Lawmakers are moving to introduce fresh zoning regulations that will compel both national and county governments to ringfence agricultural land, amid warnings that farmland is shrinking at an alarming rate.
The push is captured in a motion before the National Assembly, tabled on Wednesday, September 24, by Westlands MP Timothy Wanyonyi.
He argues that new laws are urgently needed to control how land is allocated for commercial, residential, and industrial projects so as to shield food production from unplanned developments.
Wanyonyi said the absence of a clear zoning framework has already taken a toll on farming, pointing to reduced productivity linked to rapid expansion of infrastructure and settlement on fertile land.
Citing findings from the Kenya Land Alliance, Wanyonyi noted that the country’s farming potential is severely limited.
"The Kenya Land Alliance estimated that only 17 per cent of the country’s land mass is classified as suitable for rain-fed agriculture, while the remainder is either semi-arid or arid. The country’s agricultural productivity has been decreasing over the years," Wanyonyi stated.
He added: "This decline in agricultural productivity is partly attributable to the shrinking agricultural land due to unplanned settlements that encroach on agricultural lands."
The renewed call comes just weeks after the Agriculture Ministry announced a separate plan to open up public land for large-scale farming in an effort to increase food production.
In a statement on July 24, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe revealed that priority will be given to farmers growing fodder and sunflower, crops considered vital to reducing feed costs and strengthening the dairy sector.
"We must adopt practical and viable interventions to transform the dairy sector. We must synergise our efforts to increase production and productivity through the commercialisation of pasture and fodder production," Kagwe stated.
He further said: "The government intends to lease available arable public land for large-scale farming of fodder, sunflower, and other requisite ingredients that will bring down the cost of production to scale up dairy productivity."