A new assessment on the implementation of Kenya’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy (KCSAS) finds that while awareness and uptake of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices are growing, limited financing, weak coordination, and fragmented monitoring systems are slowing progress towards a climate-resilient agricultural sector.
Commissioned by ACT Kenya Forum and its national member ADS Kenya under ACT Alliance’s “Africa Climate Adaptation Advocacy Project”, the study covered eight counties in Kenya: Busia, Nyeri, Kajiado, Turkana, Garissa, Kisumu, Kilifi, and Kitui using surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews.
Agriculture remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy, contributing over 30% of GDP and employing 70% of rural households. Yet climate shocks from droughts and floods to increasingly erratic rainfall are undermining livelihoods. Between 2020 and 2023, Kenya endured the worst drought in four decades, affecting more than four million people. The sector also accounts for about 41% of national greenhouse-gas emissions, mainly from livestock, fertiliser use, and land-use change. KCSAS (2017–2026) was designed to increase productivity, enhance resilience, and reduce emissions in line with Vision 2030, the Paris Agreement, and the SDGs.
Key report findings:
- Rising awareness and adoption: Awareness of CSA stands at 79%. Farmers are adopting water harvesting, agroforestry, drought-tolerant crops, organic pest control, and soil-fertility management, with particularly high uptake in Busia and Nyeri where civil-society and government support are strong.
- County integration and budgets: 87% of surveyed counties report mainstreaming CSA into strategies and plans, yet only 42% have dedicated budget allocations for CSA interventions.
- Institutional coordination and M&E: 71% of counties have institutional frameworks for CSA, but coordination between national and county levels remains weak; only 39% have CSA-specific monitoring and evaluation systems.
- Adoption drivers: 64% of farmers reported adopting at least one CSA practice; adoption is higher where extension services are active (73%) versus counties with limited support (49%).
- Finance and investment: Fewer than 30% of counties access climate finance from national or international sources. Private-sector engagement remains minimal, with only 18% reporting partnerships in CSA financing; many counties rely on donor funding.
- Knowledge, research, and extension: 56% of counties have collaborated with research institutions on CSA innovations, yet only 46% of farmers received CSA-related training in the past two years.
- Gender and inclusion: Women comprise 61% of small-scale farmers surveyed (Kitui: ~96% of respondents were women) but face persistent barriers to finance, land rights, and training. Youth participation in CSA enterprises is 41%, showing strong potential with targeted support.
- Outcomes for resilience and food security: Counties with strong CSA adoption reported 15–25% higher yields during climate shocks compared to non-adopting areas, with CSA adopters showing 22% higher average household food-security scores.
- Faith-based and community actors: Faith-based organisations play a vital grassroots role in outreach and last-mile delivery but are often excluded from policy forums and coordination platforms.
- Digital opportunities: Low-cost digital tools (SMS, WhatsApp) are proving effective for disseminating weather information and advisories to smallholders.
The report calls for:
- Stronger coordination through CSA working groups at national and county levels, with formal inclusion of non-state actors.
- Formal recognition and inclusion of faith-based organisations in policy processes and grassroots implementation.
- Increased and diversified financing, including county budget lines, access to climate-finance windows, and private-sector incentives (e.g., tax reliefs and blended-finance models).
- Expanded extension and capacity building for women and youth, leveraging digital advisory platforms.
- Robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems with CSA-specific indicators to track impacts and inform adaptive management.
- Gender-responsive and inclusive CSA models that recognise and leverage traditional knowledge.
“Only a few counties have dedicated budgets for CSA, with fewer than 30% accessing climate finance. Farmers, especially women and youth need more than encouragement; they need access to affordable finance, insurance, and investment. Let us be bold in creating county-level budget lines for CSA, opening climate finance windows, and incentivising the private sector through tax reliefs and blended-finance models as the report recommends. As the Church, we are not mere bystanders - through ADS Kenya and the Green Anglican Movement, we are already training communities, promoting tree-growing, supporting clean energy adoption, and mobilising thousands of congregations for climate action. We stand ready to expand these efforts in partnership with government and development actors.”The Most Rev. Dr. Jackson Ole Sapit, Archbishop of Kenya; Bishop of the All-Saints Cathedral Diocese; Bishop-in-Ordinary to the Kenya Defence Forces.
“The Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy (2017–2026) Implementation Assessment Report is both a mirror and a map; it reflects the progress made in climate-smart agriculture and guides us on the urgent steps ahead. For ACT Alliance, climate change is not just an environmental issue but a justice and livelihood issue. By working together, the government, counties, development partners, the private sector, and faith communities, we can transform Kenyan agriculture into a resilient, sustainable, and inclusive system that leaves no one behind.”Vincent Ondieki, Senior Programme Officer, Climate Justice - ACT Alliance
“Considering financing mechanisms, we note that CSA interventions are currently heavily dependent on donor funding. Domestic budget allocations remain low, and many counties struggle to access international climate finance due to capacity gaps and complex application processes. Yet, there are opportunities: blended finance models, climate-smart credit, and index-based insurance are promising tools that remain underexplored. We must invest in building local financial systems that work for farmers. To strengthen climate-smart agriculture, we must therefore build county-level capacity, establish a national coordination platform, and unlock climate finance through stronger partnerships. Equally important is developing a unified monitoring framework and promoting innovation hubs to scale up best practices. These steps will ensure Kenya moves from plans on paper to real, lasting impact for our farmers, communities and the environment.”Julius Mbatia, Global Programme Manager ACT Alliance
