News

WPC President Peter VanderZaag participates in official visit to Kenya to launch campaign for the 13th World Potato Congress.

 

Dr. Peter VanderZaag, President of the World Potato Congress, is in Kenya this week to participate in the official launch of the logistics and planning for the 13th World Potato Congress -2026.

The session opened with welcoming remarks from the Chair of the WPC Kenya Planning Committee and NPCK CEO, Mr. Wachira Kaguongo, alongside the Committee Vice-Chair and CEO of FreshCrop Ltd., Mr. Chris Gasperi. In his keynote remarks, Dr. VanderZaag expressed strong confidence in Kenya’s preparations and reaffirmed the global importance of WPC 2026, which will be the first time the Congress is hosted in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Committee heads representing the key workstreams — including finance, programs, marketing, social events, and technical tours — provided updates on ongoing plans and shared next steps as the road to October 2026 continues to take shape.

 

 

The event was followed by a site visit by the WPC President and the organizing committees to Sawela Lodges and Convention Centre, which will be the main venue for the 2026 Congress sessions and exhibition.

 

 

This milestone visit and event attracted key partners from across the potato value chain and received extensive media coverage from Citizen TV, The Standard, Seeds of Gold, Hortinews, Kilimo News, and others.  The press engagement offered a platform to highlight Kenya’s role in convening more than 1,000 delegates from over 60 countries for the Congress to be held in Naivasha.

 

International Potato Centre (CIP)

 

On day two of his visit,  WPC President Peter Vanderzaag was welcomed by CIP and the local organizing committee from Kenya at CIP headquarters where they reaffirmed their commitment to support the upcoming Congress. Present for this meeting were CIP, NPCK, FreshCrop, KALRO, Kaizen Top Mark and Kevian.  CIP shared an update on the great work they are doing across the African continent and the globe on seed systems, (breeding,gene bank),  regenerative agriculture and biodiversity. They also strongly echoed the theme of partnership and how the Congress is a great opportunity to showcase successful models of partnership between private sector, research institutions, development organizations and government.

 

 

The World Potato Congress Board and Kenyan hosts extends their heartfelt appreciation to all participants and acknowledges the critical role of partners who are walking this journey together. These include the MoALD, AFA, KALRO, CEHA, CIP, Corteva Agriscience and Kevian Ltd.

More updates to follow in the coming weeks as Kenya continues to prepare for this landmark moment in the global potato calendar. As planning unfolds, early details can be found on the official website for the Congress event. Be sure to check this link below for the most current Congress details, to register your interest in receiving additional information on the event and to inquire regarding opportunities to provide sponsorship.  https://wpc2026kenya.com/.