Burundi now stands as the East African Community’s top performer in agriculture budgeting. This achievement puts Burundi ahead of regional partners amid governments’ growing pressure. To translate agricultural commitments into real improvements in food security and livelihoods.
An assessment of the 2026-27 budgets of seven EAC Partner States found that Burundi is the only country allocating more than the 10% Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development program (CAADP) benchmark to agriculture, with about 13% of its national budget going to the sector.
Burundi’s 2026-27 national budget allocates BIF 616.2 billion to the agriculture sector, mainly supporting fertilizer subsidies, improved seed distribution, livestock disease control and increased agricultural production.
The finding gives Burundi a notable position in efforts to implement the Kampala CAADP Declaration, which seeks to accelerate agricultural transformation, increase agri-food production and strengthen food security across Africa. The new CAADP strategy covers 2026-35 and places greater emphasis on investment, food and nutrition security, resilient food systems and inclusive livelihoods.
But the assessment carries an important warning: A large agricultural budget does not automatically translate into successful implementation.
For Burundi, the next test is whether the resources allocated to agriculture can be effectively released, spent and converted into better services, stronger production, greater resilience and improved livelihoods for farmers.
The findings were presented during a regional webinar bringing together officials from the EAC, the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), agricultural experts and civil society organizations to assess how prepared Partner States are to implement the Kampala Declaration through their 2026-27 budgets.
The Chairperson of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development program (CAADP), Agnes Kirabo, urged stakeholders to move beyond policy commitments and ensure that agricultural investments deliver tangible improvements for communities.
Kirabo, who also serves as regional coordinator of the Food Rights Alliance, said Africa’s predominantly young population is a major asset for development, noting that 76% of Africans are below the age of 35.
But she cautioned that assigning the continent’s transformation solely to young people would be inappropriate.
“Those of us who are above 35 years old should not leave this work to the under-35s. We all have a role to play in transforming the lives of our people,” she said.
Her message is particularly relevant to Burundi, where the significance of the 13% allocation will ultimately depend on whether increased public investment creates better opportunities, stronger food production and more resilient rural livelihoods.
While Burundi leads the EAC in the share of its national budget allocated to agriculture, Rwanda emerged as the region’s strongest performer in implementation readiness.
Rwanda allocates about 4.5% of its national budget to agriculture, below the 10% CAADP benchmark, but the assessment recognized its strategic investments in irrigation, improved seed systems, livestock genetics and climate-smart agriculture.
The contrast highlights an important lesson for Burundi and the wider region: The amount allocated matters, but so does how the money is spent.
As the EAC-CAADP Non-State Actors Group assessment puts it, “a high budget share does not guarantee readiness; strategic composition and execution matter more than the percentage alone.”
The assessment examined six indicators of implementation readiness, including adequacy of public investment, quality of expenditure, sustainability of domestic financing, budget execution, institutional accountability and alignment with the Kampala Declaration.
For Burundi, the key questions are therefore whether funds are released on time, whether they reach priority programs and whether farmers see improvements in extension services, irrigation, research, markets and climate resilience.
Presenting highlights of the Fifth Biennial Review Report, David Wafula, coordinator for agriculture and food security at the EAC Secretariat, said the region had made progress but continued to face major gaps in agricultural financing, food security and intra-African agricultural trade.
He said achieving the Kampala Declaration’s targets, including increasing agrifood output by 45% and ending hunger, would require significantly higher public and private investment.
“Success requires a multisectoral approach that coordinates investments in agrifood systems,” Wafula said, calling for stronger implementation capacity across Partner States.
He also highlighted the EAC Regional Agri-food Systems Investment Plan (RASIP) 2026-35 as a framework for coordinated investments in sustainable production, trade, natural resources, private-sector participation and inclusive agricultural development.
The assessment found that Kenya allocates about 1.3% of its national budget to agriculture, despite increasing sector funding, while South Sudan’s allocation could not be independently verified because official budget information was not publicly available.
Across the region, debt repayments, security spending and other fiscal pressures continue to compete with agricultural investment.
For Burundi, its 13% allocation therefore represents both an achievement and a responsibility.
If effectively executed, it could provide a regional example of how exceeding the CAADP benchmark can support agricultural transformation. If implementation remains weak, it could demonstrate why budget shares alone are insufficient.
Hon. Françoise Uwumukiza, a member of EALA, emphasized the role of parliamentarians in overseeing implementation and ensuring national agricultural investment plans remain aligned with regional commitments.
Participants called for stronger monitoring of budget releases and expenditure, protection of funding for nutrition, climate resilience and agricultural extension, and greater transparency in agricultural financing.
During the webinar’s closing, Chikondi Chabvuta, Continental Chairperson of the CAADP Non-State Actors Group, urged governments. They should link political commitments to credible financing.
“Move from promises to financed implementation: Every commitment should carry a costed financing pathway,” she said.
For Burundi, the message is clear. The country has crossed the 10% CAADP benchmark, making it the EAC leader in agricultural budget allocation.
The next measure of success, however, will not be the percentage on paper.
It will be whether the money reaches farmers and communities — and whether they can see and feel the results.
