Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has proposed the formation of a dedicated Agricultural Police Unit to tackle security challenges affecting the agricultural sector in Kenya. Speaking in Mombasa during a stakeholder meeting with representatives from the tea industry, Kagwe emphasized the need for a specialized unit to protect farmers’ interests and address issues unique to the sector.
Kagwe revealed that he has already engaged Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on the proposal and that discussions are ongoing to escalate the matter to President William Ruto. He cited the existence of other specialized units, such as the Tourism Police, to justify the need for an agricultural-focused security force.
“I have proposed to my brother CS Kipchumba, and we are progressing to the President that we form what is going to be the Agricultural Police Unit because there is Tourism Police and several others. We are in discussions about it,” Kagwe stated.
The CS highlighted various challenges facing the agriculture sector, including the invasion of multinational tea farms, counterfeit fertilizers, and farm-related crimes. He pointed out that general law enforcement officers may not have the specialized knowledge required to handle these issues effectively.
“When you tell a person who has been chasing a gunrunner to come and deal with a person who has invaded land, that mindset is completely different,” Kagwe explained. “When you tell somebody there is fake fertilizer being sold to farmers, the mindset is different. The discussions and investigations require someone who understands what is fake, expired, or proper fertilizer.”
The meeting in Mombasa brought together key stakeholders from the tea industry, including the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), Kenya Tea Growers’ Association (KTGA), Independent Tea Producers (ITP), and the East African Tea Trade Association (EATA). Discussions focused on key issues such as curbing green leaf malpractices, publishing green leaf quality standards, and deregistering stakeholders involved in tea hawking.
Additionally, EATA was urged to expand access to the tea auction system for global buyers, and the government committed to exploring diplomatic solutions for market access in Iran and Sudan. Plans were also discussed for establishing a Tea Council to unify and promote the interests of all tea stakeholders in Kenya.
