The Swynnerton Plan: Lessons from Kenya’s colonial agricultural policy

Abstract

This article reviews the Swynnerton Plan from 1954, which was devised by the colonial government to address the grievances of African farmers in rural areas. The main objective of the Plan was to shift the focus from large-scale European farming to profitable small-scale African agriculture. The purpose of this review was to draw lessons from the past to propose policy recommendations for a sustainable agricultural sector in Kenya. In order to gather and analyse data, this paper conducted a descriptive literature review.  The findings indicate that studying the Swynnerton Plan can offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of past approaches in shaping the current and future landscape of agriculture in Kenya. The implementation of the Swynnerton Plan brought significant changes to African agriculture during colonial period. If a similar transformative policy initiative is developed and put into action, Kenya has the potential to not only attain food self-sufficiency but also emerge as a major agricultural exporter, thereby fostering sustainable growth. This research adds to the existing literature emphasising the importance of exploring historical patterns to guide effective decision-making for the present and future. A historical viewpoint can enable policymakers in the agricultural sector to comprehend current challenges with enhanced clarity.