Engaging Murang’a County Government to transform common bean value chains

By Dennis Ong’or, Priscilla Nzaka, Justin Mabeya, Paul Aseete, Jean Claude Rubyogo & David Karanja

Imagine a place where common beans become a catalyst for change—this is the vision of Murang’a County in Kenya. Driven by the legume’s remarkable potential to deliver essential micronutrients like iron and zinc, that are key to combating micronutrient deficiency affecting over two billion lives worldwide, the County is poised to become an ambitious “bean village”, where climate-smart and micronutrient-rich beans will not only improve nutrition, but also spark inclusive economic growth and enrich local communities.

This venture, based on bean corridor approach, Bean commodity corridors scaling up production and market expansion for smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa (cgiar.org), is part of a broader strategy to revolutionize Kenya’s bean value chain by attracting investments from both national and local partners, and will position Murang’a as one of Kenya’s major bean hubs, after Bomet, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Nyeri, Laikipia, Homa Bay and Nakuru among others.

To turn this vision into reality, teams from various institutions gathered in Murang’a for a consultative meeting on 13th August 2024. Their goal was to explore how to integrate micronutrient-rich bean varieties—such as Angaza, Faida, Nyota, and Waithera, collectively known as High Iron and Zinc Beans (HIB), released by Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO; Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (kalro.org)) member of the PABRA | The Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (pabra-africa.org)—into agricultural enterprises throughout the County.

Chaired by Dr. Kiringai Kamau, the County Executive Committee Member for Devolution and External Linkages, the meeting was graced by several key figures. The delegation included Jean Claude Rubyogo, Bean Program Leader and Director of the Pan-Africa Bean Research Alliance (PABRA); Dr. Joseph Kori, Institute Director at KALRO Kandara; KALRO National Bean Programme Leader David Karanja; and representatives from the Murang’a County Department of Agriculture.

The meeting highlighted the crucial roles of PABRA (KALRO and the Alliance) will play in catalyzing the County government to advance the bean value chain. This partnership aims to maximize the benefits of a demand-driven bean business, from production to market (from farm to fork).

A major outcome of the meeting was PABRA and KALRO’s commitment to support the County in boosting bean production across its soon-to-be-identified wards. This initiative aims to become a cornerstone for the county’s bean industry, built on strong collaboration between KALRO, County policymakers, and local farmers to improve both production and productivity. As added by Karanja: “By working together—farmers, researchers, and local government—we can unlock the full potential of these high iron and zinc beans, ensuring that Murang’a not only becomes a hub for bean production but also a model for how agricultural innovation can transform lives.”

As part of this commitment, the County team has decided to conduct a thorough mapping of Murang’a’s wards to pinpoint areas with the greatest potential for bean production. They will also integrate the bean value chains and improve on seed systems to efficiently deliver market and locally preferred varieties. This data-driven approach will ensure that resources are allocated where they can make the most significant impact.

Kambirwa in Mbiri Ward, which recently benefited from a national government irrigation project, is set to become the cornerstone of the region’s first Bean production hub model. This initiative aims to replicate the success of Kirinyaga’s Kiangwacī project, which expanded from sweet potato production into a diverse agricultural portfolio. Looking ahead, Kambirwa will also serve as a launchpad for other crop value chain enterprises, such as sweet potato production, promoting a more diversified and sustainable agricultural landscape for County farmers.

The bean production hub aims to enhance market facing production hub and market aggregation center through strategic partnerships among research institutions, government agencies, private sector investors and local communities, enhancing agricultural productivity and sustainability. This initiative will also stimulate additional agribusiness activities such as value addition, packaging, and transportation, creating sustainable opportunities through collaborations between Murang’a County government, KALRO, PABRA, the private sector, and local communities.

The focus on sustainability includes learning from counties like Bomet (Community fortune changes through bean trade in Kenya | PABRA (pabra-africa.org), Laikipia, and Nakuru (Building resilience for women bean farmers in Kenya in the wake of COVID 19 pandemic | PABRA (pabra-africa.org), which have transformed their farming communities through the establishment of successful high iron and zinc bean hubs. These counties have effectively integrated bean production into their agricultural frameworks, providing farmers with quality seeds like Nyota, Angaza, and Faida, and implementing good agronomic practices to boost productivity. Their success has been driven by strong partnerships between county governments, PABRA (KALRO, and Alliance), along with enhanced seed systems and market linkages.

Murang’a County’s efforts will therefore align with these proven models, adapting them to local conditions and opportunities. This approach ensures that Murang’a leverages lessons learned and successes from other regions to develop a robust and resilient bean production program tailored to its unique context.

Overall, the meeting in Murang’a County was more than just the launch of a new initiative; it was a step toward building a sustainable future. By leveraging existing systems, empowering farmers, and drawing inspiration from the successes of other counties, the gathering set the stage for lasting impact, as Dr. Kiringai Kamau highlighted: “This is not just about growing beans; it’s about embedding the 8 S framework—strategy, structure, systems, style, staff, skills, shared values, and sustainability—into our agricultural practices to ensure we create a resilient and thriving bean industry in Murang’a.”

The collaborative efforts of PABRA, KALRO, and the Murang’a County government will ensure that this initiative is not just a fleeting success, but a cornerstone of agricultural development in the region for years to come. This aligns with the broader objective of PABRA and KALRO to double bean production and consumption to 1.2 million tonnes in Kenya, further ensuring that Murang’a plays a pivotal role in the nation’s agricultural transformation. The Initiative will also provide opportunity to expand Building Equitable Climate Resilient African Bean and Insect Sectors (BRAINS) project (Beyond Adaptation: PABRA-ICIPE Unveiling BRAINS Initiative, Pioneering Climate Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa | PABRA (pabra-africa.org), which targets the integration of value chain activities across the various Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZs) in Murang’a County where they are most suited as illustrated in the table below:

Table showing the proposed integration of Value chain activities in Muranga county

Agro-Ecological Zone (AEZ) of Muranga County [1]	Beans	Mango	Avocado	Vegetables	Beekeeping
Upper Highland Zone (UH)	X1[2][3][4]	–	–	x¹²	–
Upper Midland Zone 1 (UM1)	X1234	X3[5]	X23[6]	x¹²	–
Upper Midland Zone 2 (UM2)	X1234	X35	X236	x¹²	x³
Lower Midland Zone (LM)	X1234	X35	X236	–	x³

 *X indicates the concentration of corresponding value chain activity

[1] Muranga county Integrated Development plan (2023). https://muranga.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/MURANGA-COUNTY-CIDP-.pdf

[2] Muranga county Integrated Development plan (2018). https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/ken205914.pdf

[3] KNBS Abstract. (2021). https://www.knbs.or.ke/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/2021-Statistical-Abstract.pdf

[4] Kenya Population and Housing Census. (2019). https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3.sourceafrica.net/documents/119795/VOLUME-IV-KPHC-2019.pdf

[5] Oriental fruit fly distribution within kandara sub county, murang’a, kenya. (2019). https://doi.org/10.52855/syzd8861

[6]https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342824854_Landscape_Vegetation_Productivity_Influences_Population_Dynamics_of_Key_Pests_in_Small_Avocado_Farms_in_Kenya