Recent developments in weather and seasonal rainfall predictions have increased the accuracy and reliability of the seasonal forecasts issued by the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD). Despite these advances, location-specific forecasts to assist farmers in taking proper decisions at the farm level remain unavailable. Historically, farmers in Kenya have used various local indicators for rainfall prediction. However, due to recent climate changes which have led to significant changes in seasonal rainfall patterns, these indicators have become increasingly unreliable. Despite the availability of relatively more reliable forecasts from the meteorological service, farmers seldom use these for farm-level decision-making because they are not adapted to the locality and it is difficult for farmers to access the information on time and in a format they can easily understand. This gap is mainly due to a lack of capacity for interpretation and use of the forecasts. Providing location-specific and easily understood climate forecasts can therefore enhance farmers’ capacity to use climate forecasts to manage risk. The project ‘Managing risk, reducing vulnerability and enhancing agricultural productivity under a changing climate’ has applied a participatory research approach with smallholder farmers in Kitui, Mwingi and Mutomo Districts of Kenya to develop location-specific, simplified climate information for their use.