Over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture has been a stumbling block for many small-scale farmers living in arid and semi-arid regions in the eastern parts of Kenya. Judith Munini was among these farmers for more than 30 years, producing subsistence food crops for her household of six. Living in Mavindini ward, Makueni County, Kenya, Judith and her husband Domic Kavuthi faced prolonged droughts given the climatic orientation of Makueni County. Makueni is located within the arid and semi-arid areas, characterized by limited and unreliable rainfall, relatively high temperatures and high levels of evaporation. As a result, vegetation is generally withered, though soils are reported to be fertile.
It was becoming difficult to predict rainfall patterns. Sometimes the rain is inadequate, other times it is too much, and it floods the crops. May through September is the hardest season, with August being the hardest season in terms of water scarcity and crop failure.
Judith Munini
The duo was eager to move from being a food insecure household to being one that could provide for their four children while also sustaining their livelihood economically after transitioning from a shop business into full-time horticulture production. However, this plan was met with a rough patch.
Water Scarcity
Judith began farming pixies (a seedless variety of orange), oranges, pigeon peas, beans, maize and cowpeas in her two-acre plot in 2017. The annual rainfall in Makueni County ranges from about 411 mm at Tsavo to 1,314 mm at Kitondo. Crucially, every drop of rainfall counts because one missed rain means a missed harvest.
The unfavourable climate conditions in the area forced Judith and her husband to spend up to two hours each day manually watering their crops. With no efficient irrigation system, they relied at times on a fuel-powered water pump, which cost them as much as KSH 18,000 (~125 euros) per month, an unsustainable expense for a small-scale farmer.
For horticulture crops to thrive, they need lots of water and strict temperature requirements. Increased or decreased rainfall and increased temperature can result in drought or flooding, lack of water for irrigation. Pests and diseases can affect the suitability of areas for growing horticultural crops.
Persistent Pests and Diseases
With the increased temperatures, her farm was plagued by Fall Armyworm and Cowpea Pod Borer infestations, leading to severe defoliation and reduced yields. Fall Armyworm larvae feed on leaves, creating ragged holes (particularly in maize and sorghum), stunting plant growth and significantly lowering grain output.
“The most pressing challenge during the dry season is the presence of pests and diseases. They destroy most of the crop, resulting in low yields. Over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture is another challenge. I could harvest three bags of Maize and 120 kilos of cowpeas, barely enough to feed the children.
Judith Munini
The climate around Makueni County varies based on altitude. The area to the north around the Kilungu and Mbooni Hills is relatively cooler, with temperatures ranging from 20 to 24°C, while the low-lying areas such as Kitise and Kibwezi are hotter. During the dry periods, between May and October, the lower parts of the Makueni County experience severe heat.
Low Productivity and Poor Market Uptake
From her 100 rain-fed pixie trees, Judith earned only KSH 15,000 (~103 euros) in 2023. The market was saturated, prices had dropped and income was unreliable.
In 2019, Makueni farmers earned approximately KSH 595 million (~4.8 million euros) from pixie fruit sales. That accounted for 31.2% of Kenya’s total citrus production value that year, making Makueni the leading county in pixie production among the ten that cultivate the fruit. Acreage under pixie cultivation in Makueni expanded dramatically from 622 to 2,296 hectares, surpassing even coastal counties like Kilifi.
The Long Wait For Water
What started as a water conservation project in 2015 stalled due to lack of proper tools and the presence of financial barriers. However, in 2021, the manually-dug earth dam could hold enough water all year round. The water pan would dry around July/August which allowed Judith and her husband to dig further and expand the pan’s capacity to hold more water.
In 2023, through the Acting Now for Food Security and Resilient Food Systems (Acting Now) programme, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Judith received targeted support, consisting of a 30mx30m drip kit and solar powered pump, aimed at securing food for her entire family. Together, the couple now cultivates a variety of crops, including maize, beans, pigeon peas, cowpeas and high-value fruits such as grafted mangoes, pixies, oranges and pawpaws on a two-acre plot.
Despite investing a full fruiting season in her rain-fed pixie trees, she earned only KSH 15,000 (~103 euros) due to market saturation, falling prices and unreliable middlemen — highlighting the urgent need for climate-resilient production systems and diversified market access to stabilize smallholder earnings.
“In 2024, everything changed,” Judith shares. “I started irrigating my pixie trees during the off-season and earned KSH 50,000 (~343 euros) from fewer than 100 trees, more than triple what I made the year before. Most farmers had no fruit then, so I sold when demand was high and supply was low. That’s how I got premium prices. Pixie fruits changed the game. I was selling when no one else had fruit. That income carried us through the hardest months.”
Improved Soil Health
Judith relied solely on limited farmyard manure, less than one ton per year. Her soil’s fertility was declining, and she had no alternatives to costly synthetic fertilizers. After 2023, thanks to the results of a soil test analysis organized by Solidaridad, she now produces up to eight tons of organic compost annually. After analysis conducted by SGS through Solidaridad’s partnership, it was recommended that she apply seven tons of compost manure per acre, which she has consistently adhered to. This has improved soil health, reduced input costs and allowed her to regenerate her land naturally one season at a time.
“As of 2025, I ran a fully commercial nursery with over 20,000 indigenous and fruit tree seedlings. We supply farmers, youth groups and reforestation programmes across Makueni,” Judith says proudly. “Indigenous tree seedlings (Melia volkensii (mukau) and Croton megalocarpus) are part of our future; they survive, support biodiversity and bring back the balance.”
Her business model is responsive to local demand, receiving pre-orders as large as 10,000 pawpaw seedlings, and has turned her farm into a beacon of hope and learning in the region.
The income from her nursery enterprise has enabled Judith to adopt additional climate-smart practices. She has invested in more water harvesting systems, hired labor to dig over 120 zai pits, established two compost pits and maintains a functioning drip irrigation system. These systems serve as evidence of how determination, smart investment and community knowledge can transform a household into a resilient farm business. The Acting Now programme’s interventions were designed to promote year-round productivity, restore degraded landscapes and enhance water efficiency in dryland contexts.
By integrating solar pumps and drip irrigation, we’ve significantly reduced our overhead in labor and fuel. Even in periods of drought, the system ensures consistent hydration—lowering my stress and visibly improving crop yields.
Judith Munini
Impact and Community Growth
Judith’s journey has evolved from working quietly on her land to becoming a recognized community educator and changemaker.
Before, her efforts were largely unseen beyond her village. But between 2023 and 2024, her farm transformed into a vibrant learning hub, drawing farmers from across the region eager to learn from her experience.
To date, Judith has trained over 200 smallholder farmers at her demo site in key climate-smart practices. These include composting techniques to restore soil health, dryland fruit farming suited to arid conditions (lemons, oranges and pixies), sustainable cultivation of indigenous and fruit trees and water- and energy-efficient farming technologies(solar powered irrigation kit).
Call to Action
“To all the farmers, I would say it will be the next success story. Join local training sessions and adopt climate-smart practices, invest in water-efficient technologies, and explore value addition. Start small, your land can become your legacy.
To the government, I wish for them to replicate farmer learning hubs across wards. Prioritize support for solar pumps, drip kits, and the certification of nurseries to build local supply chains and strengthen climate resilience.
To Solidaridad, I want to thank you and urge you to expand mentorship programmes that pair experienced farmers with peers. Scale up climate-smart agriculture microenterprises such as nurseries and solar drying units. Document and share these success stories to spark national uptake and policy support.”
– Judith Munini
About The Acting Now Project
The Acting Now for Food Security and Resilient Food Systems programme seeks to improve the resilience of smallholder farmers by integrating local agricultural production of food crops and products (vegetables, fruits, nuts and dairy) and agriculture businesses into their coffee production systems. The project targets 70,000 smallholder farmers (60% women) from three counties and 15 cooperatives and producer hubs that deliver production and marketing services.
Annex
Makueni County, in Kenya’s semi-arid southeastern region, faces temperatures of up to 33°C and receives limited, seasonal rainfall, averaging 140 mm between March and June, and 300 mm from October to December. Despite a poverty rate of 34.5%, agriculture remains the backbone of the local economy, with farmers relying on drought-tolerant crops, small-scale livestock, and mixed farming systems. Traditional practices such as seasonal cropping and limited use of fertilizers dominate, with most farmers depending on nutrient-poor farmyard manure. Pest infestations are frequent, especially during dry spells, further threatening productivity. (County Government of Makueni, 2018; Kenya National Bureau of Statistics [KNBS], 2020; Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO], 2019).
References:
- County Government of Makueni. (2018). Makueni County Integrated Development Plan 2018–2022.
- Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. (2020). 2020 Kenya Population and Housing Census: Analytical Report on Agriculture.
- Food and Agriculture Organization. (2019). Kenya Climate-Smart Agriculture Strategy 2017–2026.