Kenya has received a US$2.08 million (KSh270 million) grant to improve climate resilience within the agriculture sector.

The agreement was announced by the National Treasury on Thursday, October 29, 2026, stating that Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi signed a grant agreement for the Climate Smart Agribusiness Partnerships for Resilience (CSAPR).

The grant, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will be used to supplement the government’s Integrated Natural Resources Management Programme (INReMP). It will also improve the use of climate information tools within the agricultural value chains, according to the Treasury. It will give farmers and agribusinesses the opportunity to use and have access to climate information.

“This will enable farmers and agribusinesses to access and use climate information to manage climate related risks and improve productivity,” the Treasury noted.

The agreement was signed during a meeting between Mbadi and IFAD Country Director Matteo Marchisio, who vowed to work to improve the long-standing partnership between IFAD and Kenya to deliver agricultural transformation. The grant will aim to improve the use of climate information within the agricultural value chains.

This can give small scale farmers the information they need to know when to prepare their land, plant crops, apply fertiliser and plan irrigation. The information will also give farmers the opportunity to know what the rainfall pattern will be like, if there will be any dry periods and extreme weather so they can plan for any risks. The information can also help livestock keepers and other agricultural producers plan for any dry periods. However, there was no specific information on what the grant will be used for.

How much this grant will help will depend on how the programme is delivered and what information is provided to the farmers.

The CSAPR grant will be used to supplement the Integrated Natural Resources Management Programme. This partnership between the Kenyan government, IFAD and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will aim to improve the use of climate information.

IFAD are an international financial institution and specialised United Nations agency, which aim to help rural people and agriculture. This means the grant will be delivered through IFAD to help Kenya meet their agricultural goals.

The Treasury noted that this funding will help farmers and agribusinesses manage climate-related risks. However, there was no specific information on how the US$2.08 million will be spent on the programme. There was also no information on how long the programme will run for, what counties will be prioritised and how many farmers will benefit.

Kenya’s agriculture sector is vulnerable to changing rainfall patterns and extreme weather such as drought. This can cause disruptions to crop production, impact livestock and cause pressure on rural household incomes.

Having access to climate information can help farmers plan for these risks. However, the information must be timely, easy to understand and relevant to the decisions they can make. If households do not have irrigation, suitable seeds, storage and resources to change their farming plans then having access to the information may not help.

This means that the success of the CSAPR will depend on whether the farmers are getting relevant information and how it can be used to help them. Agricultural businesses can also benefit from the information to help them plan for any disruptions to their supply.

The Treasury did not specify when the funding would be given out and when farmers would start to receive support. There was also no indication as to whether the programme will provide direct financial support to farmers, provide technical services or focus on improving the systems in place to provide climate information.

As the grant has been mentioned as supporting the integration of climate information within the value chains, it may not be a direct cash injection. More information would be helpful to know how the programme will be delivered, what areas will be covered, who will deliver the programme and how they will monitor the results.

Overall, the main thing to consider is whether the programme will help farmers and agribusinesses use reliable climate information to make better decisions around their production and business. This should help reduce any unnecessary losses due to the weather and improve the resilience of agricultural livelihoods.