In the villages of Got Osimbo, Siaya County, a quiet agricultural revolution is taking shape. Faced with the growing threat of erratic weather and prolonged dry spells, smallholder farmers are turning their backs on hybrid seeds and chemical inputs, choosing instead to revive the indigenous crop varieties that sustained their ancestors for generations.
The turning point came three years ago when a severe drought decimated most conventional crops across the region. One farmer, who had planted indigenous maize out of financial necessity rather than deliberate choice, came through the dry spell with a successful harvest while neighbours lost nearly everything. That stark contrast was enough to shift attitudes across the entire community.
Local farmer Rickadiuse Agola recalls how that single season changed the conversation. “When we learnt that they were indigenous seeds, we decided that those are the crops we would continue planting,” he said. His words now reflect a sentiment shared widely among Got Osimbo’s farming families.
Among those who have fully embraced the transition is Risper Agutu, who today cultivates a diverse mix of indigenous maize, cassava, yams, bananas, sweet potatoes, and vegetables alongside dairy cattle. For her, the results have been tangible — the harvests not only improve her household’s food supply but also generate extra income. Farmers have also stumbled upon an unexpected bonus: certain indigenous varieties such as finger millet and Bambara groundnuts are left untouched by monkeys, a persistent pest that has long ravaged conventional maize fields in the area.
To safeguard these gains for the long term, the community took a collective step two years ago by establishing the Got Osimbo Community Seed Bank. The facility stores and distributes drought-tolerant varieties, ensuring seeds stay accessible even to the most financially stretched households. Those who cannot afford to pay receive seeds at no cost and repay double the quantity after their harvest — a straightforward model that keeps the cycle self-sustaining.
The shift has also transformed how farmers manage their land. Rather than spending on costly synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, they now rely on organic manure and animal urine sourced from within the community. This approach has significantly cut production costs and reduced dependence on agro-inputs whose prices have become increasingly unpredictable in recent seasons.
Yet advocates caution that these grassroots gains need backing from above. Aggrey Aluso of Resilience Action Network Africa has called on the government to put in place supportive policies and legal frameworks that allow communities to scale up and sustain such climate adaptation efforts. Without that structural support, even the most promising local innovations risk stalling before they can make a broader impact across the country.
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