• Kenya launched the “JobsConnect Compact” to create six million green jobs by 2030 through agricultural digitalisation.

• The programme aims to save $2–3 billion in food imports and generate $5 billion in export revenues.

• The government seeks to lower agricultural lending rates from 18–19% to a guaranteed 5% to support sustainable financing.

Kenya continues to struggle to translate rapid population growth into job creation. The government therefore plans to digitise agriculture to accelerate employment and strengthen food security.

Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mutahi Kagwe unveiled the “JobsConnect Compact” during a press briefing at Kilimo House in Nairobi on 19 November. World Bank officials and private-sector partners, including MasterCard, Equity Group, Microsoft and the Kenya National Farmers’ Federation (KENAFF), attended the announcement. Kagwe said the programme aims to create six million sustainable jobs by 2030.

The government targets green jobs by modernising farming practices and integrating technology across the value chain. Officials will centralise digitalisation efforts through the Kenya Agriculture Data and Information Centre (KADIC) to streamline data flows. They will also integrate the Agriculture Information and Resource Centre (AIRC) to reduce duplication and give farmers, cooperatives, counties, markets and processors faster access to reliable information.

These digital systems will create new professions in data collection and analysis, connected-equipment maintenance, green logistics and advisory services for sustainable farming practices.

Kagwe said agritech investment would increase producer incomes and draw young workers to a technology-driven, environmentally aligned sector. He added that the programme intends to strengthen food security, reduce food imports and expand export volumes.

According to official projections, the JobsConnect Compact could save between $2 billion and $3 billion in annual import expenditures and generate roughly $5 billion in additional export earnings. The ministry will support these ambitions by training agricultural entrepreneurs, expanding the Agri-Connect programme, enhancing agricultural college training and introducing digital soil testing services.

The initiative comes as agricultural financing remains constrained. Kagwe highlighted that the current 18–19% lending rates remain too high for a sustainable agricultural sector. He recommended establishing a government-guaranteed credit facility at 5%, which he described as more viable.

He also urged reinforcement of existing support mechanisms, including a 61 billion shilling ($471 million) fertiliser subsidy and a $131 million agricultural credit facility.

This article was initially published in French by Félicien Houindo Lokossou

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum