The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), led by Chief Executive Officer KK Mutai and Head of Policy, Research and Advocacy Vincent Kimosop, today hosted a delegation from the Agriculture Sector Network (ASNET), led by Chief Executive Officer Agatha Thuo, alongside Samuel Matonda, Policy, Research and Trade, and Henry Njenga, Finance and Resource Mobilization, for discussions on a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening Kenya’s agricultural sector, expanding market opportunities and addressing longstanding challenges affecting farmers and agribusiness enterprises.

ASNET, the umbrella body representing stakeholders across Kenya’s agricultural sector, expressed interest in leveraging KNCCI’s extensive county presence and international business networks to strengthen agricultural trade, facilitate investment and enhance the impact of county and national agricultural exhibitions, including the annual National Agribusiness Summit. The proposed collaboration would help connect farmers, cooperatives, aggregators, processors and other agribusiness enterprises with buyers, investors, technology providers and potential business partners.

Speaking during the meeting, ASNET CEO Agatha Thuo emphasized the importance of creating practical opportunities for farmers and agricultural enterprises to access modern technologies, new domestic and export markets, financing and capacity-building programmes. She noted that collaboration with KNCCI could help bridge the gap between agricultural production and commercial opportunities, enabling farmers to transition from subsistence-oriented activities towards more competitive, market-driven enterprises.

KNCCI CEO KK Mutai welcomed the proposed partnership and underscored the need for coordinated private-sector advocacy to address structural barriers limiting agricultural productivity, competitiveness and profitability. He proposed the development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a framework for joint programmes, policy engagement and resource mobilization.

Key areas identified for joint advocacy include agricultural value addition, aggregation of produce, consistency in product quality and supply volumes, access to affordable farm inputs, settlement of pending bills and the impact of county cess charges on agricultural trade. Addressing these challenges would help reduce the cost of doing business, minimize post-harvest losses, improve market reliability and strengthen the competitiveness of Kenyan agricultural products in domestic, regional and international markets.

The discussions also explored opportunities for joint resource mobilization to support agricultural development initiatives, including farmer capacity building, technology adoption, market linkages and value-chain development.

For Kenya’s agricultural sector, the proposed partnership presents an opportunity to move beyond production towards greater commercialization and value addition. By connecting farmers to reliable markets, encouraging investment in agro-processing and addressing policy bottlenecks, the collaboration could contribute to higher farm incomes, stronger rural enterprises, increased agricultural exports and employment creation, particularly for young people and women.

The engagement reflects KNCCI’s commitment to positioning agriculture as a competitive, investment-ready sector capable of driving inclusive economic growth, strengthening food security and expanding Kenya’s participation in regional and global agricultural value chains.