Kirinyaga County's economy has grown by 66 per cent between 2017 and 2025, Governor Anne Waiguru has announced, outlining her administration's achievements during her final State of the County Address.

Addressing the County Assembly on November 2, 2026, Waiguru said the county's Gross County Product (GCP) increased from KSh114.9 billion in 2017 to KSh190.79 billion in 2025.

She further reported that Kirinyaga recorded real economic growth of 8.7 per cent in 2025, compared to the national average of approximately 6 per cent.

The governor attributed the economic progress partly to improved revenue collection, revealing that the county's own-source revenue increased from KSh344.4 million in the 2017/18 financial year to KSh1.11 billion in 2025/26.

According to Waiguru, the growth was supported by the digitisation of revenue collection and the introduction of the Facility Improvement Fund.


Agriculture Remains a Key Economic Driver

Agriculture featured prominently in the governor's address, with the sector accounting for approximately 42 per cent of Kirinyaga's economy and supporting 87 per cent of its population.

Waiguru said more than 100,000 farming households had benefited from the county's Wezesha Kirinyaga programme.

Rice production reportedly increased from 65,000 to 210,000 metric tonnes annually, generating an estimated KSh16 billion.

Tomato production also rose from 46,000 to 116,000 metric tonnes, with an estimated value of KSh6.9 billion.

Coffee production increased from 28,000 to 49,100 metric tonnes, while sales reached KSh7.48 billion in the 2025/26 financial year.

In the dairy sector, average milk production per cow increased from 2.5 litres to approximately eight litres daily.


Sagana Industrial City Expected to Create Jobs

The governor also highlighted the Sagana Industrial City project as a major investment in the county's industrial development.

She reported that construction of its major components had created more than 2,650 jobs, while the completed project is projected to generate over 100,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

The project's Special Economic Zone has already been gazetted, with two investors in tomato and avocado processing reportedly delivering machinery for the planned facilities.


Healthcare, Roads and Water Access

On healthcare, Waiguru reported that maternal mortality had declined from 88 to 49 deaths per 100,000 live births, while neonatal mortality dropped from 26 to 11 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Kerugoya Referral Hospital's bed capacity also increased from 220 to 450, while the county's health network expanded to 72 facilities.

In water provision, household access to clean water increased from 48 per cent to 74 per cent, with an additional 53,000 households connected.

The county also graded 7,616.5 kilometres of roads and gravelled another 2,730.5 kilometres under the Nyorosha Barabara Mashinani programme.

Additionally, approximately 30 markets and aggregation centres were developed to support trade and agricultural marketing.


Waiguru Seeks Support as Tenure Nears End

The governor further attributed a reduction in poverty levels to 21 per cent and an estimated 52,000 households moving out of poverty to her administration's development interventions.

As she delivered her final State of the County Address, Waiguru asked residents for their prayers and support as she expressed interest in serving the nation at a higher level.

Her address provided an overview of her administration's reported achievements across agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare, revenue collection and industrial development.