Farmers Seek Urgent Meeting With Ruto Over CS Kagwe Row
Farmers have made a direct appeal to President Ruto, alleging that a section of industry stakeholders have been completely shut out of consultations by CS Kagwe...
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Kenyan macadamia farmers are demanding an urgent meeting with President William Ruto, bypassing Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, whom they accuse of systematically failing to engage stakeholders in policy decisions and sidelining them from lucrative export deals.
- The Chair of the Nuts and Oil Crops Directorate (NUTAK), Johnson Kihara, alleges that CS Kagwe implemented export restrictions on raw macadamia nuts without proper public participation, violating constitutional principles.
- Farmers are particularly frustrated with Section 43 of the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Act, 2013, which restricts raw macadamia nut exports, arguing it benefits only a handful of well-connected players while devastating smallholder farmers.
- Kihara warns that the macadamia value chain, representing over two million votes, could impact the 2027 General Election if farmers' concerns continue to be ignored.
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Farmers Demand Action in Tea and Macadamia Sectors; New Cashew Variety Launched - January 2026
The Green Thinking Action Party (GTAP) has urged the National Government to swiftly intervene to rescue Kenya’s tea sector, which has been impacted by market failures and a 2023 ban on Kenyan tea by Iran. Separately, Kenyan macadamia farmers are demanding an urgent meeting with President William Ruto, bypassing Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, whom they accuse of failing to engage stakeholders. In a positive development for the agricultural sector, the Ministry of Agriculture has launched a new disease-tolerant cashew nut variety developed by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) to revitalize the industry.
