Kenya’s agricultural sector recently launched a workshop focused on addressing soil acidity and exploring the implementation of a national liming program. This initiative begins with a comprehensive scoping study designed to identify the challenges hindering the commercial rollout of lime, strategize its market introduction, and develop a cohesive, scalable approach to encourage widespread farmer adoption of liming solutions.Mr. Henry Kinyua, Deputy Team Leader of the Kenya Soil Health Development Program, highlighted the urgency of the issue. “Over 65% of our arable land is acidic, preventing crops from absorbing nutrients in the soil and limiting the effectiveness of fertilizers. This leads to reduced yields, worsening our country’s food security situation. However, research has shown that we can reverse soil acidity with lime application.”Christian Witt, Senior Program Officer for Soil Health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, added that soil acidity is a common issue across East Africa. “Soil acidification is a natural process, exacerbated by rainfall and aging soils. High acidity limits crop growth and reduces fertilizer efficiency. We’re working to find the best combination of public and private sector interventions to tackle soil acidity in Kenya, especially for small-scale farmers, while driving economic growth through agriculture.”Sheila Keino, Executive Director of Sustain Africa, emphasized the significance of this scoping study. “Our goal is to rehabilitate soils across Kenya, starting with a few counties. Over the next three months, we will investigate ways to adjust soil pH and boost farmers’ yields. The Nairobi Declaration, following the Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit in May, emphasized the need to rehabilitate at least 30% of Africa’s soils. Kenya must lead in addressing soil health, and correcting pH through liming is essential.”This workshop, organized by the Government of Kenya, Sustain Africa, and supported by the Gates Foundation, marks the start of a broader initiative to pilot liming on 100,000 acres in two counties severely affected by soil acidity. This ambitious project seeks to restore soil health, improve agricultural productivity, and build a foundation for sustainable farming practices in Kenya.
