• This initiative follows a significant court ruling in a case filed by farmers who challenged sections of the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act. The court largely agreed with the farmers, further strengthening the need to protect them from punitive laws that hinder optimal production.

As Kenya gears up to review the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act, farmers and stakeholders in the agriculture sector are not being left behind. They are taking action to ensure that the voices of small‑scale farmers across the country are not only heard but also represented in the process.

The stakeholders met on March 12-13, 2026 at the Seed Savers Network Centre in Gilgil, Nakuru County, to prepare a memorandum led by the Intersectoral Forum on Agro‑Biodiversity and Agroecology (ISFA), with the support of Seed Savers Network.

The forum brings farmers together and gives them an opportunity to contribute to the memorandum about how they would like to see the future of seed laws in the country.

This initiative follows a significant court ruling in a case filed by farmers who challenged sections of the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act. The court largely agreed with the farmers, further strengthening the need to protect them from punitive laws that hinder optimal production.

Dr. Martin Oulu, founder and coordinator of ISFA, and the individual tasked with collecting farmers’ views across the country, says the memorandum is intended to capture farmers’ lived experiences and expectations before the legislative review process reaches more rigid stages where it will be difficult to add anything.

Read More

  1. Residents Demand Answers Over Secret Burials in Kericho
  2. How Declining Incomes Fuel Side Hustle Growth
  3. Government Powers Youth to Monetize Digital Ideas

Dr. Martin Oulu, founder and coordinator of Intersectoral Forum on Agro-Biodiversity and Agroecology (ISFA). (Photo by Daniel Kipchumba)

“The memorandum that we are working on is essentially a reaction or a response to the court case where farmers challenged the constitutionality of certain sections of the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act,” Dr. Oulu says.

According to him, the government had already initiated the process of engaging stakeholders on reviewing the law even before the court ruling. However, the judgment has added urgency and stronger justification for the review process.

“Sometimes those working in policy spaces assume they know what the farmers want. But that is an assumption that in many cases is not true because they are not the farmers, therefore they don’t know their lived experiences,” Dr. Oulu explained.

The process of developing the memorandum began several months ago with planning led by the Seed Savers Network, an organization advocating for farmers’ rights to save and exchange indigenous seeds.

Recently, farmers gathered in a physical meeting at the Seed Savers Network Centre in Gilgil to discuss the court judgment and ongoing discussions around the law.

During the sessions, farmers and stakeholders shared their views on issues such as the role of community seed banks, access to indigenous seeds, and how traditional farming practices should be recognized within the legal framework. Their feedback will now be compiled into a draft memorandum before being returned to them for further review.

Dr. Oulu noted that the farmers themselves do not always share the same views on every issue, but such debates are part of a healthy democratic process.

Stay connected with us on WhatsApp and Facebook for instant updates and breaking news as it happens.