NAIROBI – The Kenyan Senate and the National Taxpayers Association (NTA) have initiated a collaborative effort to address critical governance weaknesses within the agricultural sector, a move intended to bolster accountability and streamline service delivery. The partnership was announced on Monday, 17th November 2025, following a meeting between the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries and officials from the NTA.

During the session, the NTA, led by CEO Patrick Nyangweso, presented a proposal for a structured partnership focusing on key areas such as agricultural monitoring, governance in the livestock and fisheries sub-sectors, citizen engagement, and comprehensive policy evaluation. Senators, led by committee chairperson David Wakoli, acknowledged that these areas align directly with the committee's legislative and oversight mandate and agreed to convene a joint national economic forum in 2026 to refine the framework and engage a wider range of stakeholders.

Addressing Systemic Sector Challenges

This initiative comes as Kenya’s agriculture sector, which contributes approximately 22% to the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), continues to grapple with deep-seated challenges that hinder its growth and impact food security. Key policy hurdles include regulatory uncertainty, fragmented value chains, and inadequate infrastructure, which leads to significant post-harvest losses and increased costs for farmers. Studies have consistently linked these governance problems directly to food insecurity, affecting the livelihoods of millions of Kenyans who depend on the sector.

The government has implemented several reforms aimed at revitalizing the sector under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). These include the digital fertilizer subsidy program, which has lowered input costs, and the registration of over 6.8 million farmers through the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management Information System (KIAMIS) to improve resource allocation. However, ensuring these national initiatives translate into tangible benefits at the county level remains a persistent challenge.

Enhancing Oversight and Accountability

The Senate's agriculture committee has been actively conducting oversight across the country. Recent fact-finding missions have investigated the high cost of fish feed and underutilized cold storage infrastructure affecting fish farmers in Busia County, the state of grain reserves and aflatoxin risks at National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots in Uasin Gishu, and the management of invasive species at the Mwea Irrigation Scheme. The partnership with the NTA is expected to provide data-driven insights to complement this legislative oversight.

A significant tool proposed by the NTA is the development of a County Competitiveness Index. This index will assess and rank counties based on specific governance and economic performance indicators. According to Nyangweso, the goal is to foster healthy competition among county governments and enhance transparency and accountability in public service delivery, particularly in devolved agricultural functions. The effectiveness of devolved agricultural services has been a subject of national debate, with inconsistent performance across different counties impacting local food security.

The Path to Policy Reform

The planned 2026 National Economic Dialogue, with agriculture as a central theme, will serve as a critical platform for this new alliance. The forum will bring together policymakers, farmer organizations, private sector actors, and civil society to deliberate on substantive reforms. The collaboration between a key parliamentary committee and a civil society organization focused on fiscal accountability represents a strategic approach to tackling systemic issues from both a legislative and a public-interest perspective.

By combining the Senate's constitutional mandate for oversight with the NTA's expertise in monitoring public finance and service delivery, the partnership aims to create a robust mechanism for driving meaningful change. The ultimate goal is to ensure that public resources allocated to agriculture are used effectively, policies are evidence-based, and the governance framework is resilient enough to support a productive and sustainable sector for all Kenyans.