Calls for counties to support youth in agribusiness
By Tony Wafula, July 25, 2025County governments have been urged to prioritise youth empowerment in agriculture by allocating adequate resources to agribusiness in their annual plans.
This call comes as concerns grow over the limited support for youth-led farming ventures, despite agriculture being one of the key drivers of employment and economic growth.
Speaking during a youth training forum organised by Siaya County Youth Network in Bungoma on Wednesday, John Mukenya, an Agricultural and climate change advocate, lamented the inadequate budgetary support for agribusiness in Bungoma County.
Sufficient farming
He noted that after reviewing the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2025/2026, it became evident that Bungoma County has not committed sufficient funding to promote youth participation in agriculture.
“The review of the CIDP clearly shows that Bungoma County has overlooked youth agribusiness. There is very little commitment when it comes to financing programmes that can uplift young farmers,” Mukenya said.
He added, “If we want to tackle youth unemployment, we must invest in agribusiness. Agriculture is not just farming, it’s a full economic value chain,”
He said that the Bungoma County government had only allocated Sh900 million towards the agriculture sector in the 2025/26 budget, a figure he termed insufficient considering the challenges facing farmers and youth agripreneurs in the region.
“You can’t expect transformation in agriculture if your budget does not reflect that vision. Youths want to venture into poultry, dairy farming, and value addition, but they lack support structures,” Mukenya added.
He further criticized the county’s focus on maize production at the expense of other high-value crops that could generate better returns and encourage youth participation.
Phelgona Odipo, a field officer, Siaya County Youth Network, said that the youth training was part of a broader programme funded by GIZ aimed at enhancing the participation of young people in governance and agriculture.
“Our project is currently running in six counties Siaya, Kisumu, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, and Busia.”