From the Ground Up: How Dr. Mbaya’s Farm Visits Are Changing Kitui South Agriculture

From the Ground Up: How Dr. Mbaya’s Farm Visits Are Changing Kitui South Agriculture

By DR. FAITH MUSYOKA & PATRICK KIMANZI 

The real work of transforming agriculture doesn’t happen in boardrooms — it happens in the dust, between rows of onions and under the shade of citrus trees. That’s where Kitui Executive for Agriculture and Livestock Dr. Stephen Mbaya Kimwele took his team yesterday stepping onto Mr. Kennedy Mutati’s farm in Kyatune Ward, Kitui South.

The visit came right after a sub-county review meeting in Mutomo, where Chief Officer for Agriculture Gladys Kivoto, Director Kitoo, and other technical officers gathered to assess programme performance and push for a results-driven approach to service delivery. But for Dr. Mbaya, the meeting was only half the job. The other half was boots on the soil.

Mr. Mutati’s farm tells the story of where Kitui South is headed. Here, irrigated onions grow alongside citrus and pawpaw orchards — a model of diversification designed for semi-arid survival. It’s proof that with water and knowledge, dryland farming can be both resilient and profitable.

Dr. Mbaya and his officers didn’t come to lecture. They came to listen, inspect, and advise. They walked through the blocks, giving Mr. Mutati targeted guidance on pest and disease control, safe and effective agrochemical use, soil fertility management, and water-smart irrigation techniques. Each tip was practical, tailored, and immediate — the kind of extension support that turns advice into harvests.

“This is how we transform agriculture at the grassroots,” Dr. Kimwele said. “By showing up, engaging regularly, and solving real problems with farmers, not for them.”

Across the sub-county, the approach was mirrored. While Dr. Mbaya’s team worked in Kyatune, Chief Officer Kivoto headed to Mutha Ward, and Director Kitoo led another group to Mutomo farm. The message was consistent: extension services must leave the office, measure performance, and deliver results that farmers can see in their yields and incomes.

For Mr. Mutati, the visit was validation and a boost. For Kitui South, it’s a signal that the county’s agriculture agenda is rooted exactly where it should be — on the farm. ..........DR FAITH MUSYOKA MEDIA TEAM 🔥🔥🔥🔥😎