President William Ruto speaking during a church service at ACK St Stephen’s Church Chepkoilel in Moiben Constituency, Uasin Gishu on August 2, 2026/PCSPresident William Ruto has revealed that even his own maize crop was destroyed by drought, saying the effects of climate change have affected farmers across the country.
The President said prolonged dry conditions had led to crop failure on his farm, reflecting the challenges facing many Kenyan farmers.
Ruto said the government is shifting its focus from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation to guarantee food security and increase agricultural exports.
He said the proposed National Infrastructure Fund will support the construction of 50 large dams, 200 medium-sized dams and 1,000 smaller water projects to boost irrigation and water harvesting.
"We have had drought in Kenya. Even in my home farm, my maize dried up. That has happened to most farmers in the country. This is as a result of climate change," he said.
"Depending on rainfall for farming will not give us enough food, and it will not give us crops to export. That is why we must now focus our plan on irrigation by putting in place water harvesting and irrigation.”
Ruto also commended farmers in Uasin Gishu and the wider Western region for embracing cash crops such as macadamia and coffee.
He pledged continued government support to expand cash crop farming, saying it is key to increasing farmers' incomes and strengthening the country's economy.
"The future of our nation requires forward planning for enough food. I assure you that we shall work together in the Rift Valley region," he said.
He spoke during a church service at ACK St Stephen's Chepkoilel on Sunday in Uasin Gishu.
Speaking at the same event, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen said the poor farming season affecting parts of the North Rift has also impacted President Ruto's maize farm, saying the Head of State is unlikely to harvest any crop this year.
Murkomen said the region had experienced significant agricultural challenges, with many farmers suffering losses.
"Mr President, I would like to tell you that it is true, there are challenges in this region when it comes to farming matters, sisi wote tuliadhirika na nilipitia pia shamba yako pale na nimeona kwamba hutavuna chochote mwaka huu, wakati nilikuwa najililia nikaona hata rais ameenda harasa nikasema wengi wetu tumeenda harasa," Murkomen said.
This is translated to mean: "I passed by your farm and saw that you won't harvest anything this year. I was crying, but when I saw that even the President will suffer losses, I realised a lot of people are counting losses."
The CS said the President's experience reflected the difficulties many farmers in the region have faced this season.
Despite the poor harvest outlook, Murkomen praised the government for reducing the cost of subsidised fertiliser after President Ruto took office.
Ruto spent the weekend at his Kilgoris farm in Narok County, where he took a hands-on role in tending to his cattle and inspecting the livestock.
A series of photos shared from the visit show the President dressed casually in a wide-brimmed cowboy hat, a long-sleeved shirt, black trousers and boots as he walks through the expansive farm.
In one image, Ruto is seen carefully examining a young calf, gently holding the animal as he appears to assess its condition. Other photos capture him interacting with calves and inspecting the herd across different sections of the farm.
