Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe /HANDOUT
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has urged MPs to expedite the passage of key agriculture Bills and legislative amendments before the end of this year, warning that the 2027 General Election campaign period could slow critical reforms.
Speaking during a breakfast meeting with the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Agriculture, Kagwe said the pending legislation was vital to advancing reforms in the agriculture and livestock sectors and should be concluded before Parliament becomes preoccupied with election-related activities.
"We must fast-track the passage of these Bills before the end of 2026. If we delay until the campaign period, important legislative business risks stalling, and some processes may have to begin afresh in the next Parliament," Kagwe said.
The CS stressed that timely enactment of the laws would provide the legal framework needed to implement ongoing reforms aimed at improving food production, boosting farmers' incomes and strengthening Kenya's agricultural value chains.
He also directed ministry officials to work closely with lawmakers by providing accurate, comprehensive and well-researched information to support parliamentary debate and decision-making.
"I have instructed ministry officials to ensure Members of Parliament receive comprehensive, accurate and well-researched information to enable informed debate, effective policy-making and timely responses to supplementary questions in the House," he said.
Kagwe noted that evidence-based policymaking was critical to ensuring Parliament enacts laws that effectively address challenges facing farmers and support the government's agricultural transformation agenda.
The meeting brought together members of the National Assembly Agriculture Committee and senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development to review the ministry's legislative priorities and strengthen collaboration between Parliament and the Executive.
Agriculture remains one of the country's key economic sectors, employing millions of Kenyans and contributing significantly to national food security, exports and manufacturing through agro-processing.
The ministry has been pursuing a series of policy and legislative reforms aimed at modernising the sector, enhancing productivity, improving market access and making Kenyan agriculture more competitive.
Among those who attended the meeting were Agriculture Committee Chairperson John Mutunga, vice chairperson Brighton Yegon, Mpuru Aburi, Monica Muthoni, Patrick Osero, Ruth Odinga, Sabina Chege, Justice Kipsang Kemei, John Makali Okwisia and David Kiplagat.
Kagwe expressed confidence that closer collaboration between the ministry and Parliament would help accelerate the passage of the proposed laws and ensure reforms are implemented without interruption as the country heads towards the 2027 General Election.
