Nairobi, Kenya | 25th February 2026: Kenya has officially launched the Electronic Warehouse Receipt System Central Registry (eWRS-CR), a landmark digital platform set to modernise agricultural commodity trade, reduce post-harvest losses, and unlock access to structured markets and financing for farmers and agribusinesses nationwide.
Launched by the Warehouse Receipt System Council (WRSC) in partnership with TradeMark Africa (TMA) and through funding from the British High Commission (BHC) in Nairobi, the Central Registry is a secure, government-owned digital platform that automates, centralizes, and manages warehouse receipts issued under the Warehouse Receipt System. The platform enhances transparency, traceability, and trust, enabling seamless participation by farmers, warehouse operators, financial institutions, traders, regulators, and other market actors across the agricultural value chain.
Supported by the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry through the State Department for Trade, the launch marks Kenya’s transition from pilot implementation to national adoption of a structured and digitized Warehouse Receipt System, positioning the eWRS-CR as a critical pillar in strengthening agricultural markets and improving farmer access to finance.
The launch was officiated by Regina Ombam, Principal Secretary for Trade, who emphasized the platform’s role in building trust and catalysing participation across the agricultural value chain.
“The e-WRS Central Registry is not merely a technology platform; it is a confidence-building intervention designed to catalyse participation across the agricultural value chain. By enhancing transparency, strengthening trust, and enabling access to finance, this system empowers farmers, attracts private sector investment, and contributes to Kenya’s broader economic transformation,” said the Principal Secretary.
Agriculture remains central to Kenya’s economy, with smallholder farmers contributing over 75% of national agricultural output. However, access to formal credit remains limited, with less than 5% of bank lending directed to the sector, while post-harvest losses, estimated at 30–40% for some commodities, continue to undermine farmer incomes and national food security.
The eWRS-Central Registry addresses these challenges by enabling farmers and commodity owners to safely store produce in certified warehouses and receive electronic warehouse receipts as proof of ownership. These receipts can be used as collateral to access financing, empowering farmers to meet immediate financial needs while avoiding distress sales and enabling them to sell when market conditions are most favourable. The system also strengthens structured trade, improves price discovery, and enhances market efficiency.
The Chairman – Mr. Patrick Mbogo of the Warehouse Receipt System Council underscored the strategic significance of the Central Registry in advancing Kenya’s agricultural and economic transformation.
“The launch of the Electronic Warehouse Receipt System Central Registry marks a defining moment in Kenya’s journey toward a modern, transparent, and efficient agricultural marketing system. This platform strengthens trust among market participants, enhances commodity security, and unlocks access to financing for farmers and agribusinesses. It lays a firm foundation for structured agricultural trade and positions Kenya as a regional leader in agricultural market innovation,” said Mr. Mbogo.WRSC Ag. CEO and Registrar, Lucy Komen, highlighted the growing private sector uptake of the system and its impact on strengthening agricultural value chains.
“We are encouraged by the private sector’s growing embrace of warehouse operations, which is critical to the success of the system. The Warehouse Receipt System provides an enabling environment for private sector engagement. In addition, the structured market systems enable farmers to focus on production while ensuring their commodities are safely stored, financed, and traded within a structured and secure marketplace. We encourage both public and private sector players to adopt this solution. This will strengthen Kenya’s agricultural value chains,” said Ms. Komen.
TradeMark Africa’s Kenya Country Director, Lillian Mwai Ndegwa, emphasized the organization’s commitment to strengthening structured agricultural trade and improving market access for farmers and agribusinesses.
“By improving traceability and enabling access to finance, this platform empowers farmers and agribusinesses to compete more effectively in domestic and regional trade. And this is how our wider ambition of the No Stop Border becomes practical, by fixing systems at source. Goods moving across Africa, whether between counties or across countries, should not face unnecessary delays caused by fragmented systems. But seamless borders do not begin at the crossing point. They begin long before a pick-up or a lorry reaches the border. They begin at source. Systems like the Electronic Warehouse Receipt platform ensure that commodities are traceable, trusted and trade-ready from the moment they enter the value chain.”
The Deputy High Commissioner and Development Director at the British High Commission in Kenya, Diana Dalton, reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to supporting Kenya’s agricultural modernization and financial inclusion agenda.
“Kenya and the UK are injecting innovation into agriculture. Not only does this system put more money into farmers pockets, but it also means produce like maize can be used to take out a short-term loan to pay school fees, without a farmer selling their produce at a cheaper price. The renewed Strategic Partnership between Kenya and the UK is driving modernisation for big businesses and small businesses alike, adding crucial value to produce before it’s exported. Smallholder farmers are the backbone of the Kenyan economy – and we’re going far, together.”
The system has not only been tested from end to end, but it is now fully operational. 114 warehouse receipts representing nearly 600,000 kilogrammes of commodities have been registered, with 44% utilised to access financing
The official launch of the eWRS-CR provides formal national validation of the system as an operational government platform and signals Kenya’s commitment to building a transparent, efficient, and inclusive agricultural market system, one that reduces losses, strengthens value chains, and unlocks sustainable financing for farmers and agribusinesses nationwide.