{
  "id": 12969947,
  "title": "Ruto: Safaricom, Kenya Pipeline shares to fund agricultural reforms",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/ruto-safaricom-kenya-pipeline-shares-to-fund-agricultural-reforms",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-08T22:39:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "People Daily Kenya",
    "slug": "people-daily-kenya",
    "url": "https://peopledaily.digital/news/ruto-safaricom-kenya-pipeline-shares-to-fund-agricultural-reforms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President William Ruto announced on October 8, 2026, that funds generated from the sale of government shares in Safaricom and Kenya Pipeline will be invested in agricultural reforms. During the inaugural Agriculture and Food Security Summit at Jamhuri Park in Nairobi, Ruto revealed that part of the Ksh320 billion in the National Infrastructure Fund would be allocated to construct over 1,200 dams. The projects encompass 50 large dams, 200 medium-sized dams, and 1,000 smaller ones. The objective is to shift farmers away from rainfall-dependent farming to irrigation, thus enhancing agricultural yields. Ruto emphasized that changing weather patterns over the past six years have adversely impacted agricultural production due to unreliable rainfall. He stressed the need for Kenya to reduce reliance on unpredictable weather forecasts, particularly concerning the timing of El Niño rains. Ruto defended the decision to sell shares in Safaricom and Kenya Pipeline, asserting that the proceeds would be directed towards long-term investments through the National Infrastructure Fund. He further highlighted that the irrigation projects would yield returns surpassing the income previously derived from the government's shareholdings. Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Kenya's economy and food security, contributing nearly half of the nation's GDP. His administration has undertaken several measures, including registering farmers, subsidizing fertilizers, and expanding markets for agricultural products. Notably, sugarcane farmers have seen a significant improvement in payment timing, receiving their payments within seven days, down from four or five months. The President also pledged to clear all outstanding debts owed to sugarcane and coffee farmers by year-end, with bonus payments anticipated next month. Ruto defended his commitment to attracting foreign investors, noting that private capital is crucial for national development. Foreign direct investment in Kenya has doubled under his administration, and he reiterated that attracting investors remains a priority. The summit convened government officials and stakeholders within the agriculture sector to deliberate on strategies to boost food production, boost farmer incomes, and strengthen agricultural value chains. Ruto emphasized that investments in dams and irrigation would help decouple farming from rainfall dependence while fostering increased production. The government has linked agricultural reforms to enhanced access to farm inputs, markets, and infrastructure, aiming to bolster the sector.",
  "summary": "President William Ruto has announced plans to use proceeds from the sale of government shares in Safaricom and Kenya Pipeline Company to finance agricultural reforms. The reforms aim to transform Kenya's agricultural sector into a fully-fledged food economy.\n\nRuto outlined an ambitious plan to increase irrigation, value addition, financing, and market access in the sector. He noted progress in improving productivity and incomes across key agricultural value chains, citing the livestock and leather sectors as examples. Employment in the leather sector has risen from 17,000 to 35,000 jobs, according to Ruto.\n\nThe President also highlighted challenges in the sector, including low coffee production, limited value addition in tea, and limited lending to agriculture from commercial banks. He emphasized the need to reduce Kenya's dependence on rainfall by investing in water infrastructure and irrigation, citing the recent drought as a reinforcement of this need.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "KBC",
        "title": "Ruto unveils plan to transform Kenya’s agriculture into a food economy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/ruto-unveils-plan-to-transform-kenyas-agriculture-into-a-food-economy",
        "published": "2026-10-08T15:54:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Nation Africa",
        "title": "Ruto: Kenya must cut Sh3 trillion food import bill",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/ruto-kenya-must-cut-sh3-trillion-food-import-bill",
        "published": "2026-10-08T15:58:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}