The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has unlocked 21,000 acres of dormant land owned by the National Youth Service (NYS) and Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (Tarda) for commercial leases in a move to enhance food security.
As part of its Land Commercialisation Initiative (LCI), the ministry is offering these leases with the aim of leasing up to 500,000 idle acres, attracting a minimum of Sh65 billion in agricultural investments.
In a tender call, the ministry invites interested and qualified commercial agribusinesses and investors with proven technical and financial capacity to engage in farming, agroforestry, and other agriculture-related activities on specified land sites in Samburu and Kiambere held by NYS and Tarda.
The government intends to lease 20,000 acres within the Samburu Kirimun field unit held by NYS, currently dedicated to livestock production, wildlife conservancy, and tree plantations. For the NYS Kirimun land, the government aims to select one or multiple private operations to initiate agricultural and forestry activities.
Additionally, 1,000 acres held by Tarda near Kiambere hydropower dam are also available for leasing. Between 1996 and 2005, the state ran a 350-acre irrigated farming project on the Tarda land in Kiambere, producing mangoes, bananas, citrus, tomatoes, onions, and various crops. However, declining reservoir water levels led to the discontinuation of the project.
Now, Tarda seeks new development prospects, including agricultural leases, solar panel installations, or tree plantations for the surrounding land. This signifies a shift as Kenya aims to lease underutilized public land to the private sector for commercial agriculture projects.
The initiative targets a 50% reduction in the staple food deficit, the creation of 1.1 million jobs, increased farmers’ incomes, and promotion of value addition. Other lands identified for the LCI project include Egerton University, the Galana Kulalu irrigation scheme, Bura Irrigation scheme, Tana Delta Irrigation project, and Kiambere in Embu County.
