Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mutahi Kagwe has launched the 'Soilfer' national soil health drive, emphasizing that subsidized fertilizers are ineffective without tailored soil analysis. Speaking at the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) in Kabete, Kagwe unveiled the National Soil Partnership, the National Soil Laboratory Network, and the expanded Global Soil Doctors Programme. He also handed over Sh220 million in upgrades to KALRO’s Soil Chemistry Laboratories, aiming to accelerate test result delivery for farmers.
Kagwe highlighted the risks of indiscriminate fertilizer use, citing his own past experience of farming without soil testing. 'I was not farming. I was gambling. I was farming blind,' he admitted, comparing soil testing to medical diagnostics. He stressed that farmers must address soil acidity—63% of Kenya’s arable land is acidic, with nearly seven million acres classified as strongly acidic—before applying fertilizers, as improper treatment could waste resources and reduce yields.
The initiative aligns with the Kenya Integrated Agriculture Management System (KIAMIS), which currently registers over 8 million farmers. During peak planting seasons, more than 180,000 subsidized fertilizer bags are distributed daily through National Cereals & Produce Board stores. Kagwe announced plans to integrate soil test results into KIAMIS, ensuring subsidies align with specific soil needs. KALRO will analyze 77,000 soil samples across 45 counties, publishing county-level fertility maps for public access.
The refurbished Kabete laboratories, expected to cut testing timelines, are critical to providing timely data. 'A soil result that arrives after the rains have come is a historical document, not a farming decision,' Kagwe said. The National Soil Partnership will unite government, counties, universities, and private sector stakeholders to standardize testing and share knowledge. The Global Soil Doctors Programme will train farmers to interpret soil data and disseminate insights to their communities.
Kagwe urged county governments to co-finance soil testing and promote lime application in acidic regions. He also called for restoring organic matter to depleted soils. However, he warned of continued crackdowns on counterfeit fertilizers, stating that accurate advice is futile if products misrepresent their contents. 'We cannot invest in equipment and then lack the people to put it to work,' he added, appealing to the Public Service Commission to expedite KALRO’s recruitment of researchers to operate its 170 new research instruments.
The CS emphasized that farmers must test soil before planting, purchase inputs aligned with their land’s needs, and treat soil as a legacy asset. 'For a hundred years we have asked our soils what they can give us. Today we begin, at last, to ask them what they need,' he declared. The initiative aims to transform Kenya’s agricultural sector by bridging knowledge gaps and ensuring sustainable resource use.
The launch coincides with broader efforts to improve agricultural efficiency, including a Sh186.5 million bursary program for Uasin Gishu Youth at vocational training centers and a Police Commission policy to support injured officers. Meanwhile, a Nyeri lawmaker accused 'powerful individuals' of obstructing efforts to combat counterfeit brews.