By Maureen Bosire
Nairobi, Kenya: In a bold step to boost innovation and competitiveness in African agribusiness, a Kenyan-French partnership is empowering women farmers with a powerful new tool: Artificial Intelligence (AI). A nationwide technology training program is equipping them with the skills to significantly increase the value and marketability of their agricultural products.
The initiative, a collaboration between Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture and the French Embassy, has already reached over 1,200 women farmer groups and organizations. The core mission is to provide modern technology skills that directly improve product quality, packaging, and access to both local and international markets.
The transformative potential of this training was on display at a recent event hosted by the French Embassy in Nairobi. Women entrepreneurs from across the country gathered under the Faminov program to share their successes.
For Matihilda Amolo, founder of Great Lakes Company in Siaya County, AI has moved from a buzzword to a business essential. Her company produces livestock feed to support local women. “AI has helped us scientifically determine the optimal protein and mineral content for our feed, all while sourcing raw materials locally,” Amolo explained. “We then process and package it using machines we built ourselves, which has dramatically improved our efficiency and product consistency.”
The impact extends beyond feed production. In Laikipia County, camel farmer and community leader Zamzam Haji has seen her business evolve from serving niche markets to securing shelf space in major supermarkets like Chandarana, with exports even reaching Uganda. The value addition training provided her with the knowledge to refine and package her camel milk products for a broader, more demanding audience.
This shift from local to global is a key outcome of the program. Several women’s groups have now registered their products for sale in international markets, including France and other European countries. Mercy Mwende, a porridge maker from Tharaka Nithi County, is among the entrepreneurs now tapping into these expansive new opportunities.
The Faminov program receives support from French financial agencies like the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). Anne Gael Chapuis, AFD Kenya Country Director, emphasized the program’s targeted approach: “We are working with 14 agribusiness groups, providing them with a full year of training from French experts. The women have proposed impactful technological projects that are helping their communities, especially other women and children. This is at the heart of our mission as a development agency in Kenya.”
This focus on women is strategically critical. A report by the Kianda Foundation notes that women contribute about 48% of Kenya’s agricultural workforce and are leaders in value-added ventures like processing and packaging—sectors that significantly boost the national economy.
As these women entrepreneurs continue to integrate AI and other technologies, the program fuels a powerful cycle of growth: small businesses expand, value addition increases, and Kenya moves steadily closer to achieving its sustainable development goals by 2030.
