Evaluation of the Capacity of State Regulatory Agency to Revive Farming, a Policy Perspective of the Sugar directorate and Sugar cane farming in Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated the capacity of the Sugar directorate the regulatory agency of Kenya’s sugar subsector to revive sugarcane farming in the country. It was based on a cross sectional survey design and purposive sampling techniques that enabled engagement of the regulators in management positions as key informants. Key informant guides and questionnaires were used to collect data which was then analyzed descriptively using measures of central tendency and inferentially using t-test. On the bases of the attributes of strength and exploitable opportunities for the directorate, the study established that the directorate has statistically significant capacity to revive sugar cane farming in Kenya. The key attributes of its strength as identified by the study range from the authority to license private mills, authority to set and review sugarcane prices, provision for adoption of COMESA Standards down to the authority to control sugar importation. The key attributes of exploitable opportunities range from the chance to seek for the intervention of the presidency in line with Articles 113 and 115 of the Kenya Constitution 2010, chance to intensify border and market surveillance services in line with the Agriculture and Food Authority Act of 2012, the chance to enhance stakeholder linkages and networks down to the chance to upscale its strategic plan in line with the Public Finance Management Act of 2023. According to the study, to revive sugar cane farming in Kenya the directorate should enhance its adherence to the attributes of strengths and develop strategies for exploitation of the identified opportunities.