Sunflower Farming and Oil Production
Prospects for Kenya’s Future  

Kenya still imports a large share of its cooking oil each year, even though its climate can support oilseed crops such as sunflower. According to data shared by Farmonaut, sunflower thrives in semi-arid regions, has a relatively short growing cycle, and can deliver multiple by-products such as oil, seed cake, and soap base (farmonaut.com).

That combination of adaptability and versatility positions the crop as a potential driver of rural manufacturing and self-sufficiency. With local processing infrastructure—pressing, filtration, and packaging—sunflower can create direct income for farmers and reduce national dependence on imports.

“We import most of our cooking oil, yet we have the potential to grow our own,”
says John Mwandia, founder of Kilovoo Trading Company, which produces Sundrops Sunflower Oil in Kitui County.
“The government last year gave free sunflower seed to Kitui, Makueni, Meru and other counties to promote local oil production.”

Institutions such as the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KARLO) have been tasked with producing improved seed varieties, helping farmers access better inputs. At the same time, county governments are beginning to engage with emerging processors.

“We are already working with the Director for Trade in Kitui County, who wants us to showcase our oil in county exhibitions,”
John explains.
“It’s encouraging to see local officials recognize that if we can process what we grow, we keep value here at home.”

Still, structural challenges remain—consistent rainfall, reliable logistics for collecting seed, and investment in machinery and marketing. Public–private partnerships can bridge that gap, providing farmers with training, irrigation options, and access to markets.

Mwandia hopes that retail partners will also play their part:

“Supermarkets like Quickmart and Naivas should reserve shelf space for locally processed products,”
he says.
“If every county’s stores supported its own producers, it would help farmers and consumers alike.”

For entrepreneurs and farmers, the lesson is clear: aligning crop choice with full value-chain development—from farm to bottle to shelf—will be key. With coordinated investment and supportive policy, sunflower farming can strengthen rural livelihoods, cut imports, and power Kenya’s journey toward true food and economic independence.