The World Farmers Markets Coalition warmly congratulates Daniel Mwendah M’Mailutha on his election as President of the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) for the 2026–2028 term.
For our Coalition, Daniel’s election represents more than a leadership transition. It is a powerful recognition of the role that small-scale farmers, farmer organisations, and agricultural communities play in shaping the future of global food systems.
We are especially proud to celebrate this achievement because Daniel is not only a respected international leader but also a long-standing friend and partner of our network. As Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya National Farmers Federation (KENAFF), a valued member organisation of the World Farmers Markets Coalition based in Nairobi, Kenya, Daniel has consistently championed the interests of family farmers and rural communities, while promoting inclusive and sustainable agricultural development.
Today, member organisations of the World Farmers’ Organisation gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for the 2026 Session of the WFO General Assembly, the organisation’s highest decision-making body. The election took place during the WFO Annual Meeting, held under the theme “Future Fields”, where farmers’ organisations from around the world came together to define priorities for the years ahead and elect the President who will guide the global farming community through the next mandate.
Daniel Mwendah’s journey to the WFO Presidency is deeply rooted in farming. Raised on a small coffee farm in Kenya’s Mt. Kenya region, he learned from an early age the value of cooperation through his father’s involvement in the local coffee cooperative movement. That experience shaped a career dedicated to farmer empowerment and representation.
After studying agriculture and beginning his professional career with KENAFF as a field officer, Daniel pursued graduate studies and gained international experience before returning to Kenya. There, he combined academic work in agricultural policy with practical farming, establishing a dairy and apiculture enterprise in Nakuru, in the Rift Valley.
Over more than two decades, Daniel has become a leading voice for farmers in Africa and beyond. Since assuming the leadership of KENAFF in 2018, he has worked tirelessly to strengthen farmer representation in policy-making processes, including within the African Union. He has represented farmers at major international forums, including the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin, the United Nations Food Systems Summits, the United Nations General Assembly, the climate and biodiversity COPs, the Farmers’ G20 in Siracusa, Italy, and the World Economic Forum’s Food Innovation Hubs.
Throughout these engagements, Daniel has consistently advocated for farmers to be recognised not merely as beneficiaries of policy, but as essential partners in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges, from food security and climate resilience to biodiversity conservation and rural development.
As a Coalition dedicated to strengthening local food systems through farmers markets and direct producer-to-consumer relationships, we see Daniel’s election as an encouraging signal that the voices of smallholders and family farmers are gaining greater visibility at the global level.
We look forward to working alongside President Mwendah and the World Farmers’ Organisation in advancing a future where farmers are at the centre of decision-making and where sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems can thrive.
Congratulations, President Daniel Mwendah M’Mailutha. We wish you every success in leading the global farming community during this important new chapter.
