The Kenyan government has procured drones to conduct aerial surveillance and monitor the operation of agricultural farms in the country.

The decision stemmed from the recent incident where suspected thieves believed to be Ugandans reportedly stole corn from the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) in Trans Nzoia County.

Mohammed Bulle, the ADC Managing Director, said that to combat this rampant theft, they have purchased high-tech security drones, which have already been piloted and set up at the Sabwani ADC farm in the county.

He says modern security systems will be used for surveillance and monitoring of farm operations.

According to Bulle, the government was losing agricultural products due to illicit exports.

“The main objective is to have security drones patrol all government-owned farms across the country; the corporation indicated that, while the drones were initially deployed to combat border theft, there will be a nationwide expansion,” said Bulle.

Bulle stated that the theft was affecting seed production in the country, threatening food security.

“It is almost harvesting season now for the maize planted on the expansive ADC farms, and this has attracted thieves,” Bulle remarked.

He added that the Uganda-Kenya border was porous at the time, making it easy for people to smuggle stolen corn out of Kenya.

According to Bulle, the Kenyan government has set aside 12,000 acres for seed production, which will yield 4.8 million Kilos of seed maize for Kenya Seed Company.

ADC’s primary mandate is to encourage the production of Kenya’s vital agricultural inputs as well as engage in initiatives to develop agricultural production in specific fields of production.