Pyrethrum farmers across the country have expressed renewed optimism following the repeal of the Pyrethrum Act of 2013 and the enactment of a new law aimed at streamlining regulation and revitalising the once-thriving sector.
Pyrethrum Growers Association chairperson Justus Monda lauded President William Ruto for assenting to the repeal of the old law, describing the move as a historic turning point for farmers and stakeholders.
Speaking to the media in an interview, Monda said the previous legal framework had, for years, stifled growth in the industry due to overlapping mandates and bureaucratic hurdles.
“The old Act had governed the industry since 2013, but over time it became clear that it was no longer aligned with the dynamic needs of modern agriculture,” he said.
“Bureaucratic rules continued to derail this industry even in this digital era. While other sectors moved at world speed, pyrethrum remained stagnated by archaic regulations. We are confident that the hurdles have now been removed.”
Pyrethrum farming in Nakuru is undergoing a significant revival initiative led by the county government and private companies such as Kentegra and the Pyrethrum Processing Company of Kenya. Pyrethrum is a major cash crop in the region, valued for the natural insecticide, pyrethrin, found in its flowers.
Under the repealed law, the sector was regulated by a Pyrethrum Regulatory Authority mandated to license growers, dealers and processors, as well as collect levies for industry development. Stakeholders argued that the arrangement created duplication and, at times, conflicted with other agricultural laws.
With the repeal, those licensing and regulatory functions will now be migrated into a broader agricultural regulatory framework, including oversight under the Agriculture and Food Authority.
Monda said the transition is expected to reduce fragmentation and harmonise operations within the agricultural sector.
He noted that the new legislation provides clearer guidelines for farmers, processors and buyers, ensuring that all players operate under consistent and transparent rules.
“The new law is clearer and streamlines oversight. It eliminates duplication and conflicts between the previous Act and other agricultural statutes.
“This creates a more predictable environment for investment and growth. Farmers have long called for an open and competitive market structure to spur production and attract new investment,” he said.
According to Monda, regulatory complexity under the old framework discouraged expansion and limited farmers’ access to markets.
Industry players believe this will encourage increased acreage under pyrethrum cultivation and improved processing capacity.
The sector, once a major foreign exchange earner for the country, has struggled in recent years due to declining production, delayed payments and regulatory bottlenecks.
Stakeholders now hope the new law will restore investor confidence and position pyrethrum as a key contributor to agricultural growth.
Pyrethrum is grown in eight of 11 subcounties, including Molo, Kuresoi North, Kuresoi South, Njoro, Gilgil, Naivasha, Bahati and Subukia.
The Nakuru county government, in collaboration with other stakeholders, has distributed more than 66 million seedlings to farmers since 2017, with more than 7,056 farmers benefiting.
Currently, Nakuru county has an average of 2,148 acres of land under pyrethrum farming and seeks to increase this to 30,000 acres.
Governor Susan Kihika further noted that the construction of the Nakuru County Aggregation and Industrial Park at the Egerton Agro-City in Njoro will provide farmers with cold storage facilities to minimise post-harvest losses, keep away predatory middlemen and link farmers to value addition through agro-processing.
