By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 6 July 2026 - Siaya County is turning to research institutions and universities to strengthen agricultural productivity after shrinking international donor funding exposed the vulnerability of extension services that millions of smallholder farmers depend on.
Officials from North Carolina State University, the University of Nairobi and the Siaya County Government met on Monday to revive a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2023, signalling a shift towards locally driven agricultural development built on research, education and extension services rather than donor financing.
The renewed partnership aims to retrain agricultural extension officers and strengthen selected value chains that county officials believe can transform farmers from subsistence producers into commercial enterprises.
Stephanie Kules, who led the North Carolina State University delegation, said the partners had returned to Siaya to operationalise an agreement signed with Governor James Orengo and create a sustainable agricultural support system.
"We must now build a system that enables Siaya farmers to grow and thrive without depending on donor funding," Kules said.
"The integration of extension services, applied research and education has worked elsewhere, and we believe it can transform agriculture in Siaya."
The initiative comes as development agencies across Africa adjust to declining foreign assistance. Kules said international financing was becoming increasingly constrained following the closure of major aid programmes and changing global priorities, forcing governments and institutions to rethink how agricultural services are financed.
"There is less international funding flowing into Africa. Resources are becoming scarce, meaning we must pool what we have instead of waiting for large external funding," she said.
Rather than pursuing broad interventions, the partners agreed to concentrate resources on a limited number of high-potential agricultural value chains, with the county expected to identify extension officers for specialised training.
Those officers will receive technical support from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, the University of Nairobi and North Carolina State University.
Kules urged county officials to identify priority sectors, including aquaculture, where targeted technical support could generate the greatest economic returns.
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North Carolina State University's extension specialist Karen Blaedow said the collaboration could eventually extend beyond farmers to schools, introducing aquaculture and crop production projects that expose learners to practical agricultural skills from an early age.
"By integrating agriculture into learning, pupils can develop practical knowledge that prepares them for future economic opportunities in aquaculture and related sectors," Blaedow said.
The emphasis on integrating research, education and extension mirrors approaches already tested in Kenya.
KMFRI researcher Dr Kevin Obiero said similar models had produced measurable gains under previous agricultural programmes, with small-scale cage fish farmers significantly increasing production after receiving coordinated research and extension support.
"The integration of education, research and extension has demonstrated that farmers can move from low productivity to commercial-scale production," Obiero said. "What this partnership brings is access to global experience while strengthening local innovation."
Siaya County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture Willis Ochieng Okoth said the county's largely smallholder farming economy stood to benefit from stronger technical support and better coordination among research institutions.
"Our farmers operate in different value chains, and by linking education, research and extension, we expect improved productivity and better incomes," Okoth said.
The renewed partnership reflects a broader policy shift across Africa, where governments are increasingly looking to universities, research institutions and local partnerships to fill gaps left by declining international aid. For Siaya, the success of the initiative will depend not only on research excellence but also on whether strengthened extension services can translate scientific knowledge into higher productivity and more resilient rural livelihoods.