For a farmer struggling with declining soil fertility, unpredictable rainfall or a persistent crop disease, the solution may already exist in a university laboratory or research station. The challenge is getting that knowledge from the researcher to the farm.
It is this disconnect that agricultural experts want Kenya to address by giving universities a bigger role in agricultural extension services, which link research and innovations to the farmers who need them.
At the Fourth National Agricultural Extension Conference (NAEC 2026) in Nairobi, stakeholders renewed calls for a coordinated system that brings together universities, county governments, extension officers, farmers and agribusinesses, to strengthen agricultural productivity.
The push comes against the backdrop of a once-effective extension system, that has declined over the years, limiting the flow of new technologies and practical advice to farmers.
Professor Maina Mwangi, Dean of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at Kenyatta University and Chairman of the University Deans of Agriculture Forum, says universities possess much of the expertise and infrastructure needed to help close the gap.
“We cannot speak about improving agricultural productivity in the country, without effective extension services,” he said in a media interview, on the sidelines of the Conference.
Mwangi, whose forum brings together about 30 universities offering agricultural training in Kenya, said institutions of higher learning, were spread across the country and could work with County governments to deliver research-based solutions to farming communities.
However, he noted that there was no effective mechanism, to ensure farmers and local communities fully benefited from the research, facilities and technical expertise available in universities.
“This is an area that we need to address,” he said, calling for stronger collaboration between universities and the county governments, to make academic knowledge more accessible and useful to farmers.
The need to rebuild these links recently featured during a media breakfast meeting on discussions between Kenyan and American agricultural experts, exploring ways to strengthen extension services through university–county partnerships.
University of Embu Vice-Chancellor, Professor Daniel Mugendi Njiru, said that weakening of extension services has heightened the need to reconsider how agricultural research, training and advisory services reach farmers, particularly under the devolved system of government.
“Kenya had previously maintained a strong agricultural extension system. We used to have an agricultural system here that worked very well in the 70s, in the 80s, and in the 90s, but somehow, broke down,” he added.
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), USA, offers a possible source of lessons through its land-grant university model, which links higher education, agricultural research and extension services to farming communities.
Wyoming Department of Agriculture Director, Doug Miyamoto, emphasized the importance of extension in translating technical knowledge into practical assistance for farmers.
“We believe that extension can provide a vehicle to get that great technical information that you have out to your farmers,” he said.
The approach points to an opportunity for Kenyan universities to move beyond producing research and graduates to working more directly with county extension departments, farmer organizations and private-sector players to test and disseminate technologies.
It would not necessarily mean recreating the former system wholesale, but adapting useful elements to Kenya’s devolved governance structure and the diverse needs of its agricultural regions.
National Assembly Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock Chairman, Dr John Mutunga, told KNA that universities need to ensure agricultural courses are tailored to the challenges facing farmers in different agroecological zones.
Speaking at the NAEC 2026, Kenya Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (KEFAS) under the theme ‘Strengthening Agricultural Extension Through Collective Actions Towards Sustainable Food Systems – From Silos to Systems’, the Chair said training should equip graduates with practical skills to solve production problems and meet the needs of agribusinesses, including processors seeking technically competent employees.
“The universities need to go further than just introducing the technical know-how and focus more on its application,” Mutunga said.
He added that Kenya needed to increase agricultural production and aggregate smallholder farmers’ output, to provide reliable raw materials for agro-processing industries.
According to Mutunga, investors need assurance that adequate produce will be available for most of the year to keep processing facilities operating, making coordinated production and reliable agricultural information essential.
Dr. Alice Murage, Deputy Director General, Crops, at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), said that the strength of the country’s agricultural system, will not be measured by how much each institution does alone, but by how well all collectively work together to serve farmers.
“When research responds to real needs, extension builds trust, digital systems are interoperable, and partnerships lead to action, we can make meaningful progress towards productive, sustainable and resilient food systems,” she said.
According to the experts, universities could supply the research and technical expertise required to support that transition, while stronger extension services could help farmers adopt improved technologies, respond to emerging challenges and organize production to meet market demand.
The government has been managing agricultural extension services, through shared responsibilities between the national government and county governments, under the Kenya Agricultural Sector Extension Policy (KASEP) and the Agricultural and Livestock Extension Services Bill approved by Parliament.
By Wangari Ndirangu
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