The Kenya National Farmers' Federation (KENAFF) Position on Farmer Registration

KENAFF is concerned by the Government's decision to register (for the subsidized fertilizer program) farmers through chiefs and assistant chiefs under the Ministry of Interior and Administration of National Government.

KENAFF appreciates the government's commitment to uplift the livelihoods and quality of life of millions of smallholder farmers through the farm inputs subsidy program; and is cognizant of the need to curb malpractices such as access by non-targeted beneficiaries.

However, KENAFF strongly believes that farmer registration should be the preserve of farmers' organizations, with support from the national and sub-national governments. This is well elaborated in the Crops Act 2013 (No. 16 of 2013); which mandates the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) to, in liaison with relevant stakeholders, undertake the registration of primary producers.

To this end, there is no better stakeholder than KENAFF: the federation already has a database of approximately 1.6 million farmers; and an elaborate structure stretching from the Ward, Sub-County, County, to the National level. The farmers in the KENAFF database are not only disaggregated by value chain but also by County, Sub-County and Ward.

Indeed, on the floor of the National Assembly on October 30, 2019, a petition (through the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock) seeking to have KENAFF recognized as the bona-fide apex umbrella farmers' organization to establish and maintain a solid and up-to-date national farmer database disaggregated by value chain and geography (Ward level) was debated and supported by all Members of Parliament present.

Consequently, KENAFF leaders from all corners of this country hereby request the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development to reconsider and vest farmer registration on AFA with the support of KENAFF, the apex umbrella National Farmers' Organization in Kenya. KENAFF is determined to support the government establish and maintain a credible and up-to-date national farmer database.