Kitui Executive for Agriculture and Livestock Dr Stephen Mbaya Kimwele and Chief Officer for Agriculture and Fisheries Gladys Kivoto today held a meeting with officials from the Smallholder Empowerment and Promotion for Local Extension Advancement and Dissemination (SHEP LEAD) project at the Kitui Agriculture Training Centre (ATC).
The meeting focused on the implementation of the five-year SHEP LEAD project, running from 2026 to 2031 and implemented by the State Department for Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
The project targets smallholder farmers and farmer groups, with the aim of promoting a market-oriented approach to agriculture.
SHEP LEAD seeks to empower farmers to shift from the traditional “Grow and Sell” mindset to “Grow to Sell”, enabling them to make informed production decisions based on market demand. The demand-driven extension approach equips farmers with business-oriented skills and greater ownership of their farming enterprises, building on the SHEP approach developed in Kenya through a pilot project implemented between 2006 and 2009
.
CGoK.Comm.Dept
Monday 21st September 2026
