President William Ruto’s maize farm has not escaped the difficult farming season affecting parts of Kenya’s North Rift, according to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.
Speaking during a church service at ACK St Stephen’s Chepkoilel in Uasin Gishu County on Sunday, Murkomen said poor weather and challenging growing conditions had left many farmers facing disappointing harvests. He added that the President was among those expected to suffer losses this season.
“Mr President, I would like to tell you that it is true, there are challenges in this region when it comes to farming matters. We have all been affected. I also passed by your farm and saw that you will not harvest anything this year,” Murkomen said.
Reflecting on the shared hardship, he added: “I was feeling sorry for myself, but when I saw that even the President would suffer losses, I realised many of us have gone through the same experience.”
His remarks painted a picture of a farming community struggling through a difficult season, with crop production affected across parts of the North Rift. While Murkomen did not specify the exact causes of the poor harvest, farmers in several regions have recently reported challenging growing conditions that have reduced expected yields.
Despite the setback, the Cabinet Secretary praised the government’s agricultural support measures, particularly the reduction in the cost of subsidised fertiliser introduced after President Ruto took office.
“We cannot fail to thank you because when you assumed office, you reduced the price of fertiliser from Sh7,000 to Sh2,500. Through your leadership, our economy is doing well,” he said.
The comments come as farmers continue to assess the impact of the current season on food production and household incomes. Agriculture remains a key pillar of Kenya’s economy, and fluctuations in harvests often have wider effects on rural livelihoods and national food security.
Murkomen maintained that although many farmers are experiencing losses this season, government efforts to lower input costs have eased the financial burden for many households.
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