Post by Strathmore Business School (SBS)

On Wednesday, 1st April 2026, the Strathmore Agri-Food and Innovation Center (SAFIC) brought together 100+ Agri leaders from across the Government of Kenya, the Gates Foundation, Google, KALRO, Safaricom, Equity Group Foundation, the Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-tech startups, and development partners. Kenya already has the infrastructure with millions of farmers in national databases, platforms collecting farm data, more than 90% mobile phone coverage, and a policy environment that's ready. Yet fewer than 10% of farmers actively use digital tools; extension officer ratios remain below average, with one officer serving 1,000+ farmers; and innovations are built but can't talk to each other. Kenya already has many of the core building blocks in place. The next step is to better align and connect them so they can create real value for farmers. In his keynote address, the Principal Secretary of the Department for Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Dr. Kipronoh Ronoh, represented by Dr. Nancy Cheruiyot, the Chief Executive Officer of Commodities Fund, reiterated, “AI allows us to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently.”We must provide information that is fast, accessible, and affordable. ”If we don’t have accurate data at the farm level, we will continue making wrong decisions.” That's where AI becomes genuinely exciting, not as a buzzword, but as a fix to a specific problem. When the right data infrastructure is in place, AI can deliver personalized farming advice to millions of smallholders at a fraction of the cost of traditional extension, cutting delivery costs by up to 36% and potentially increasing farm incomes by 25%. The economics can work, and the technology is ready. What's not ready is the governance around it. The private sector was clear: you can't lend to farmers you can't see. You can't build on data you can't access, and when one institution builds the infrastructure everyone depends on, who holds them accountable? The hard questions of who pays, who controls, and what happens when donor funding runs out were asked openly with no clear answers yet. But the conversation has started. SAFIC’s role is to serve as a neutral convener, bringing together diverse actors to support alignment, shared understanding, and coordinated action across the ecosystem. #AgriStack #DigitalAgriculture #AIAdvisory #SmallholderFarmers #DevelopingGreatAfricanLeaders Gates Foundation |Strathmore University | Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)| Kenya Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development | Safaricom PLC | Equity Group Foundation | Google - Africa | @Commodities Fund | OpenAgriNet | Konza Technopolis | Baobab Impact | Joshua Ariga UI/UX | Simon Wagura Ndiritu, PhD | Mujibi Denis | Ann Waimiri | Stewart Collis | Christine Sakwa | Richard Migwalla | Omid Kassiri | Nancy Cheruiyot | Joseph Theuri | Betsy Muriithi-Ochieng' | Ruth Muriithi | Goldin Ochieng| Mercy Corps | @KADIC