Siaya County prepares to adapt Climate-Smart Agriculture Investment Plans for smallholder farmers

The first capacity-building initiative on Kenya's Climate Smart Agriculture Investment Plan (CSA-IP) was held in Siaya county with stakeholders drawn from different departments of the Siaya county government (Kenya) and the Climate Smart Agriculture Multi-stakeholder (CSA-MSP) platform in Siaya, in partnership with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT(Alliance) and the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project.

During this mission, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Siaya County Hon. Stephen K’Okoth said that climate resilience is a major concern for the communities in the county.

“Despite our county’s rich natural resources, including Lake Victoria and the Yala and Nzoia rivers, the reliance on rainfed agriculture remains a concern to us and it is essential to diversify food and livestock production and educate communities on the importance of keeping some of their produce to ensure nutritional resilience,” added Hon K'Okoth.

The mission determined that Siaya County is poised to take advantage of the Kenya CSA-IP and will use the training received in 2023 to screen proposals from community-based organizations (CBOs) and choose those most closely aligned with county government plans.

The discussions also revealed that the county is ready to reactivate its CSA multi-stakeholder platform (CSA-MSP) to drive implementation and low-key monitoring while deciding on future investment projects for the new financial year.

“The purpose of this capacity building initiative was to evaluate the county government's progress and preparedness in implementing climate-smart agriculture (CSA) investments, as well as the readiness of community-based organizations to access funding from the county government and expand CSA technologies and practices,” explained Liz Ogutu, AICCRA Kenya.

(Left) AICCRA Kenya Cluster Focal Point, Liz Ogutu presents various aspects of the AICCRA project to the Siaya County Government representatives. (Right) County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture Hon. Stephen K’Okoth presenting.

The visit was a follow-up on activities conducted in AICCRA’s first phase where CSA-IPs were developed to guide the implementation of projects designed to support the resilience of communities.

The plan for Kenya has identified eight investment options, that counties can adapt and implement, that are tailored to their local context and needs. CSA-IPs provide a strategic and comprehensive case for investing in agricultural development by assessing and prioritizing a list of best-bet climate-smart agriculture (CSA) investments in a country. This enables stakeholders to tap into financial opportunities from the private sector actors, public institutions, international donors, and any key stakeholders who aims to transform the agriculture sector.

AICCRA, backed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Development (MoALD) through the county CSA-MSP, conducted training in Siaya County in 2023 to build the capacity of stakeholders in developing bankable project proposals with communities. This was part of the program on Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA), a World-Bank Funded support program. One of the primary investment areas for FLLoCA is enhancing food and nutrition security by promoting sustainable agricultural practices to ensure food security and improved nutrition.

Participants in the visit to Siaya County, Kenya.

Dala Rieko, a 'home of knowledge' in Rarieda

The mission also visited community-based organizations (CBOs) in the county that had begun to implement climate-smart agriculture, with a view to learn more about their operations and pave the way for future partnerships with them. One such CBO is Dala Rieko.

Dala Rieko (meaning Home of Knowledge) in Rarieda region of Siaya County, is dedicated to promoting climate-smart agriculture and sustainability. Established in 2008, Dala Rieko focuses on empowering local communities to adapt to climate change while enhancing agricultural productivity. Dala Rieko uses solar energy to provide hatchery services for the communities. The hatcheries, built by the CBO, have been sold to entrepreneurs and small businesses in Kenya and East Africa. Since 2023, they have also started building solar-powered power-points (portable power sources and charging points) where people can charge their mobile phones and other equipment in an area where electricity penetration is still limited.

Vincent Agidho, Co-founder of Dala Rieko demonstrating various technologies built by the CBO.

The CBO has designed and started building solar-powered water pumps to support farmers facing water shortages on their rain-fed farms. Further, the CBO uses hyacinth from Lake Victoria to prepare compost for their farm and to sell to the community.

Dala Rieko has relied primarily on donor support to maintain its operations because a large percentage of its services is provided freely, which includes training and some basic needs for the young men and women who live and work within the CBO. Their target is to reach a level of sustainability where what they manufacture and the services they provide can continue to provide welfare support and a living income for their staff.

Looking forward

As AICCRA ushers in its second phase of implementation, the teams are looking to scale promising and demand-driven innovations and technologies. AICCRA will support the Siaya county government in domesticating the national investment plans so that they are equipped to screen the most promising entrepreneurs and harness the most from the national FLLoCA funds.

AICCRA will also support CBOs like Dala Rieko, in preparing CSA-focused proposals that align with county investment plans for successful implementation and scaling. This will require the partnership of AICCRA teams working on business readiness, capacity building, agricultural technologies, policy, and environmental and social safeguards.