Farmers' Perceptions of the Role of New Media in Promoting Agricultural Services in Kericho East Sub- County, Kericho County, Kenya
Christine Chelangat Senger
Joel Ngetich
Cellyne Awino
Keywords: Farmers’ perceptions, New media, Agricultural extension, Diffusion of innovation, Kericho County, Kenya
Abstract
Farmers’ perceptions of digital technologies are a critical determinant of their willingness to adopt and sustain new
media for agricultural purposes, yet this dimension remains under-examined among smallholder farming communities
in Kenya’s Rift Valley region. This study assessed the perceptions of farmers on the role of new media in promoting
agricultural services in Kericho East Sub-County, Kericho County, Kenya. A mixed-method, cross-sectional design
was adopted and data was collected through a structured questionnaire, focus group discussions and key informant
interviews. Perceptions were measured using a five-point Likert scale covering five statements on the value, benefits,
and limitations of new media, supplemented by measures of farmers’ engagement behaviour. Farmers expressed
overwhelmingly positive perceptions, with the strongest endorsement recorded for willingness to recommend new
media to fellow farmers (mean = 4.34, SD = 0.84; 87.7% agreement) and for the view that new media is essential for
the future of agriculture in Kenya (mean = 4.21, SD = 0.87; 85.9% agreement). Farmers also reported feeling more
empowered and informed (mean = 3.89) and perceived tangible profitability gains (mean = 3.68). However, farmers
did not perceive new media as a replacement for traditional extension services (mean = 2.73), a pattern confirmed by
a repeated-measures ANOVA showing significant differences across the five perception statements, F(4, 708) = 98.34,
p < .001, η² = .357. High proportions of farmers also actively shared information (61.2%) and reported their
information needs as fulfilled (64.6%), though engagement gaps persisted among less active sub-groups. These
findings indicate that farmers view new media as a valuable, complementary addition to, rather than a substitute for,
conventional agricultural extension. The study recommends a blended extension strategy that leverages farmers’
positive perceptions and peer-to-peer diffusion networks alongside continued investment in human-mediated
extension services
