The major political coalitions aiming to come into power in Kenya next month have pitched on agricultural reforms and revival as key campaign planks.

Both Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) and Jubilee Coalition last week unveiled separate ambitious manifestos, with agricultural reforms toping pledges to voters. Raila Odinga led CORD has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with farmers, geared towards enhancing agricultural production in line with CORD manifesto's promise on food security.

The landmark treaty includes the firm undertaking that CORD will as a priority, revive agriculture sector through restructuring and improvements. This also includes subsidies to farmers, initiate value addition to agricultural produce e.g. cereals, horticulture, trees, fish and livestock products (milk, beef and hides) and ensure strategic marketing of these products for improved (maximum) profits, direct to farmers.

It will also prioritize structured return of state owned Kenya Co operative Creameries (KCC) to dairy farmers and immediately build a major fertilizer factory in the expansive Rift Valley .The coalition also promises to ensure that at least 10% of the national budget will be invested in the sector to spur irrigation agriculture and institute support services and industries to complete the sustainable national food security design and produce more for export.

“This sector alone with accompanying industries and businesses offers the clear window to generate a large part of the CORD's promised 1 million jobs per year, from the farms to processing , transportation, industries and trading; Kenyan youths will get plenty of opportunities to earn a descent living”, says CORD deputy President Kalonzo Musyoka.

On the other hand, Jubilee Coalition is determined to retain the current 4.5% of the budget to agriculture. The Uhuru Kenyatta led coalition will also create jobs in the sector to enhance food security. He says his administration will transform Kenya under the banner themes of Umoja (national cohesion), Uchumi (economic transformation) and Uwazi (transparency in governance).

Kenyatta's running mate William Ruto says their government will turn over 2.5 million acres of uncultivated land in the country into productive land. Jubilee's key priorities are empowering farmers to ensure that they get more out of agricultural activities through subsidies and elimination of middlemen.

Apart from agriculture, Kenya's major economic assets are horticulture, tourism, commerce, infrastructure and technology. These sectors have provided powerful instrument for advancing economic and social development. With 75 percent of Kenyas’ engaged in farming, agricultural is the mainstay of the Kenyan economy, contributing estimated 26 percent of GDP, and generates 60 percent of the total foreign exchange earnings.

The major agricultural products in Kenya include tea, coffee, horticulture, corn, wheat, sugarcane, dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, and eggs. “Due to land scarcity and overreliance on cash crops, Kenya import large amounts of food in order to feed the population annually. This is one of the key plank the new Kenyan government will focus”, says Raila Odinga.