Joseph Mumo

Women entrepreneurs present an opportunity to restructure the job market through self-employment. Promotion of this segment of businesses is critical in complementing the business sector, which is male-dominated.

In Kenya, about 83.6 per cent of the workforce is in the informal sector, contributing substantially to economic development but lacking financial security as they age due to limited access to pensions. Unlike formal sector employees with statutory pensions such as the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), informal workers are often excluded from these programmes.

By Antony Mwaura and Maria Mbogo Introduction The potato farming is a significant pillar in Kenya’s agricultural sector, ranking as the second most significant crop after maize, and employing more than 3.5 million people along the value chain. Cultivated by approximately 800,000 smallholder farmers across 120,000–150,000 hectares, potatoes contribute significantly to food security, rural incomes,

By Julia Otieno and Jeremiah Darso Introduction Palm oil accounts for over 90 per cent of Kenya’s vegetable oil and supports 17 million livelihoods. It is a profitable crop in consumer products including margarine, soap and ice cream. Its output has grown over 500 per cent since 1960. While Kenya has great potential for local

By Maryrose Peter and Franklin Abuga Introduction Maize, which is Kenya’s staple food crop, plays a key role in rural livelihood and food security. It accounts for approximately 65 per cent of the stable calorie intake, and it is cultivated by over 4.5 million smallholder farmers. Besides its importance as a food crop, maize has

By Jimson Mwikamba and Ian Kiprop, Young Professionals 2024/25 Introduction Beef production contributes an average of 65 per cent of the total earnings from livestock and livestock products. The main beef production systems in Kenya are pastoralism, ranching, agro-pastoralism and feedlots, with an estimated 14 million beef cattle, which supports 10 million livelihoods directly. The

By Esther Omosa and Fredwilly Nderitu Introduction The cotton industry is a key driver of job creation in Kenya, directly employing 21,000 people in the formal sector and over 30,000 in the informal sector (Ministry of Agriculture 2024). As the foundation of the textile and apparel industries, the cotton value chain consists of interconnected stages.

By Austin Cheboi and Esther Mundia Introduction Kenya’s coffee sector is a vital economic driver, contributing significantly to income generation, employment, and foreign exchange earnings. It contributes 0.5 per cent of overall GDP, employs around 30 per cent of agriculture labour force and contributes 10 per cent of agricultural export earnings. Kenya is known for

By Benazir Kemunto and Remmy Naibei Introduction The sunflower value chain holds immense potential in driving economic growth. The value chain includes input supply, sunflower cultivation, post-harvest handling, processing and extraction, packaging, distribution, sales and marketing, consumption and waste management. Sunflower value chain can be transformed into a thriving industry that creates jobs, boosts incomes

By Collins Wanjala and Damaris Musembi Introduction Indigenous poultry, also known as local breeds of chicken, provide sustainable opportunity for job creation and rural development because they are more resistant to diseases, harsh climatic conditions and require less maintenance. Indigenous poultry farming accounts for 75 per cent of employment in poultry farming in rural households.