Murang’a and Trans Nzoia counties have emerged as the top-performing regions in agricultural governance, according to a newly released report by Infotrak Research & Consulting. The findings, which rank counties based on their agricultural policies and support systems, highlight key strengths and areas of improvement across Kenya’s devolved units.
The report ranks Murang’a and Trans Nzoia in the first position, both scoring an index of 51%. Elgeyo Marakwet and Homa Bay counties closely follow in third place, each achieving a 50% rating. Uasin Gishu rounds out the top five with a 49% score. The national mean index stands at 43%, indicating significant disparities in agricultural development across counties.
The rankings are based on how well county governments support agriculture through key devolved functions, including:
- Facilitating ease of farming and market accessibility for crops, livestock, and fish.
- Improving food accessibility and affordability for residents.
- Enhancing livestock disease management, including handling outbreaks of foot and mouth disease, anthrax, Newcastle disease, and rabies.
The study sought public opinion on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 indicating extremely poor performance and 10 representing excellence.
Murang’a and Trans Nzoia’s success in agriculture governance is attributed to robust policies supporting farmers, better disease control measures, and improved food distribution systems.
Despite commendable efforts, the report suggests that several counties still lag in providing essential agricultural support. The national average of 43% indicates that more effort is required to streamline policies, enhance disease control mechanisms, and make food more accessible to the general population.
The findings serve as a wake-up call for counties to intensify efforts toward boosting food security, mitigating the effects of climate change on agriculture, and improving farmers’ livelihoods.
With food security being a major pillar in Kenya’s Vision 2030 development agenda, county governments must take decisive steps to address the gaps highlighted in the report.
