Agriculture Cabinet Secretary nominee Mutahi Kagwe has disclosed that his net worth stands at Sh842 million, primarily composed of real estate holdings and parcels of land accumulated over a long period.
Kagwe made the revelation while appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Appointments on Tuesday.
During the session, he also shared his vision for transforming Kenya’s agricultural sector, should he be confirmed for the position.
He emphasized the importance of a comprehensive communication strategy to foster greater engagement and participation from all agricultural stakeholders, including farmers, experts, and policymakers.
Kagwe outlined plans to use both traditional and digital media platforms to promote transparency, enhance information dissemination, and ensure active involvement in decision-making processes.
“Any decisions we make must involve those who own these agricultural products,” Kagwe stated.
He also expressed his commitment to maintaining a close relationship with the media, both mainstream and social, to keep the public informed.
One of Kagwe’s priorities, if appointed, is to make agriculture more appealing to young people.
He proposed incorporating modern technologies such as financial technology (fintech) and artificial intelligence (AI) into agricultural training programs.
“Agriculture needs to be made cool for the youth to embrace it.
It’s currently perceived as boring, and we need to revamp how we train agriculture students,” he remarked.
Drawing from his past experience as Health CS, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, Kagwe noted that using social media effectively helped him reach younger audiences and foster greater engagement.
He acknowledged the challenges posed by misinformation but recognized the vast potential of digital platforms for positive outreach.
On the topic of youth participation in agriculture, Kagwe said that the sector needed a transformation to attract young people. “Agriculture for the youth must be cool.
It’s too ordinary and boring right now,” he said, stressing that technological advancements and modern approaches would help make the sector more exciting.
He also posed questions about the role of AI in the future of agriculture, emphasizing the need to prepare future farmers to compete globally in this evolving field.
Kagwe highlighted his intention to work closely with other ministries to increase farmers’ profitability and improve the agricultural sector’s overall performance.
He also pledged to enhance the ministry’s communication efforts to address misinformation surrounding government initiatives, such as the controversial mass livestock vaccination program, which has faced backlash in some quarters.
Kagwe pointed out that many of these challenges stemmed from disinformation, and he pledged to use social media to counter false narratives, referencing his successful use of digital platforms as Health CS during the pandemic.
With a background in commerce (insurance) from the University of Nairobi and an MBA from the United States International University, Kagwe brings extensive leadership experience to the table.
Besides serving as the Health CS under President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration, he also held the position of ICT Minister during President Mwai Kibaki’s tenure.
Additionally, Kagwe served as Nyeri County’s first senator from 2013 to 2017.
If confirmed, Kagwe will take over the agriculture docket from Andrew Karanja, who has been nominated by President William Ruto as Kenya’s ambassador to Brazil.
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