Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has strongly endorsed plans for the Africa Horticulture Centre (AHC), calling it a strategic chance for Kenya to cement its place as a continental leader in horticultural research, innovation, skills development and investment.
Mudavadi met Co-operative University of Kenya (CUK) Chancellor Dr. Benard Chitunga, who updated him on the university’s readiness to incubate the Centre after Cabinet approved the Chancellor’s Legacy Programme. Talks centred on operational preparations and the government support—especially from the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs—required to give the Centre a true continental reach.
The AHC is designed as an intergovernmental, autonomous, non-profit body headquartered in Nairobi. It will integrate research, skills training, data intelligence, policy dialogue, enterprise support and technology commercialisation. Its four pillars are the AHC Academy (training for farmers, professionals, SMEs, cooperatives, youth and women), HortiStat (statistics and market intelligence), Policy and Business Advisory, and the Innovation Oasis (applied research, climate-smart solutions, digital tools and post-harvest technologies).
Mudavadi noted that Africa’s horticulture sector—fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, flowers and ornamentals—is valued at USD 50–60 billion a year yet contributes less than 10 percent of agricultural GDP and only about five percent of global horticultural exports. The Centre aims to tackle fragmented research, low investment, weak commercialisation, limited market data, capacity gaps and high post-harvest losses.
He stressed that a Nairobi base will link governments, research bodies, development partners and the private sector, while supporting the African Continental Free Trade Area through better intra-African trade, value addition and standards harmonisation. Public-private partnerships in laboratories, digital platforms, cold-chain systems and renewable energy are also expected.
Mudavadi welcomed CUK’s readiness to incubate the initiative and underlined the need for coordinated government backing so the Cabinet decision becomes a fully functioning continental institution that turns Kenya’s horticultural experience into broader African prosperity and resilience.
