NAIROBI — The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) is set to invest Sh9.7 billion over the next five years to enhance its services for farmers, aiming to assure plant health, improve the quality of agricultural inputs and produce, and foster a food-secure nation and safe trade. This budgeting decision is part of KEPHIS’s strategic plan to bolster the agricultural sector in Kenya.
According to Kenya News Agency, Theophilus Mutui, the funding for this substantial investment will come from internally generated funds and exchequer support from the National government. Speaking at a stakeholders’ workshop in Nairobi, he mentioned that since August 2023, KEPHIS has made over Sh 240 million through the e-Citizen platform via their Integrated Export Import Certification System (iEICS).
Prof. Mutui outlined various revenue streams for KEPHIS, including charges for services like plant import permits, inspections of agricultural produce, issuance of Phytosanitary certificates for export consignments, soil and water analysis, and laboratory services. The focus areas for the state corporation include Plant Health, Seed Quality Assurance, Plant Variety Protection, Trade Facilitation, Quality Agro-Inputs and Produce, and strengthening its Institutional Capacity.
To better reach farmers, KEPHIS regularly conducts plant clinics where farmers can bring diseased crop samples for examination and management advice. Initiatives in Elgeyo Marakwet and Makueni counties, such as providing farmers with insect traps for fruit flies, exemplify KEPHIS’s efforts to support local communities in producing market-quality agricultural products.
Prof. Mutui also highlighted plans to enhance networks and collaboration with local and international partners to improve plant protection, seed trade facilitation, and laboratory work. He noted that KEPHIS has opened up more markets for Kenyan agricultural produce, including exporting avocados to the European Union, China, India, Malaysia, and plans to expand to South Korea and the USA.
KEPHIS’s achievements, as highlighted by Prof. Mutui, include the review of legal frameworks, enhanced ICT infrastructure, implementation of various systems for export certification and quality management, and expanded service delivery, including the opening of new offices and improving ease of doing business.
KEPHIS board chairperson Joseph M’eruaki aligned the strategic plan with Kenya’s economic blueprints and emphasized the importance of the agricultural sector as a catalyst for economic growth. He mentioned efforts to establish county offices in addition to regional offices to address the issue of counterfeit seeds and collaborate with County governments to enhance agricultural productivity.
M’eruaki underscored the sector’s significant contribution to Kenya’s economy, citing the Economic Survey 2022 report, which ranks agricultural sub-sectors like Tea and Horticulture among the highest foreign exchange earners.