Agripreneurs attached to the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) in Murang'a County have raised concerns over alleged payment deductions, delayed stipends and management issues within the programme, with workers claiming that funds meant to support their field activities have not been fully received as expected.
The complaints come from young agricultural workers engaged under the NAVCDP agripreneur model, a component of the World Bank and Government of Kenya funded initiative designed to support smallholder farmers through digital extension services, farm profiling, market linkages and access to agricultural information aimed at transforming farming into commercially viable enterprises.
According to grievances submitted to this publication, some agripreneurs in Murang'a County claim they experienced unexplained reductions from their expected monthly stipends, with some receiving amounts below what they anticipated, while others report prolonged delays in payment.
The workers say attempts to seek clarification over the deductions and delayed payments have not provided satisfactory answers, leaving them frustrated over the handling of funds within the programme.
The complaints have placed attention on the administration of NAVCDP activities in Murang'a County, where agripreneurs play a key role in supporting farmers across targeted value chains such as dairy, coffee, fruits and vegetables through digital tools, extension support and coordination of agricultural interventions at community level.
The affected workers have raised questions over accountability mechanisms surrounding the management of the programme, arguing that delays and deductions have affected their ability to effectively undertake assigned responsibilities while also undermining confidence among participants who were recruited to support the county's agricultural transformation agenda.
NAVCDP operates through collaboration between national and county government structures, with implementation units responsible for coordinating activities, supporting farmers and ensuring resources reach intended beneficiaries.
The concerns from Murang'a agripreneurs now place focus on the administration of the programme at county level and the need for clarity on stipend management, payment processes and internal oversight mechanisms.
"Hello Nyakundi. I need to expose some rot in NAVCDP within Murang'a County. Some individuals like Regina, Nyamora and the CCE for Agriculture deducted Ksh 3,500 from every agripreneur and pocketed the money. We tried to enquire about it, but they claimed we could not do anything about it. There is a NAVCDP programme in Murang'a County where agripreneurs are supposed to earn a stipend of Ksh 15,000 monthly for projects within the county. However, every agripreneur received deductions from that stipend, with some receiving Ksh 8,000 and others Ksh 11,000. When we tried to enquire about the deductions, our concerns were ignored. The people in charge are Regina, Nyamora and the CCE for Agriculture in Murang'a. Those three have terrorised us for a long time, in addition to leaving us without payment for more than three months."
