Kenya’s Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Cabinet Secretary, Salim Mvurya, has described agriculture as the country’s most promising frontier for mass employment in Kenya, noting that it already engages over 60 per cent of Kenya’s workforce.

Speaking during the IFAD Policy and Partnership Forum on Scaling Youth Employment through Systems Change in Naivasha, Mvurya said that agriculture is being transformed into a modern, digital, and profitable venture through programmes like the Agribusiness Hub. 

This transformation attracts innovators and entrepreneurs who view farming as an innovative business rather than mere subsistence.

“The Agribusiness Hub Programme has shown that when we invest in ecosystems that connect youth to skills, finance, mentorship, and markets, the results are transformative,” he said.

Mvurya noted that nearly 75 per cent of Kenya’s population is below 35 years, with about one million young people joining the labour market annually. 

He said that under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), the Kenya Kwanza government has placed youth empowerment and job creation at the centre of its policies.

He revealed that in just five years, the Agribusiness Hub Programme has created employment for more than 43,000 rural youth, over half of them young women. 

“Beyond the numbers, it has demonstrated that inclusive agribusiness models can restore dignity and hope for a generation ready to build Africa’s rural economies,” he said.

IFAD Country Director for Kenya, Mariatu Kamara, regretted that young people still face significant barriers to joining the agricultural sector, particularly in accessing land and credit. 

She said that although the agri-food system appeals to young agripreneurs, many are hindered from exploiting opportunities in the sector due to a lack of financing. 

“We must make agriculture something that youth want to work in,” she said.

Mvurya announced that the government is implementing the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Programme, a Sh20 billion flagship initiative designed to link 820,000 youths to training, mentorship, and investment support in the creative industries, sports, and agribusiness. 

“Through NYOTA, we are fostering partnerships between public institutions, private investors, and community organisations to ensure that every youth, whether in art, innovation, or agriculture, can access dignified and sustainable work,” he said.

He said the government is also running the Ajira Digital and Jitume initiatives, which bridge the digital divide and connect young people to global online work opportunities. 

In addition, the Youth Enterprise Development Fund is offering affordable loans for youth-led startups in all 47 counties.

The Cabinet Secretary highlighted that the Rural Credit Guarantee Scheme, implemented in partnership with IFAD and the State Department for Agriculture, has been unlocking access to credit for young people and smallholder farmers to scale their agribusiness ventures. 

“Together, these initiatives reflect a clear government commitment to build an integrated ecosystem for youth employment, from policy design to implementation and financing,” he said.

Mvurya urged development partners, including IFAD, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), VISA Foundation, World Bank, UN agencies, and regional institutions, to deepen collaboration with the Kenyan government to expand opportunities for youth in agriculture.

He noted that about 30 per cent of new jobs annually now come from agriculture and agribusiness, primarily driven by youth entrepreneurs using digital tools, green innovations, and inclusive value chain models. 

“The youth of Africa are not waiting for opportunity. They are creating it. What they need is an ecosystem that believes in them. This momentum must now be sustained through coordinated action, financing, and policy coherence,” he said.

Juan Carlos, Director of IFAD’s Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division, said the Integrated Agribusiness Hub Programme has become a pioneering model for addressing rural youth unemployment and underemployment in Africa through agribusiness and related sectors. 

He said the programme, which runs across nine countries, has surpassed its targets. 

It has empowered nearly 60,000 rural youth to access decent employment, far exceeding its initial goal of 22,000.

IFAD Programme Manager Brian Chipili said Kenya has performed well under the initiative, creating 5,000 jobs through the Job Open to the Youth project. 

“These hubs conduct value chain analyses, labour market studies, and short, practical training sessions aligned to local employment needs,” he said.

With agriculture driving nearly a third of new jobs in Kenya, the government’s continued investment in youth-focused agribusiness, training, and financing programmes reflects a broader shift toward positioning farming as a key pillar of economic growth and sustainable employment.

Source: The Standard

Image credit: Kenya Wall Street