Kitui County, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, has once again postponed the annual Kitui Agricultural Show and Trade Fair moving it from February 2026 to July 23–25, 2026.

Speaking to the media at his office, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture and Livestock, Dr. Stephen Mbaya Kimwele, explained that the rescheduling aims to merge the Agricultural Show with the upcoming International Investors Conference set for the same dates.

“In Governor Malombe’s manifesto, the county hosts the Agricultural Show and Trade Fair every year. As a cabinet, we found it wise to combine these two major events so that we don’t crowd the calendar with multiple large events,” waziri Mbaya Kimwele noted.

The county had been preparing to host its 7th Agricultural Show and Trade Fair early next year after it was postponed from July 2025, due to the construction works at the usual venue Ithookwe Showground which was being upgraded into a 10,000-seater stadium.

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The newly merged event, now branded as the Kitui Agricultural Show, Trade and Investment Expo, will take place at the completed Ithookwe Stadium from July 23 to 25, 2026. It is expected to attract international investors who will tour and evaluate potential opportunities within Kitui’s six economic zones. “This combined expo will bring together a wide spectrum of participants from micro and small enterprises, mama mbogas, and jua kali artisans to major local and international companies, alongside the regular attendees who support the annual agricultural show,” waziri Kimwele added.

Waziri Mbaya Kimwele used the platform to encourage farmers to continue adopting climate-smart agricultural technologies to withstand the increasing impacts of climate change. He noted that with meteorological forecasts predicting reduced and unreliable rainfall, farmers must be ready to adjust their farming practices accordingly.

He further cautioned that unless farmers embrace Technologies, Innovations, and Management Practices that strengthen resilience and adaptation to climate change, they risk experiencing repeated losses. Waziri Mbaya stressed that the era of relying solely on traditional, rain-fed agriculture is rapidly fading as weather patterns continue to shift, making the transition to irrigated farming essential.

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Additionally, he also highlighted alternative farming ventures such as irrigated agriculture, beekeeping, goat rearing, pasture production, poultry farming, and agroforestry as viable options for farmers in the semi-arid county like Kitui. He urged households to diversify into these climate-resilient enterprises to improve income stability and enhance food security.

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