Key Takeaways
- • Farmland ranked among the most sought-after investment sectors for Kenyan high-net-worth individuals in 2026, attracting 29 per cent of responses from wealth managers asked which sectors their clients were considering, according to Knight Frank's 2026 Wealth and Investment Trends report.
- • Food production is the primary motivation for farmland investment, per Knight Frank CEO Mark Dunford, with 63 per cent of respondents citing tree planting and afforestation and 50 per cent citing potential carbon credit income.
- • Wealthy Kenyans are gradually reducing allocations to traditional residential property, with 26 per cent of wealth managers saying less than 10 per cent of client wealth sits in primary and secondary homes.
- • Farmland competes with data centres, residential private rented sector, and hotels and leisure, each drawing 24 per cent of responses, while logistics and industrial real estate drew 18 per cent.
Summary
Kenya's dollar millionaires are increasingly directing capital toward agriculture and food production this year, according to new findings from Knight Frank. The firm's 2026 Wealth and Investment Trends report shows that farmland attracted 29 per cent of responses when wealth managers were asked which sectors their clients were considering, placing it among the leading investment choices.
Knight Frank chief executive Mark Dunford said in the report that food production remains the primary motivation for farmland investment among high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs). The firm links the trend to food security, rising demand for agricultural commodities and the need to strengthen domestic food production as Kenya's population grows. Agricultural land is also valued for preserving wealth during economic uncertainty, offering tangible value and limited supply as a hedge against inflation, and serving as a generational asset that can be passed down and used as collateral for financing. Some investors are acquiring large tracts in satellite towns and emerging growth corridors, betting on appreciation as infrastructure development and urban expansion lift land demand.
The report also identifies a broader shift away from residential property. Twenty-six per cent of wealth managers said less than 10 per cent of their clients' wealth is allocated to primary and secondary homes. Knight Frank quotes the report noting that investors are increasingly considering REITs, fixed-income products, technology, agriculture and renewable energy.
Beyond production, respondents cited environmental and financial drivers for farmland: 63 per cent pointed to tree planting and afforestation, 50 per cent to potential carbon credit income, and 44 per cent to environmental and sustainability benefits. The report says unpredictable weather and climate-related risks have further strengthened interest in land assets offering both production value and sustainability-linked revenue.
Farmland is competing with other emerging sectors for capital. Data centres and the residential private rented sector each drew 24 per cent of responses, hotels and leisure also 24 per cent, and logistics and industrial real estate 18 per cent. Data centres are benefiting from demand for digital infrastructure, cloud computing, AI and data storage, while hotels and leisure are tied to expanding tourism and business travel.
Knight Frank chief executive Mark Dunford said in the report that food production remains the primary motivation for farmland investment among high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs). The firm links the trend to food security, rising demand for agricultural commodities and the need to strengthen domestic food production as Kenya's population grows. Agricultural land is also valued for preserving wealth during economic uncertainty, offering tangible value and limited supply as a hedge against inflation, and serving as a generational asset that can be passed down and used as collateral for financing. Some investors are acquiring large tracts in satellite towns and emerging growth corridors, betting on appreciation as infrastructure development and urban expansion lift land demand.
The report also identifies a broader shift away from residential property. Twenty-six per cent of wealth managers said less than 10 per cent of their clients' wealth is allocated to primary and secondary homes. Knight Frank quotes the report noting that investors are increasingly considering REITs, fixed-income products, technology, agriculture and renewable energy.
Beyond production, respondents cited environmental and financial drivers for farmland: 63 per cent pointed to tree planting and afforestation, 50 per cent to potential carbon credit income, and 44 per cent to environmental and sustainability benefits. The report says unpredictable weather and climate-related risks have further strengthened interest in land assets offering both production value and sustainability-linked revenue.
Farmland is competing with other emerging sectors for capital. Data centres and the residential private rented sector each drew 24 per cent of responses, hotels and leisure also 24 per cent, and logistics and industrial real estate 18 per cent. Data centres are benefiting from demand for digital infrastructure, cloud computing, AI and data storage, while hotels and leisure are tied to expanding tourism and business travel.
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