation, creating a stronger foundation for improved productivity, market access and resilient livelihoods across the county.